Potential Movement Corridors and High Road-Kill Likelihood do not Spatially Coincide for Felids in Brazil: Implications for Road Mitigation

Cerqueira, Rafaela Cobuci; Leonard, Paul B.; Silva, Lucas Gonçalves da; Bager, Alex; Clevenger, Anthony P.; Jaeger, Jochen A.G.; Grilo, Clara

doi:10.1007/s00267-020-01411-4

Cited by 19 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 86 publications

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“…However, due to the presence of highspeed (120 kph) roadways bisecting areas with suitable woody cover across southern Texas, we recommend these findings be incorporated into future road planning efforts to ensure dispersal and connectivity among woody patches where there is a reasonable likelihood of resident ocelot populations [64]. These results can also be applied for recovering ocelots in other parts of their geographic range, like Brazilian Atlantic Forest, an area also marked by heavy fragmentation and extensive road networks [54,61,62,65].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Landscape Structure of Woody Cover Patches for Endangered Ocelots in Southern Texas

et al. 2021

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Few ecological studies have explored landscape suitability using the gradient concept of landscape structure for wildlife species. Identification of conditions influencing the landscape ecology of endangered species allows for development of more robust recovery strategies. Our objectives were to (i) identify the range of landscape metrics (i.e., mean patch area; patch and edge densities; percent land cover; shape, aggregation, and largest patch indices) associated with woody vegetation used by ocelots (Leopardus pardalis), and (ii) quantify the potential distribution of suitable woody cover for ocelots across southern Texas. We used the gradient concept of landscape structure and the theory of slack combined with GPS telemetry data from 10 ocelots. Spatial distribution of high suitable woody cover is comprised of large patches, with low shape-index values (1.07–2.25), patch (27.21–72.50 patches/100 ha), and edge (0–191.50 m/ha) densities. High suitability landscape structure for ocelots occurs in 45.27% of woody cover in southern Texas. Our study demonstrates a new approach for measuring landscape suitability for ocelots in southern Texas. The range of landscape values identified that there are more large woody patches containing the spatial structure used by ocelots than previously suspected, which will aid in evaluating recovery and road planning efforts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Landscape Structure of Woody Cover Patches for Endangered Ocelots in Southern Texas

et al. 2021

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“…Our findings indicate a lack of road avoidance behavior at the level of home range, which makes road mortality an important concern for jaguar conservation considering existing and planned future roads 76 . Since additional mortality may become a critical threat to a species with low reproduction rates, in particular when combined with other sources of non-natural mortality 77 , 78 , it is an important recommendation to identify areas of high road-kill rates and areas of movement corridors crossed by roads to implement effective measures to avoid road mortality and provide safe crossings 79 – 81 . Also, our study highlighted that substantial efforts should be made to control and prevent deforestation 82 and urban sprawl 55 due to roads, for example, by funding studies that simulate the impacts of planned roads on the landscapes still inhabited by jaguars 83 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Direct and indirect effects of roads on space use by jaguars in Brazil

Cerqueira

Rivera

Jaeger

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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Roads pose an imminent threat to wildlife directly through mortality and changes in individual behavior, and also indirectly through modification of the amount and configuration of wildlife habitat. However, few studies have addressed how these mechanisms interact to determine species response to roads. We used structural equation modeling to assess direct and indirect effects (via landscape modification) of roads on space use by jaguars in Brazil, using radio-tracking data available from the literature. We fit path models that directly link jaguars’ space use to roads and to land cover, and indirectly link jaguars’ space use to roads through the same land cover categories. Our findings show that space use by jaguars was not directly affected by roads, but indirect effects occurred through reductions in natural areas on which jaguars depend, and through urban sprawl. Males´ space use, however, was not negatively influenced by urban areas. Since jaguars seem to ignore roads, mitigation should be directed to road fencing and promoting safe crossings. We argue that planners and managers need to much more seriously take into account the deforestation and the unbridled urban expansion from roads to ensure jaguar conservation in Brazil.

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“…Other studies used the standardized difference and the z-scores of accumulated costs, at observed and random radio-tracking fixes, to validate ecological corridor location, though the cost of telemetry technology greatly limits its general application [26,28,46]. Independent data collected during specific sampling campaigns (capture-release-recapture, camera sampling, sand traps or vehicle collision data) can also be highly relevant to validate landscape connectivity approaches, but only for the species that can be detected in such a way [24,47,48] (however, see [49]). However, the cost of collecting such data can be prohibitive and this partly explains why most of connectivity studies are not validated [23].…”

Section: Comparison With Other Validation Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Validation Procedure for Ecological Corridor Locations

Lalechère

Bergès

2021

Land

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Connectivity conservation analysis is based on a wide range of approaches designed to pinpoint key ecological corridors in order to maintain multispecies flows. However, the lack of validation procedures with accessible data prevents one from evaluating the accuracy of ecological corridor locations. We propose a new validation procedure to evaluate the accuracy of ecological corridor locations in landscape connectivity approaches. The ability of the procedure to properly rank the accuracy of different landscape connectivity approaches was illustrated in a study case. Maxent model and circuit theory were used to locate ecological corridors for forest bird species, following three approaches based on land cover, umbrella species and multispecies presence data. The validation procedure was used to compare the three approaches. Our validation procedure ranked the three approaches as expected, considering that accuracy in locating ecological corridors is related to the biological realism of calibration data. The corridors modelled were more accurate with species presence data (umbrella and multispecies approaches) compared to land cover proxy (habitat-based approach). These results confirm the quality of the validation procedure. Our validation procedure can be used to: (1) evaluate the accuracy of the location of ecological corridors; (2) select the best approach to locate ecological corridors, and (3) validate the underlying assumptions of landscape connectivity approaches (e.g., dispersal and matrix resistance values).

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Potential Movement Corridors and High Road-Kill Likelihood do not Spatially Coincide for Felids in Brazil: Implications for Road Mitigation

Cited by 19 publications

References 86 publications

Landscape Structure of Woody Cover Patches for Endangered Ocelots in Southern Texas

Landscape Structure of Woody Cover Patches for Endangered Ocelots in Southern Texas

Direct and indirect effects of roads on space use by jaguars in Brazil

A Validation Procedure for Ecological Corridor Locations

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