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Rosell, C. 2016. From road project to road management: strategies applied to reduce wildlife‐vehicle collisions. LifeStrade ‐ International Congress – ‘Wildlife Road Kill Prevention: Theory, Research and Practice’ – Perugia ‐ 4‐5 October 2016 1

LifeStrade ‐ International Congress – ‘Wildlife Road Kill Prevention: Theory, Research and Practice’ – Perugia ‐ 4‐5 October 2016

Foto: Òscar Aldam

a

From road project to road management: strategies applied to reduce wildlife‐vehicle collisions

Carme Rosell1,2

1. Minuartia, wildlife consultancy (www.minuartia.com)

2. University of Barcelona

Photo courtesy of Alfred Encuentra


I acknowledge all the colleagues and organizations that have cooperated or funded the projects developed in Catalonia in which I based my communication.

Acknowledgments



Framework and rationale


The study area

Catalonia (NE Spain) Over 12000 km road network

http://maps.google.com



Traffic Safety in Catalonia: overall accidents rates Down


1.076 1.075

1.211 1.237

1.524

1.688

1.9381.880

603 602678 693

853

1.047

1.202 1.166

0

250

500

750

1.000

1.250

1.500

1.750

2.000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Num

ber

acci

dent

s

Total 2007-20116.123

Total 2010-20148.267

Ungulats 2007-2011(extrapolació)3.429

Ungulats 2010-2014(extrapolació)4.960

Mitjana 2007‐20111.225/any

Mitjana 2007‐2011686/any

2010‐2014992/any

2010-20141.653/year

Animal‐Vehicle Collisions Up

81 % AVC



Web elpuntavui.cat

High economic costs

Departament de Territori i Sostenibilitat, 2016

Cost per accident involving animals

3.790€ per accident ‐ Damages to vehicles8.085€ per accident ‐ Overall costs of and AVC13.500.000 € per year – Catalan road network ca. 12.000 km(Data: DTES ‐ Catalan Government 2016)


Resources involved (estimated data per year)• 1.000 policy patrols responses• 650 interventions of road management

teams to remove carcasses from roadsides• 30 tones of carcasses removed and

destroyed

(Data: DTES - Catalan Government 2016)

High management costsP

ho

tos

Co

urt

esy

of R

oa

d a

dm

inis

tra

tion

(Giro

na

) C

ata

lan

Go

vern

me

nt

• A huge management task:

‒ Removing carcasses

‒ Adapting trucks to move the animals

‒ Adapting depot to receive carcasses

‒ Transporting to incinerator centers.



The information is used to identify hotspots and design mitigation measures

Ungulate‐vehicle collision (UVC) clusters are identified periodically

Available on: http://territori.gencat.cat/ca/01_departament/documentacio/mobilitat/carreteres/estudi_accidentalitat_animals_llibertat/

LifeStrade ‐ International Congress – ‘Wildlife Road Kill Prevention: Theory, Research and Practice’ – Perugia ‐ 4‐5 October 2016 13

158 UVC cluster sections

705 accidents (31,2% accidents)

109,0 km de via (1,8% road length)

36 priority

Measures are focused on the most conflictive road sections

Focusing measures in the road sections where UVC clusters are included allow to achieve the best cost‐benefit ratio.

(Data: DTES - Catalan Government 2016)



Monitoring & research

help to design and evaluate mitigation measures


Main variables describing UVC clusters

Data from all accidents involving animals were registered by traffic police, wildlife managers data.

Periodically analyzed to identify hotspots

Torrellas, M., Rosell, C., Fernández‐Bou, M., Andrášik, R., Sedoník, J. Bíl, M. Camps, F., Seiler A. Main landscape and road‐related variables describing ungulate‐vehicle collisions hazardous locations in Catalonia. IENE CONFERENCE 2016



KDE+ analyses (Bil et al 2013)308 UVC clusters

150 m 150 m

UVC hotspot

UVC non-hotspot

12.124 Km interurban road network2.320 UVC period 2007‐2011 UVC

Data from 600 UVC were analyzed: • 300 in a hotspot / 300 non‐hotspot • Each UVC was defined as 300‐m long

road segment • Selected by a stratified random

sampling • Characterized according to different

variables


Torrellas, M., Rosell, C., Fernández‐Bou, M., Andrášik, R., Sedoník, J. Bíl, M. Camps, F., Seiler A. 2016. Main landscape and road‐related variables describing ungulate‐vehicle collisions hazardous locations in Catalonia. IENE CONFERENCE 2016


21 Predictor variables Google Earth ®; Google Street View ® and SIG software were used.

Road variables (9)

- Road cross section- Low barrier (≤ 1.5 m)- Full barrier (> 1.5 m)- Presence Median- Presence Garbage

container

- Road Speed (km/h)- Traffic volume (v./day)- Road straightness- Road Verge vegetation (0/Partial/Continuous)

- Road junction (count)- Water crossings (count)- Ecotone (count)- Forest distance (m)- Shrub distance (m)- Urban distance (m)

- % Built-up cover- % Cropland cover- % Coniferous cover- % Broadleaved cover- % Grassland cover- Landscape diversity

Landscape variables (12)

Buffer of 1000m


Torrellas, et al 2016



Probability of UVC clustering

IncreasingIncreasing

DecreasingDecreasing

Variables βA Wald-Z

Verge vegetation - Partial

Verge vegetation -Continuous

0.469 < 0.001 **

0.400 < 0.001 **

Road Speed Limit 0.332 < 0.001 **

Road straightness 0.308 0.014 *

Presence Garbage container 0.279 0.003 **

% Grassland cover 0.279 0.003 **

Water crossings 0.032 0.718

One side cutting/embankment

Both sides cutting/embank.

- 0.363 < 0.001 **

- 0.413 < 0.001 **

% Built-up cover - 0.470 < 0.001 **


Torrellas, et al 2016


Monthly variation

0

100

200

300

400

Gen

Feb

Mar

Abr

Mai

Jun

Jul

Ag

Set

Oct

Nov

Des

Total n= 2.688

A marked monthly and hourly variation

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

01

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1011

1213

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

2223

Total n= 2.354

Estudi de l'accidentalitat provocada per animals en llibertat a la xarxa de carreteres de la Generalitat de Catalunya Any 2014 (Departament de Territori i Sostenibilitat, Infraestructures.CAT, 2016). MINUARTIA. Unpublished report

Hourly variation



Measures applied


Modified overpasses / underpassesWildlife underpasses / overpasses

Wildlife crossings

Wildlife overpasses and underpassesMultiuse over and underpassesModified culverts (big)

Modified culvert

minuartia



Fences: buried, reinforced

Reinforcements

Ima

ges

cou

rte

sy:

Min

ua

rtia

, Ca

rme

Ro

sell,

MG

RA

MA


Under experimentationCutting high herbs and shrubs beside causeways(but this measure require adaptation to local situation; avoiding to attract deer or to cause undesirable effects on vegetation communities).

Verge management

minuartia



Wildlife Signs: temporal reinforced

Under experimentationTemporary measure: from September to January (critical period: maximum number of UVC). To avoid drivers habituation.

Photos Courtesy of Road administration - Catalan Government


Signs activated by ADS (Animal Detection System)

NEW: under consideration

Carme Rosell



Electrified matsNEW: under consideration

Carme Rosell

Google Street View


To avoid the problem of habituation of standard reflectorsNew electronic devicesLights and sounds when are activated by the lights of the cars

Electronic deterrentsNEW: under consideration



Drivers and road users cooperation is needed

LifeStrade ‐ International Congress – ‘Wildlife Road Kill Prevention: Theory, Research and Practice’ – Perugia ‐ 4‐5 October 2016 32

Departament d’Agricultura, Ramaderia i Pesca. 2016. Programa de seguiment de les poblacions de senglar a Catalunya. MINUARTIA. Unpublished report

Wild Boar density estimationCatalonia Wild Boar Monitoring Program

Period 2014-2015

36.447

0

10.000

20.000

30.000

40.000

199

0-9

1

199

1-9

2

199

2-9

3

199

3-9

4

199

4-9

5

199

5-9

6

199

6-9

7

199

7-9

8

199

8-9

9

199

9-0

0

200

0-0

1

200

1-0

2

200

2-0

3

200

3-0

4

200

4-0

5

200

5-0

6

200

6-0

7

200

7-0

8

200

8-0

9

200

9-1

0

201

0-1

1

201

1-1

2

201

2-1

3

201

3-1

4

201

4-1

5

Wil

d b

oar

hu

nte

d

Hunting Bag

In Catalonia (NE Spain) ‐ 32.108 km2

Hunters and wildlife managers must be involved

To reduce wild boar populations



Operation & Maintenance

Planners & Constructors

What we need is …

Providing accurate prescriptions for road maintenance (and including them on operation and maintenance contracts).

Receiving feedback from maintenance staff.

Actions along all road cycle life


Providing databases including mitigation measures location, features and maintenance requirements.

What we need…Inventories and databases are needed

Inventory of Connectivity Structures in Catalonia

Web based application (DTES Catalan Govbernment)



Cooperation

What we need…

Training

Cooperation and education is crucial

Minuartia

http://www.saferoad-cedr.org

http://www.iene.info

Keep an eye on …Keep an eye on …



More information?

http://www.magrama.gob.es/es/biodiversidad/temas/ecosistemas‐y‐conectividad/conectividad‐fragmentacion‐de‐habitats‐y‐restauracion/fragm‐documentos‐grupo‐trabajo.aspx

Thank you for your attentionCarme Rosell [email protected]

To be continued …Grazie per l’attenzione Thank you for your attention Carme Rosell www.minuartia.com

Minuartia

from road project to road management: to reduce wildlife ... · rosell, c. 2016. from road project...

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