Mammal use of canopy bridges along the Nuevo Xcan-Playa del Carmen highway, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Abstract

Abstract There are few highways in Mexico that have built canopy bridges as a mitigation strategy for maintaining connectivity of arboreal fauna. Main target species have been primates, both, howler (Alouatta pigra, A. palliata) and spider monkeys (Ateles geofforyi), as well as several other arboreal priority species such as the kinkajou (Potos flavus), the northern tamandua (Tamandua mexicana) and the Mexican hairy porcupine (Sphiggurus mexicanus). The Nuevo Xcan-Playa del Carmen highway built 22 canopy bridges along its 54 km length. All bridges were surveyed using camera traps installed at both ends and after an 8,418 trap/night effort, 10 records of four mammal species were recorded using the canopy bridges: the kinkajou, opossum (Didelphis virginiana) and squirrels (Sciurus deppei and S. yucatanensis). More monitoring is required to properly assess the effectiveness of these mitigation measures, as the need for cost/benefit feedback is necessary to enhance further mitigation in this or other projects. Also, long term monitoring is required for properly assessing the use patterns of species. The current study was shortly after the infrastructure became operational, so it covers the adaptation period for several species but its insufficient to properly assess the current use.