Influence of Sampling Effort on the Estimated Richness of Road-Killed Vertebrate Wildlife |
| |
Authors: | Alex Bager Clarissa A da Rosa |
| |
Institution: | 1.Road Ecology Research Group, Setor de Ecologia, Departamento de Biologia,Universidade Federal de Lavras,Lavras,Brazil |
| |
Abstract: | Road-killed mammals, birds, and reptiles were collected weekly from highways in southern Brazil in 2002 and 2005. The objective
was to assess variation in estimates of road-kill impacts on species richness produced by different sampling efforts, and
to provide information to aid in the experimental design of future sampling. Richness observed in weekly samples was compared
with sampling for different periods. In each period, the list of road-killed species was evaluated based on estimates the
community structure derived from weekly samplings, and by the presence of the ten species most subject to road mortality,
and also of threatened species. Weekly samples were sufficient only for reptiles and mammals, considered separately. Richness
estimated from the biweekly samples was equal to that found in the weekly samples, and gave satisfactory results for sampling
the most abundant and threatened species. The ten most affected species showed constant road-mortality rates, independent
of sampling interval, and also maintained their dominance structure. Birds required greater sampling effort. When the composition
of road-killed species varies seasonally, it is necessary to take biweekly samples for a minimum of one year. Weekly or more-frequent
sampling for periods longer than two years is necessary to provide a reliable estimate of total species richness. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 PubMed SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|