During the glacial episodes of the Quaternary, European forests were restricted to small favourable spots, namely refugia, acting as biodiversity reservoirs. the Iberian, Italian and Balkan peninsulas have been considered as the main glacial refugia of trees in Europe. In this study, we estimate the composition of the last glacial forest in a coastal cave of the Cilento area (SW Italy) in seven time frames, spanning from the last Pleniglacial to the Late Glacial. Charcoal analyses were performed in seven archaeological layers. Furthermore, a paleoclimate modelling (Maxent) approach was used to complement the taxonomic identification of charcoal fragments to estimate the past potential distribution of tree species in Europe. Our results showed that the mesothermophilous forest survived in this region in the core of the Mediterranean basin during the Last Glacial Period (LGP, since ~36 ka cal BP), indicating that this area played an important role as a reservoir of woodland biodiversity. Here, Quercus pubescens was the most abundant component, followed by a wide variety of deciduous trees and Pinus nigra. Charcoal data also pointed at the crucial role of this coastal area, acting as a reservoir for warm temperate trees of genera Tilia, Carpinus and Sambucus, in LGP, in the Mediterranean region. Our modelling results showed that P. nigra might be the main candidate as a “Pinus sylvestris type” in the study site in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Furthermore, we found that P. nigra might coexist with Q. pubescens in several European territories both currently and in the LGM. All models showed high levels of predictive performances. Our results highlight the advantage of combining different approaches such as charcoal analysis and ecological niche models to explore biogeographic questions about past and current forest distribution, with important implications to inform today’s forest management and conservation.

Coastal Pine-Oak Glacial Refugia in the Mediterranean Basin: A Biogeographic Approach Based on Charcoal Analysis and Spatial Modelling

Wildlife-vehicle collisions - Influencing factors, data collection and research methods

Mortality of the Atlantic ghost crab Ocypode quadrata (Fabricius, 1787) due to vehicle traffic on sandy beaches: A road ecology approach

The development and expansion of road networks have profoundly impacted the natural landscape and various life forms. Animals are affected by these roads in a myriad of ways, none as devastating as road mortalities. This article reviews the literature on the magnitude, spatiotemporal patterns, factors, and consequences of Animal-Vehicle Collisions (AVCs) and the subsequent road kills. Furthermore, the review paper briefly outlines the relationship between roads and animals in the surrounding landscape and later examines the nature and impacts of AVCs. This article evaluates the statistics on the number of road kills and a critical analysis of the spatiotemporal patterns of these mortalities is also evaluated. Subsequently, the review paper examines current mitigation measures and the challenges impeding their success. The paper then concludes with an evaluation of geospatial tools (GIS) and other technologies used in road kill studies. The relevant findings of this paper are that, (1) factors influencing road kill patterns interact with one another; (2) AVCs have serious environmental, economic and social consequences; (3) road kill mitigation strategies suffer several challenges hindering their success; and (4) specific geospatial tools and other technologies have been utilised in assessing AVC road kill patterns. The review, therefore, recommends including overall road kill clusters of all animals in mortality surveys, increasing the spatial coverage of road kill observations, consistent surveying, sufficient research on nighttime driving distances and speed, utilising citizen science in all road mortality studies and incorporating GIS into all apps used for recording road kills. An increased sufficiency in road kill data coupled with improved technologies can enable more effective mitigation strategies to prevent AVCs.

Spatio-Temporal Patterns and Consequences of Road Kills: A Review.

We explore the effect of roads in animal mortality within the Biodiversity Hotspot with the highest number of endemic species of vertebrates on Earth, the Tropical Andes. Our objectives were to know which species are killed on roads in this particularly biodiversity‐rich area and how landscape composition and configuration influences roadkills. We systematically looked for roadkills along roads that border three protected areas in the Ecuadorian Andes. To evaluate our hypotheses, we used correlation, logistic regression, and GIS analyses. We surveyed a total of 7128 km and observed a roadkill rate of 6.24 (95% CI = 5.35–7.14) individuals per 100 km/day. Roadkills included poorly known endemic and endangered vertebrates; among them, one undescribed snake species of the genus Atractus. Most roadkills were by pastures, the dominant vegetation by roads in our study area. Roadkills were more likely to occur near bridges and were more frequent at greater distances from natural vegetation, towns, and rivers. We conclude that pastures and bridges may be functioning as ecological traps for small and poorly known vertebrates. Mitigation measures could include increasing road permeability to wildlife by constructing culverts in critical points where mortality is high, and the adaptation of areas beneath bridges for them to function effectively as wildlife underpasses. These measures should be complemented with fences to exclude vertebrates from roads in areas near wildlife passages and along pastures. We encourage the development of similar studies in biodiversity‐rich areas to inform mitigation measures that can be adapted to local conditions.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/btp.12938

Geography of roadkills within the Tropical Andes Biodiversity Hotspot: Poorly known vertebrates are part of the toll

Roads exert multiple effects on wildlife, from animal mortality, habitat and population fragmentation, to modification of animal reproductive behaviour. Amphibians are the most frequently road-killed animal group. Many studies have attempted to analyse the factors driving amphibian casualties on roads, but these factors are limited to the roads themselves (e.g., traffic, type of roads, roads crossing water bodies) or to structures along them (e.g., ditches, walls). Sometimes, roadkills are related to land use along the roads. We analysed the influence of landscape factors on roadkill hotspots at the national level (Slovenia). Specifically, we aimed at: (1) identifying hotspots of roadkills, (2) analysing whether records of amphibian presence on roads are related to the distribution of water bodies and (3) analysing which factors (proximity to water bodies or human factors) explain the distribution of hotspots. Hotspots were identified by Malo’s method. Roadkills were modelled with Maxent for the first time in Slovenia. The relationships between amphibian presence and hotspots with factors were analysed with GLM. A total of 237 road sections were identified as hotspots, corresponding to 8% of road sections and containing 90% of road-killed individuals. Proximity to forests, meadows and agricultural land were the most important variables in Maxent models. The number of roadkills depended on the proximity to agricultural land, forests, water bodies and wetland areas, while the number of hotspots additionally depended on the proximity to urban settlements.

https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/11/1/13/pdf

Aleksandra Lešnik

Papers

Influence of Landscape Factors on Amphibian Roadkills at the National Level