Inter-Individual Variability of Stone Marten Behavioral Responses to a Highway

摘要: Efforts to reduce the negative impacts of roads on wildlife may be hindered if individuals within population vary widely in their responses and mitigation strategies ignore this variability. This knowledge is particularly important for medium-sized carnivores as they are vulnerable road mortality, while also known use available passages (e.g., drainage culverts) safely crossing highways. Our goal study was assess whether apparently contradictory pattern high road-kill numbers associated with a regular attributable variation behavioral toward highway between individuals. We investigated seven radio-tracked stone martens (Martes foina) by measuring utilization distribution, response turning angles patterns. compared observed simulated movement parameterized space characteristics each individual, but naive presence highway. results suggested that demonstrate diversity highway, including attraction, indifference, or avoidance. Martens varied patterns, some repeatedly at same location (often coincident passages). suspect variability derives from individual's familiarity landscape, awareness passage locations. Because these variable yet potentially responses, we support exclusionary fencing guide transient dispersers) existing risk.