Register      Login
Australian Mammalogy Australian Mammalogy Society
Journal of the Australian Mammal Society
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > AM > AM09007
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 31(2)

Use of fauna road-crossing structures in north-eastern New South Wales

Ian F. Hayes A B and Ross L. Goldingay A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Environmental Science and Management, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: hazy_67@hotmail.com

Australian Mammalogy 31(2) 89-95 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM09007
Submitted: 22 February 2009  Accepted: 19 July 2009   Published: 15 October 2009

Abstract

The vast network of roads around the world has had a significant effect on wildlife and ecosystems through habitat fragmentation, reduced dispersal and mortality by collision with vehicles. Road agencies worldwide now frequently install dedicated structures to facilitate the safe crossing of roads by wildlife. We conducted surveys to determine the use of dedicated wildlife overpasses and nearby underpasses at two locations on the Pacific Highway in north-eastern New South Wales. Road-kill surveys were conducted to provide some understanding of the species commonly killed and whether the rate of road-kill was lower at one location where crossing-structures were located. Use of the crossing-structures by wildlife was monitored with sand-transects. The most frequent users were macropods, bandicoots and rodents. Macropods made greater use of overpasses (n = 104 tracks) than underpasses (n = 36), whereas underpasses were used more by bandicoots (n = 87) and rodents (n = 82) than were overpasses (n = 28, n = 15, respectively). We identified 78 road-kills of 21 species on two sections of the Pacific Highway over a 7-week period. Bandicoots (n = 16) and macropods (n = 9) were the most frequently observed victims. The mortality of wildlife was lower along the highway section with the crossing-structures (0.04 road-kills km–1) than it was along the highway section without structures (0.15 road-kills km–1). The lack of replication precludes any firm conclusion that the crossing-structures reduced road mortality but the high level of use of the crossing-structures by species that were common victims of road-kill suggests an influence.

Additional keywords: animal–vehicle collisions, Isoodon macrourus, Wallabia bicolor, wildlife road-kill.


Acknowledgements

Thanks to John O’Donnell, RTA Grafton Office, for approving the study and for providing information. We are grateful for the contributions of Tony Browne (30 July 1968 – 9 March 2009), to whom this paper is dedicated, and Nick Francesconi and Ken Dingli (RTA), Peter Nehill and Stewart Thorp of Bilfinger Berger Services (Aust.) Pty Ltd (Abigroup), Mark Fitzgerald (Environmental Consultant, Mullumbimby) and Brendan Taylor. The comments of Al Glen and an anonymous referee helped improve this paper.


References

Abigroup (Abigroup Contractors Pty Ltd) (2006). Fauna fence register. In ‘Yelgun to Chinderah Maintenance Manual’. Unpublished internal document.

AMBS (Australian Museum Business Services) (1997). Fauna usage of three underpasses beneath the F3 Freeway between Sydney and Newcastle. Report prepared for the Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW.

AMBS (Australian Museum Business Services) (2001). An investigation of the use of road overpass structures by arboreal marsupials. Report prepared for the Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW.

Baker, P. J. , Harris, S. , Robertson, C. P. J. , Saunders, G. , and White, P. C. L. (2004). Is it possible to monitor mammal population changes from counts of road traffic casualties? An analysis using Bristol’s red foxes Vulpes vulpes as an example. Mammal Review 34, 115–130.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Bank F. G. , Irwin C. L. , Evink G. L. , Gray M. E. , Hagood S. , et al (2002). Wildlife habitat connectivity across European highways. Publication No. FHWA-PL-02-011, Office of International Programs, Federal Highway Administration, US Department of Transportation.

Bennett A. F. (1991). Roads, roadsides and wildlife conservation: a review. In ‘Nature Conservation 2: The Role of Corridors’. (Eds D. A. Saunders and R. J. Hobbs.) pp. 99–117. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Bider, J. R. (1968). Animal activity in uncontrolled terrestrial communities as determined by a sand transect technique. Ecological Monographs 38, 269–308.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Binns D. (1995). Flora survey report, Casino Management Area, Northern Region, State Forests of New South Wales. State Forests of NSW, Pennant Hills.

Bond, A. R. , and Jones, D. N. (2008). Temporal trends in use of fauna-friendly underpasses and overpasses. Wildlife Research 35, 103–112.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Cogger H. G. (2000). ‘Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia’. 6th edn. (Reed New Holland: Sydney.)

Coulson, G. M. (1982). Road-kills of macropods on a section of highway in central Victoria. Australian Wildlife Research 9, 21–26.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Ehmann H. , and Cogger H. (1985). Australia’s endangered herpetofauna: a review of criteria and policies. In ‘Biology of Australasian Frogs and Reptiles’. (Eds G. Grigg, R. Shine and H. Ehmann.) pp. 435–447. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Forman R. T. T. , Sperling D. , Bissonette J. A. , Clevenger A. P. , Cutshall C. D. , et al (2003). ‘Road Ecology: Science and Solutions.’ (Island Press: Washington, DC.)

Geoscience Australia (2006). Global map data Australia 1M 2001. Available at http://www.ga.gov.au/nmd/products/digidat/1m.htm#globalmap [Accessed 23 September 2006].

Goldingay, R. L. , and Taylor, B. D. (2006). How many frogs are killed on a road in north-east New South Wales? Australian Zoologist 33, 332–336.
Goosem M. , Weston N. , and Bushnell S. (2006). Effectiveness of rope bridge arboreal overpasses and faunal underpasses in providing connectivity for rainforest fauna. In ‘Proceedings of the 2005 International Conference on Ecology and Transportation, 29 August–2 September 2005, San Diego, California’. (Eds C. L. Irwin, P. Garrett and K. P. McDermott.) (Center for Transportation and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.)

Harden G. J. (Ed.) (2002). ‘Flora of New South Wales, Vols. 1–4’. (UNSW University Press: Sydney.)

Hobday, A. J. , and Minstrell, M. L. (2008). Distribution and abundance of roadkill on Tasmanian highways: human management options. Wildlife Research 35, 712–726.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Menkhorst P. W. , and Knight F. (2004). ‘A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia.’ 2nd edn. (Oxford University Press: Melbourne.)

Milledge, D. (1991). A survey of terrestrial vertebrates of coastal Byron Shire. Australian Zoologist 27, 66–90.
RTA (Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW) (2002). Yelgun to Chinderah Freeway official opening brochure. RTA/Pub.02.132. Available at http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/constructionmaintenance/downloads/majorpacifprogryelgu_dl1.html [Accessed 3 September 2006].

RTA (Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW) (2005). Traffic volume data for Hunter and Northern Regions 2004. Technology and Technical Services Branch, Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW.

Seebeck, J. H. , and Johnston, P. G. (1980). Potorous longipes (Marsupialia: Macropodidae), a new species from eastern Victoria. Australian Journal of Zoology 28, 119–134.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Simpson K. , Day N. , and Trusler P. (1996). ‘The Claremont Field Guide to the Birds of Australia.’ 5th edn. (Lifetime Distributors: Sydney.)

Smith A. P. , Andrews S. P. , and Moore D. M. (1994). Terrestrial fauna of the Grafton and Casino State Forest Management Areas – description and assessment of forestry impacts, Northern Region, State Forests of New South Wales. State Forests of NSW, Pennant Hills.

Spellerberg, I. F. (1998). Ecological effects of roads and traffic: a literature review. Global Ecology and Biogeography Letters 7, 317–333.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Triggs B. (2004). ‘Tracks, Scats and Other Traces: a Field Guide to Australian Mammals.’ Revised edn. (Oxford University Press: Melbourne.)

Trombulak, S. C. , and Frissell, C. A. (2000). Review of ecological effects of roads on terrestrial and aquatic communities. Conservation Biology 14, 18–30.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | WIRES (Wildlife Information and Rescue Service, NSW) (2006). If you’re prepared to speed, be prepared to kill. Media release 29 March, 2006. WIRES, Sydney.

Woodward-Clyde (1998 a). Yelgun–Chinderah, Pacific Highway upgrade, species impact statement. Report prepared for Sinclair Knight Merz, Brisbane.

Woodward-Clyde (1998 b). Pacific Highway upgrade Yelgun to Chinderah, environmental impact statement, working paper No. 7 – flora and fauna assessment. Report prepared for Sinclair Knight Merz, Brisbane.

Yanes, M. , Velasco, J. M. , and Suarez, F. (1995). Permeability of roads and railways to vertebrates: the importance of culverts. Biological Conservation 71, 217–222.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |