科研之友
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摘要
Roads can adversely affect animal populations by impacting nesting behavior, causing roadway mortality, and fragmenting habitat. Fences have frequently been implemented to combat road mortality, but at the expense of changing patterns of nesting behavior and increasing population fragmentation. We studied the effectiveness of barrier fences that were installed to reduce road mortality in Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) seeking nesting habitat along two causeways in coastal southern New Jersey. To determine whether the barriers limited roadway access, we surveyed the ground within five-meters of the fences for evidence of Diamondback Terrapin nest holes in relation to the barrier, indicating whether nesting activity occurred on the marsh side of the fence or on the road side. As a second direct measure of effectiveness, we created a corrugated tubing arena and documented Diamondback Terrapin escape success to examine barrier breaching. Fences were generally effective in restricting Diamondback Terrapin movement: we found far fewer road-side nests (n = 39) than marsh-side nests (n = 521), as well as a spatial clustering of road-side nests near the free ends of the fence at one field site. Additionally, the barrier breaching success was positively correlated with gap size between the fence and the ground (P < 0.001), irrespective of body size, indicating that diligent fence maintenance is imperative. Given Diamondback Terrapins' high probability of road mortality and population sensitivity to female mortality, we conclude that fences are currently essential in their conservation and may warrant greater consideration in the field of turtle conservation, particularly in species with nesting movements that intersect with roads.
- 出版日期2015-6
