Road mortality locations of small and medium-sized mammals along a partly-fenced highway in Quebec, Canada, 2012–2015

Abstract

The data presented here consist of the locations of 839 roadkill points from four years (2012–2015) of roadkill surveys for small and medium-sized mammals (under 30 kg) from a four-lane highway in Quebec (Highway 175) during the months of May to October. Seventeen species or species groups were identified, all local to the area, and none of which were identified as species at risk, threatened, or endangered. The GPS coordinates of each roadkill event are given, along with the date, time of day (morning or evening), location (northbound or southbound lanes) and species (where possible). Within the surveyed road, 18 wildlife passages with 100 m fencing on each side of the passage entrances were built for small and medium-sized mammals. The GPS coordinates of the 18 passages and the end of each corresponding fence are also provided.

An adaptive plan for prioritizing road sections for fencing to reduce animal mortality

“…Road mortality surveys took place 20 days per month on a 68‐km stretch of HWY‐175 from June to September in 2012 to 2015 (Plante et al. 2018), monthly on a 95.4‐km stretch of BR‐101 for 1 year from January 2003 to January 2004 (Coelho et al. 2008), and on 4 consecutive days per month on a 66.6‐km stretch on ROTA for 1 year from July 2009 to June 2010 (Teixeira et al.…”

“…Highway 175 cuts through Quebec's Laurentides Wildlife Reserve and borders Jacques-Cartier National Park. At the time of data collection, the surveyed area of the 4-lane highway had an annual average daily traffic flow of 5900 vehicles (Plante et al 2018), 5 large wildlife underpasses, and 18 medium-sized underpasses with 100-m fencing on each side of the passage entrances. The BR-101 borders slopes of the Serra Geral Mountains and coastal lagoons and had an average traffic volume of 6880 vehicles per day and no passages and no fences.…”

“…The ROTA, which had an average traffic volume of 3100 vehicles per day, crosses through 2 protected areas (Rota do Sol Environmental Protected Area and Mata Paludosa Biological Reserve) and borders the Aratinga Ecological Station, part of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve, and had 3 underpasses and no fences. Road mortality surveys took place 20 days per month on a 68-km stretch of HWY-175 from June to September in 2012 to 2015 (Plante et al 2018), monthly on a 95.4-km stretch of BR-101 for 1 year from January 2003 to January 2004 (Coelho et al 2008), and on 4 consecutive days per month on a 66.6-km stretch on ROTA for 1 year from July 2009 to June 2010 (Teixeira et al 2013). All roads have drainage culverts.…”

“…On HWY-175, 793 dead small-and medium-sized mammals (body mass <30 kg) from 16 species (or species groups) were recorded (Supporting Information) (Plante et al 2018). Along BR-101, 444 mammal carcasses from 14 species (or species groups) were found (Grilo et al 2018).…”

Habitat Suitability Based Models for Ungulate Roadkill Prognosis

“…In an increasing number of landscapes, movements of animals, particularly wide-ranging large mammals, come into contact with and require the crossing of roads. As new roads are built and old ones upgraded to accommodate greater traffic demands, the rate of successful animal crossings decreases, becoming in some cases the leading cause of animal mortality [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Such barrier effects contribute to habitat fragmentation, demographic isolation and loss of biodiversity [ 10 , 11 ].…”