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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 35(2)

Temporal trends in use of fauna-friendly underpasses and overpasses

Amy R. Bond A and Darryl N. Jones B C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Applied Road Ecology Research, Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia.

B Centre for Innovative Conservation Strategies, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: d.jones@griffith.edu.au

Wildlife Research 35(2) 103-112 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR07027
Submitted: 5 March 2007  Accepted: 11 March 2008   Published: 21 April 2008

Abstract

The impact of roads on local biodiversity is a major issue associated with urbanisation. A major arterial road in the southern suburbs of Brisbane, south-east Queensland, was upgraded in 2004–05 from two to four lanes. In an attempt to minimise the impact of the larger road on local wildlife populations, a range of fauna crossing structures were constructed at the site. Monitoring of road-kill was undertaken for 4 months before construction and after the completion of construction. Assessment of the use of two underpasses and a large overpass (‘land-bridge’) started 6 months after construction using sand tracking in underpasses and scat sampling on the land-bridge. An initial 26-week period of intensive monitoring was undertaken from August 2005 to February 2006 followed by monthly monitoring from June 2006 to June 2007. On average, 1–5 tracks per day were detected in the underpasses at the start of the survey, increasing steadily to ~42 tracks per day by February 2006. The monthly survey showed regular use of the underpasses by a wide range of species and species-groups, the most abundant being ‘rodents’, most likely Rattus species, both native and introduced. The land-bridge was also used continuously by three species of macropod (red-necked wallaby, Macropus rufogriseus; swamp wallaby, Wallabia bicolor; and eastern grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus) with brown hare (Lepus capensis) becoming increasingly common in summer 2006. The exclusion fencing was extremely effective in preventing most road-kill, at least of larger species, except following human-related breaches in the fence.


Acknowledgements

This project and the Compton Road Fauna Array would not exist but for the extraordinary efforts of many people but none more critical than Mary O’Hare (Brisbane City Council) and Thomas Creevy (Karawatha Protection Society). We sincerely thank Kristy Buchanan, Leigh Slater and Stacey McLean of Brisbane City Council for their support. Thanks are also due to Brendan Taylor for ongoing discussions and to Raymonde de Lathouder for assistance in the field. We also acknowledge the valuable suggestions of Camilla Myers, Andrea Taylor and two anonymous referees of an earlier draft of this paper.


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