Higher mortality rates for large- and medium-sized mammals on plantation roads compared to highways in Peninsular Malaysia.

Jamaluddin Jamhuri,Norizah Kamarudin,Alex M Lechner,Adham Ashton-Butt,Mohd Anuar Edinoor,Badrul Azhar

doi:10.1002/ece3.6827

Abstract

The fragmentation of forests by agricultural expansion, urbanization, and road networks is an ongoing global biodiversity crisis. In Southeast Asia and other tropical regions, wildlife populations are being isolated into pockets of natural habitat surrounded by road networks and monoculture plantations. Mortality from wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVCs) is contributing to a decline in many species of conservation priority in human‐modified landscapes. This study is the first in Malaysia to investigate factors affecting the occurrence of WVCs. We assessed roadkill data gathered by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks on small‐, medium‐, and large‐sized mammals in Peninsular Malaysia. We examined the relationship between wildlife road accidents and several environmental factors. We found a total of 605 roadkill animals, involving 21 species, which included three species classified as Endangered. Road type (plantation road or highway), year, and distance of the road from continuous and fragmented forests were significant in determining mammal mortality. Unexpectedly, the majority of road mortality occurred on palm oil plantation roads compared to highways. Mortality of small‐ and medium‐sized mammals was greater at locations further from continuous forest than those closer to fragmented forests. Segmentation of continuous forest by roads should be avoided wherever possible to reduce the threat of roads on crossing wildlife.

Highlights

Both vertebrate and invertebrate species occurring in forests are under increasing pressure from habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and hunting and/or illegal hunting, that is, poaching (Alroy, 2017; Jamhuri et al, 2018; Newbold et al, 2014; Samantha et al, 2020; Tee et al, 2018)
This is the first study in Malaysia and perhaps Southeast Asia to quantitatively investigate factors affecting the occurrence of wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVCs) over larges scales
We showed that 28 Malayan tapirs, an Asian elephant, and a wild dog were killed in WVCs over the study period

Summary

| INTRODUCTION

|2 such as palm oil, mining, oil and gas production extractive industries, and urban expansion. Estimates of global forest loss from 2013 to 2014 are ~18.7 million hectares or a 9% decline in forest cover, partly due to the expansion of plantations and linear infrastructure including roads, railways, and power lines (Butler, 2015). These anthropogenic threats are common in tropical and subtropical countries with high biodiversity and diverse ecosystems (Alamgir et al, 2017; Laurance & Arrea, 2017). The natural habitat of Peninsular Malaysia is high in biodiversity, comprising mostly tropical rainforests due its location along the equator, including lowland/hill dipterocarp and peat swamp forests. Four species are classified as Critically Endangered, 13 are Endangered, 28 are Vulnerable, and 26 are Near Threatened (DWNP, 2017)

| METHODS

Findings

| DISCUSSION