Testing pole barriers as feasible mitigation measure to avoid bird vehicle collisions (BVC)

Zuberogoitia, Íñigo; Real, Javier del; Torres, Juan José Rastrollo; Rodríguez, Laura María Lojo; Alonso, María R.; Alba, Vicente de; Azahara, Carmen; Zabala, Jabi

doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2015.06.026

Cited by 17 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Actually, the presence of the arcs may have helped deflect birds away from the collision risk area, as we often observed birds avoiding these by changing flight paths. This is in line with observations showing that individual birds and bird flocks change flight paths in response to the presence of anthropogenic structures such as pole barriers (Zuberogoitia et al 2015).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Bird Collisions in a Railway Crossing a Wetland of International Importance (Sado Estuary, Portugal)

et al. 2017

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Many studies have evaluated bird mortality in relation to roads and other human structures, but little is known about the potential impacts of railways. In particular, it is uncertain whether railways are an important mortality source when crossing wetlands heavily used by aquatic birds. Here we analyze bird collisions in a railway that crosses the Nature Reserve of the Sado Estuary (Portugal) over an annual cycle, documenting bird mortality and the flight behaviour of aquatic birds in relation to a bowstring bridge. During monthly surveys conducted on 16.3 km of railway, we found 5.8 dead birds/km/10 survey days in the section crossing wetland habitats (6.3 km), while <0.5 dead birds/km/10 survey days were found in two sections crossing only forested habitats. Most birds recorded were small songbirds (Passeriformes), while there was only a small number of aquatic birds (common moorhen, mallard, flamingo, great cormorant, gulls) and other non-passerines associated with wetlands (white stork). During nearly 400 h of observations, we recorded 27,000 movements of aquatic birds across the Sado bridge, particularly in autumn and winter. However, only <1% of movements were within the area of collision risk with trains, while about 91% were above the collision risk area, and 8% were below the bridge. Overall, our case study suggests that bird collisions may be far more numerous in railways crossing wetland habitats than elsewhere, although the risk to aquatic birds may be relatively low. Information from additional study systems would be required to evaluate whether our conclusions apply to other wetlands and railway lines.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Bird Collisions in a Railway Crossing a Wetland of International Importance (Sado Estuary, Portugal)

et al. 2017

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“…However, trees could attract animals as well, for perching or feeding, so pole barriers are preferred since they have fewer side effects. An experiment with medium-to large-sized birds in Spain showed that most birds shifted or raised the flight when approaching the pole barrier (Zuberogoitia et al 2015).…”

Section: Effectiveness Of Mitigation Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Planting trees (Tremblay and St. Clair 2009) or erecting pole barriers (Zuberogoitia et al 2015) in the railway corridor can reduce the WTCs of flying animals. However, trees could attract animals as well, for perching or feeding, so pole barriers are preferred since they have fewer side effects.…”

Section: Effectiveness Of Mitigation Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Demanding species, such as large animals, prefer to cross under bridges rather than through underpasses (Rodríguez et al 1996;Baofa et al 2006;Yang and Xia 2008) but, on the other hand, bridges can represent a risk for flying species as they tend to cross above them (Tremblay and St. Clair 2009). Thus, bridges should be flanked by pole barriers to ensure safe passage well above moving traffic (Zuberogoitia et al 2015). Finally, functional connectivity should be evaluated with molecular methods and BACI designs implemented to know the effectiveness of mitigation measures (Balkenhol and Waits 2009;Corlatti et al 2009;Clevenger and Sawaya 2010;Simmons et al 2010;Soanes et al 2013).…”

Section: Wildlife Passes Combined With Funnelling Fencingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In identified hotspots, anti-collision measures, such as warning signals (Babińska-Werka et al 2015; see also Chap. 17) or pole barriers, (Zuberogoitia et al 2015) should be placed. Their effectiveness should be monitored with BACI designs.…”

Section: Monitoring Of Wtcs To Identify Hotspotsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Railways as Barriers for Wildlife: Current Knowledge

Barrientos

Borda‐de‐Água

2017

Railway Ecology

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In this chapter we provide practical suggestions, together with examples, to identify, monitor and mitigate railway barrier effects on wildlife, as this is considered one of the railways' greatest impacts. Railways can be both physical and behavioral barriers to wildlife movement, as well as disturbance to populations living close to them. Also, mortality is recognized as an important contribution to the barrier effect. However, the consequences of habitat loss, and fragmentation due to railways alone remain largely unexplored. Barrier effects have mainly been mitigated with wildlife passes, with the effectiveness of this tool being one of the most-studied topics in Railway Ecology. Methods formerly employed to monitor pass usage, such as track beds or video-surveillance, are now being replaced by molecular ones. Among the latter methods, genetic fingerprinting allows individual-based approaches, opening the door to population-scale studies. In fact, genetic sampling allows for the assessment of functional connectivity, which is closely linked to successful reproduction and population viability, variables not necessarily coupled with crossing rates. There is strong evidence that railway verges offer new habitats for generalist species and for opportunistic individuals, a point that deserves to be experimentally explored in order to find wildlife-friendly policies. Preventing animals from crossing (e.g., by fencing), should be reserved for collision hotspots, as it increases barrier effects. Instead, it has been shown that warning signals or pole barriers effectively reduce collisions without increasing barrier effects. In this respect, we argue that computer simulations are a promising field to investigate potential impact scenarios. Finally, we present a protocol to guide planners and managers when assessing barrier effects, with emphasis on monitoring and mitigation strategies.

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Methods to Monitor and Mitigate Wildlife Mortality in Railways

2017

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Recording wildlife mortality on railways is challenging as they have narrow corridors and lower accessibility. To improve mitigation measures, surveys must be systematic and their frequency depending on the targeted species traits and biology. To obtain unbiased estimates in diverse contexts, the data should be corrected using mortality estimators. Mitigation measures must avoid that animals remain on the tracks, as trains cannot be instantly stopped. Box culverts, amphibian tunnels, and under-or overpasses allow a safe crossing, whereas exclusion fences, olfactory repellents, sound signals and sound barriers prevent the crossing of railways. Habitat management in railway verges improves the animal capability to evade trains.

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Testing pole barriers as feasible mitigation measure to avoid bird vehicle collisions (BVC)

Cited by 17 publications

References 24 publications

Bird Collisions in a Railway Crossing a Wetland of International Importance (Sado Estuary, Portugal)

Bird Collisions in a Railway Crossing a Wetland of International Importance (Sado Estuary, Portugal)

Railways as Barriers for Wildlife: Current Knowledge

Methods to Monitor and Mitigate Wildlife Mortality in Railways

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