Road mortality of Carnivores with an emphasis on road casualties of cheetah and leopard in Iran
Subject Areas : Water and EnvironmentMarzieh Mousavi 1 , Elmira Kazemi 2 , Mansur Pursina 3
1 - Department of Biodiversity and habitats, Faculty of Environment and Energy, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran. *(Corresponding Author)
2 - Department of Biodiversity and habitats, Faculty of Environment and Energy, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran.
3 - Department of Natural Resources, Faculty of Natural Resources, Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas Branch, Iran.
Keywords: Carnivores, Road kill, Conservation,
Abstract :
At the moment habitat destruction and degradation are the most important threats to biodiversity in the world and the roads presently are the main causes for habitat loss and fragmentation. In this study by means of extant records of mammal mortality during 2007-2015 we found road accident is the first reason for carnivore’s fatality. 52 percent of mammal mortality directly was associated with road accident. Carnivores with 64.42% showed the highest death road, amongst carnivores, canids had the most number of road kills, nearly 63 percent and felids by 20 percent were in the next place. Meanwhile 52 percent of cheetah Acinonyx jabatus venaticus mortality directly related to road collision. The road in Golestan National Park has led 39 percent of road mortality of mammals and 78% of leopard Panthera pardus saxicolor death road. Currently road accident is known as an emerging factor and one of the severe threats for top predators’ survival. Consequently, it is necessary to apply standard procedures to make safe passage for wildlife crossing, moreover protective measures according to urban and rural development programs to be considered behalf of decision makers.
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17- Gubbi, S., Poornesha H, C., Daithota, A. and Nagashettihalli, H., 2014. Roads emerging as a critical threat to leopard in India? Cat News, 60, pp. 30-31.
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1- Ree R. V., Jaeger J. A. j., Grift E. A. and Clevenger A.P., 2011. Effects of roads and traffic on wildlife populations and landscape function: road ecology is moving is toward larger scales. Ecology and Society, 16(1): 48. [online] URL: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol16/iss1/art48/.
2- زبردست، لعبت و همکاران، استفاده از متریک اندازه موثر شبکه در تحلیل از هم گسیختگی پوشش های جنگلی محدوده اثر جاده در پارک ملی گلستان، مجله محیط شناسی، 1390، شماره 8، صفحه 20-15.
3- وهابزاده، عبدالحسین (مترجم)، بوم شناسی: مطالعه تجربی توزیع و فراوانی، چارلز،کربس(نویسنده)، ویرایش پنجم، انتشارات جهاد دانشگاهی مشهد، 1388، 816 صفحه.
4- Switalski, T. A., and Nelson, C. R., 2011. Efficacy of road removal for restoring wildlife habitat: Black bear in the Northern Rocky Mountains, USA. Elsevier, vol. 144, pp. 2666-2673.
5- Cervinka J., Riegert J., Grill S. and Salek M., 2015. Large-scale evaluation of carnivore road mortality: the effect of landscape & local scale characteristics. Mammal research, Vol. 60, pp. 233-243.
6- Bujoczek, M., Ciach, M and Yosef, R., 2011. Road-kill affects avian population quality. Biological Conservation, doi: 10.1016/j. biocon.2010.12.022.
7- Beier P., Majka D., Newell Sh. and Garding E., 2008. Best management practices for wildlife corridors. Arizona University. Available online: http://azriparian.asu.edu/newsletters. htm.
8- Forman, R.T., and Alexander, L. E., 1998. Annual Review of Ecology and systematics.Vol. 29, pp. 207-231.
9- Forman, R.T.T., et al., 2003. Road ecology: science and solutions. Island Press, Washington, D.C.
10- Taylor SK., Buergelt CD., Roelke-Parker ME., Homer BL., Rotstein DS., 2002. Causes of mortality of free-ranging Florida panthers. J Wildl Dis 38,107–114.
11- Waser PM., 1996. Patterns and consequences of dispersal in gregarious carnivores. In: Gittleman JL (ed) Carnivore behavior. Ecology Biological Conservation, doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2010.12.022.
12- Polednik L., Polednikova K., Vetrovcova J., Hlavac V. and Beran V., 2011.Causes of deaths of Lutra lutra in the Czech Republic (Carnivora: Mustelidae), Lynx. n. s. (Praha), 42: 145-157.
13- درویش صفت، علی اصغر، اطلس مناطق حفاظت شده ایران، انتشارات دانشگاه تهران، 1385،170 صفحه.
14- Kh. Hamidi, A., Ghoddusi, A., Soufi, M., Ghadirian, T., Jowkar, H. and Ashayeri, Sh., 2014. Camera traps study of Persian leopard in Golestan National Park, Iran. Cat News, 60, 12-14.
15- Ghoddousi, A., Kh. Hamidi, A., Ghadirian, T., Ashayeri, D., Moshiri, H. and Khorozyan, I., 2008. The status of the Persian leopard in Bamu National Park, Iran. Cat News, 49, pp.10-13.
16- Kiabi, B. H., Dareshouri, B. F., Ghaemi, R. A. & Jahanshahi, M., 2002. Population status of the Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) in Iran. Zoology in the Middle East, 26, pp.41-47.
17- Gubbi, S., Poornesha H, C., Daithota, A. and Nagashettihalli, H., 2014. Roads emerging as a critical threat to leopard in India? Cat News, 60, pp. 30-31.
18- جوکار، هومن، تلفات جاده‌ای یوزپلنگ در ایران، ماهنامه ترابران، 1394، صفحات 95 تا 99.
19- 19-Gittleman, J.L. and Harvey, P.H., 1982. Carnivore Home-Range size, Metabolic Needs and ecology. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. Vol. 10, issue 1, pp. 57-63.
20- 20-Balm, G. & Hunter, L., 2004. Mortality in a protected leopard population, Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa: A population in decline? Ecological Journal, 6, pp.1-6.
