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A road risk map for the European polecat (Mustela putorius, Mammalia, Carnivora, Mustelidae) in Italy

Authors:
Luca Francesco Russo at Sapienza University of Rome
Luca Francesco Russo
Mirko Di Febbraro at University of Molise
Mirko Di Febbraro
Mauro Fabrizio at University of Molise
Mauro Fabrizio
Loy Anna at University of Molise
Loy Anna
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Abstract

The growing numbers of road infrastructure have a great impact on biodiversity, such as habitat loss, degradation, fragmentation and roads impacts. The European polecat (Mustela putorius) is a small-sized, elusive and poorly studied carnivore that is often fund along roads. We collected 223 records of polecat road casualties in Italy and analysed the relationships with land-cover categories to evaluate factors influencing the risk of road collisions. A buffer of 3 km radius, corresponding to the average home range size of the polecat, was created around each collision site. Within each buffer, we computed the area of each Corine Land Cover category (CLC, III level, 1:250.000). We generate 10000 random points with 3 km buffer along Italian roads to characterize the CLC coverage of the environment. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to check for differences in extent of land-cover categories between road collisions sites and random points. Rice fields (2.1.3), Broad-leaved forests (3.1.1) and Water bodies were significantly overrepresented around collision sites than in background points. Several categories from agricultural areas (i.e. 2.2.3, 2.3.1, 2.4.1, and 2.4.2), forest and seminatural areas (i.e. 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.2.2, 3.3.2, and 3.3.4) and wetlands (i.e. 4.1.1) were significantly underrepresented around collision sites than in background points. We discuss the results in the light of known habitat preferences of the species, and dispersal routes.
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a multiscale approach. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 51(3), 157-162
OUTCOMES'
METHODS'
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS''
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ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.
The presence of rabbits adjacent to road increases polecat road mortality
Article
Full-text available
  • Feb 2009
Road mortality is an increasing problem for terrestrial vertebrate conservation due to the increase of both road numbers and vehicle Xow. We hypothesize that the proba-bility of a predator being killed on the road is related to the presence of its prey adjacent to the road, which is likely to be related to the use that these predators make of road verges. We aim to identify the features of speciWc stretches of road where road-kills of a predator (European polecat) occur in Mediterranean landscapes, including the presence of its main prey (European rabbit) and landscape and road features. We compared 85 100 m long stretches of road where at least one road-kill was recorded with 104 stretches without any road-kill in a dry agricultural landscape in central Spain. We used regression analysis to investigate the relationship between road-kill occurrence and the features in the 67% of the cases. Road-kill stretches were characterised by greater numbers of rabbit burrows in the road verges and by higher traYc Xow and speed (i.e. higher speed limit, lower proportion of heavy vehicles, wider road and lower proportion of unbroken central lines). Road-kill stretches also had more metres built over bridges and lower densities of people. We validated our best model with a dataset (the 33% of the cases) not included in its develop-ment, which correctly classiWed 82% of road-kill stretches and 89% of non-road kill stretches. Our results highlight the need for taking into account food resource distribution when studying causes of animal road-kills.
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Site and landscape features ruling the habitat use and occupancy of the polecat (Mustela putorius) in a low density area: A multiscale approach
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2005
We studied the habitat of the polecat at different scales in a low density area. For this purpose we gathered data on the presence of the species and characterised them by location, home range and landscape scales. Polecats selected areas of high diversity close to, but not in, streams whilst avoiding intensively managed conifer plantations and dense urban areas. Variables determining the presence/absence of the species were found at home range scales, which implies that management and conservation practices for the species should be aimed mainly at this scale. Finally, our results agree with previously published works, which validate GIS-based approaches as a tool for carnivore management in areas with scarce data or in cases of rare species.
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Habitat use and preference by polecats (Mustela putorius L.) in a Mediterranean agricultural landscape Mustela putorius, Linneaus, 1758. Ficha Libro Rojo Site and landscape features ruling the habitat use and occupancy of the polecat (Mustela putorius) in a low density area: a multiscale approach
  • Jan 2005
  • 301-313
  • M Rondinini
  • C Ercoli
  • V Boitani
  • L Cabezas-Díaz
  • S Lozano
M. (2009). Spatial-temporal patterns in Mediterranean carnivore road casualties: consequences for mitigation. Biological conservation, 142(2), 301-313.;iNaturalist. Available from http://www.inaturalist.org. Accessed 2017.Ornitho Available http://www.ornitho.it;Rondinini, C., Ercoli, V., & Boitani, L. (2006). Habitat use and preference by polecats (Mustela putorius L.) in a Mediterranean agricultural landscape. Journal of Zoology, 269(2), 213-219.;THERIO Available http://www.therio.it:Virgós E, Cabezas-Díaz S, Lozano J (2007b) Mustela putorius, Linneaus, 1758. Ficha Libro Rojo. In: Palomo LJ, Gisbert J, Blanco JC (eds) Atlas y Libro Rojo de los Mamíferos Terrestres de España. Dirección General de Conservación de la Naturaleza-SECEM-SECEMU, Madrid, pp 297-298;Zabala, J., Zuberogoitia, I., & Martínez-Climent, J. A. (2005). Site and landscape features ruling the habitat use and occupancy of the polecat (Mustela putorius) in a low density area: a multiscale approach. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 51(3), 157-162