Grzegorz ORŁOWSKI

• Main Author: Lech Nowak
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Common vole; Microtus arvalis
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.1084.855; http://www.rosemonteis.us/files/references/045545.pdf

ABSTRACT: The aim of the present study was to determine the yearly mortality level and identify the collision places of mammals on a road network with varying traffic volume, as well as to establish the main relations between habitat structure and the number of roadkills. During 26 months of survey on a 48.8 km road network (15 roads) with different traffic volumes (350-10500 cars per 24 h) situated in an agricultural landscape of SW Poland 383 killed mammals of 23 species were found. The most abundant group were small rodents (40%), with dominant common vole Microtus arvalis (26%) followed by insectivores (32%), topped by two species of hedgehogs Erinaceus spp. (20%). The average (± SD) road-kills index during the whole study period on 11 road sections with the lowest traffic volume (350-460 cars per 24 h) amounted to 0.29 ± 0.14 (range = 0.08-0.56) casualties per 100 m. This value was over seven times lower than on the section with the highest (10500 cars per 24 h) traffic volume (2.13 casualties per 100 m). Over 80% of victims were found between May and October. During the whole study period 38% of victims were recorded within built-up areas, where 26% of the studied roads were localized. The other 62% were found on the roads situated in the open farmland (74% of all roads). The clear majority of hedgehogs Erinaceus spp., weasels Mustela nivalis, brown rats Rattus norvegicus, beech martens Martes foina and red foxes Vulpes vulpes died within villages, while the animals killed on roads in the open farmland included all recorded common voles, moles Talpa europaea and common shrews Sorex araneus. The decisive factor affecting the mortality level in mammals in the multiple regression model was the daily vehicle traffic volume. This variable had significant, positive influence on the number of victims both within the most abundant species, their groups (insectivores, rodents, mustelids), as well as all mammals. The road location in the open countryside was an additional factor affecting the level of losses in ...