Department of Zoology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Prof. Z. Szafrana 1, 65-516, Zielona Góra, Poland.
Department of Plant Ecology and Environmental Protection, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland.
Environ Manage. 2022 Feb;69(2):429-437. doi: 10.1007/s00267-021-01570-y. Epub 2021 Nov 29.
We studied the impact of the new fenced and accident-safe motorway on the mortality of European badgers Meles meles on local roads in western Poland in 2010-2015. We monitored the badgers mortality on local roads of three categories: main roads, secondary roads and county roads. The study was conducted before and after the opening of the motorway in 2012. We hypothesized that the mortality of badgers is lower due to traffic concentration on motorway. Ninety two badgers were killed in collisions with vehicles on all monitored roads. Mean number of killed badgers was lowest in 2010 before the motorway opening and the highest in 2012. The mortality of badgers on regional roads was highest after the opening of the motorway due to the changes in traffic on the access roads. Within the road network, the mortality of badgers was 5.8 individuals/10 km of road per whole study period with the highest rate on main roads 8.5 individuals/10 km. The badgers mortality was highest on county roads but it was lower than expected in relation to the road network density. The highest vehicle collision risk for badgers of both sexes occurred in June. Distance to human settlements was the only environmental factor that was positively related to badger mortality on roads. We conclude that the new motorway did not reduce the mortality rate of badgers on the adjacent roads because the status of local roads has changed and now they mainly function as access roads to the motorway.
我们研究了 2010-2015 年波兰西部新围封和事故安全高速公路对欧洲獾（Meles meles）在当地道路上死亡率的影响。我们监测了当地道路上三种类型的獾死亡率：主要道路、次要道路和县级道路。该研究在 2012 年高速公路开通前后进行。我们假设由于高速公路上的交通集中，獾的死亡率会降低。在所有监测的道路上，有 92 只獾死于与车辆的碰撞。在高速公路开通前的 2010 年，死亡的獾数量最少，而在 2012 年最高。由于接入道路上的交通变化，高速公路开通后，县级道路上的獾死亡率最高。在道路网络内，整个研究期间，獾的死亡率为每 10 公里道路 5.8 人，主要道路的死亡率最高，为 8.5 人/10 公里。虽然县级道路上的獾死亡率最高，但与道路网络密度相比，其死亡率较低。雌雄两性獾的车辆碰撞风险最高发生在 6 月。与人类住区的距离是唯一与道路上獾死亡率呈正相关的环境因素。我们得出结论，新的高速公路并没有降低附近道路上獾的死亡率，因为当地道路的状况已经发生了变化，现在它们主要作为通往高速公路的接入道路。
