Evidence that a Highway Reduces Apparent Survival Rates of Squirrel Gliders

摘要: Roads and traffic are prominent components of most landscapes throughout the world, their negative effects on natural environment can extend for hundreds or thousands meters beyond road. These include mortality wildlife due to collisions with vehicles, pollution soil air, modification behavior in response noise, creation barriers movement, establishment dispersal conduits some plant animal species. In southeast Australia, much remaining habitat squirrel glider, Petaurus norfolcensis, is located narrow strips Eucalyptus woodland that adjacent roads streams, as well small patches vegetation farther from roads. We evaluated effect volume gliders by estimating apparent annual survival rates adults along Hume Freeway nearby low-traffic-volume surveyed populations trapping them over 2.5 years, combined these data prior information away freeways model ratio both site types. The rate adult living was estimated be approximately 60% lower than near local cause reduced may higher and/or emigration compared smaller country Management options population persistence will influenced which factors primary a rate. © 2010 author(s).