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Motorway and road edges as amphibian, reptile and small mammal habitats in Hungary Gál Blanka1,4, Farkas János2, Kádár Ferenc3, Weiperth András4, Puky Miklós4†, Kiss Balázs3 1Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary 3MTA Centre for Agricultural Research, Plant Protection Institute, Budapest, Hungary 4MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary 2Department Highway verges and rest areas suitable habitats for a number of small species offer good opportunity for monitoring - changes in distribution area of species (e.g. invasive species) - detection of newly introduced species advantages: • accessibility • quasi standard conditions • controlled human activity Complex investigation of invasive arthropod pests and their natural enemies along Hungarian motorways Objectives: Establishing species inventory for highway verges and rest areas in Hungary Monitoring newly introduced pests and invasive species Standardized samplings: - sweep netting - vacuum device (D-vac) - branch beating - pitfall trapping Species inventory Number of species detected in highway verges compared to Hungarian fauna Bruchinae (seed beetles): 80 % 29 / 36 Coccoidea (scale insects): 50 % 137 / 275 Heteroptera (true bugs) : 40 % 332 / 840 Auchenorrhycha (leafhoppers, treehoppers): 37 % 201 / 545 Orthoptera (grasshoppers, cricket etc.): 36 % 45 / 125 Araneae (spiders) : 36 % 265 / 727 Terrestrial isopods (woodlice) : 32 % 18 / 56 Carabidae (carabid beetles): 28 % 153 / 540 Coccinellidae (ladybirds) 25 % 25 / 100 Curculionidae (weevils): 22 % 274 / 1245 New species for Hungarian fauna: Acari Coccoidea Curculionidae Auchenorrhycha Thysanoptera Diptera 20 18 4 3 1 1 Drosophila suzukii Pest insects (First detection in Hungary: 2012) Relevant method for amphibians and reptiles pitfall traps (with ethylene glycol) 3x 3 weeks in April - May, July, September – October 2011-2013 6-6 traps per each site (33 in total) Results 1. Sampling sites: Countrywide transects + Budapest bypass Amphibians and/or reptiles were found at 30 sampling sites. Results 2. Amphibians and/or reptiles were found at 30 sampling sites. O OO O O: No A or R O: Only site with amphibians along M7 Site with over 50 amphibians Site with over 20 reptiles Distribution of amphibian and reptilian along motorways Reptilian Amphibian N=148 N=35 N=134 N= 225 N=72 Results 3. Amphibia: both Urodela and Anura species were detected. Reptilia: only lizards were caught (which is probably a sampling bias). In total, five amphibian and seven reptile species were found. Two species are listed in Annex II. of the Habitat Directive (Triturus dobrogicus, Bombina bombina). Triturus dobrogicus Bombina bombina Results 4. Surrounding habitats played a key role: Lissotriton vulgaris, e.g. was only found at the Hajdúnánás site with a permanent water body nearby Anguis fragilis was only collected from the trap series at Letenye, situated at the edge of a forest. Pelobates fuscus was the most common species, 75 % of amphibians belonged to that taxa while this ratio was 44% with Podarcis muralis with lizards. Results 5. Two amphibian species were only detected in the wet months of 2011, one reptile only in the dry 2012. By 2012 not only the number of amphibians but also the number of reptiles had dropped. No. 2013 was a very wet year: +2 additional amphibian species (Hyla arborea, Bufo bufo) and the number of reptiles also increased 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 2011 2012 2013 2011 2012 2013 Reptilia Amphibia Ha Bb Tv Td Bobo Bv Pf Af Lv Pm La Pt Results 6. Though motorways are considered as a source of diverse chemical pollution (e.g. salt) only one deformed individual, a Pelobates fuscus was caught at the Alacska resting area. Ectromely on the right hind leg Harmony – Procedures for the Design of Roads in Harmony with Wildlife Harmony- project 2014-2015 Objectives: The research focused on the impacts of maintenance regimes (grass mowing periods and intensity) for different animal groups. An order of preference can be made towards the maintenance regime that favours the most important environmental goal (e.g. the protection of a Habitat Directive Annex 2. species, a community structure, etc.). Eleven taxonomic groups were separated: two types of gastropod molluscs (snails and slugs),Coleoptera (beetles), Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, etc.), Auchenorrhyncha (leaf hopper etc.), Isopoda (slater), Araneae (spiders), Diplopoda (millipedes), Acarid, Amphibian and Mammals. Harmony – Procedures for the Design of Roads in Harmony with Wildlife Research areas 2014-2015 Road No.10:Pilisjászfalu Road No. 1: Herceghalom (Pest-county) Road No.1: Mány (Fejér-county) Road No. 7: Agárd Harmony – Procedures for the Design of Roads in Harmony with Wildlife Sampling methods pitfall traps (with ethylene glycol) 3x 3 weeks in April - May, July, September – October All sampling areas were divided into three sections: • the normal, periodic maintaining (mowing two times per year on average) • plus one maintaining was applied • vegetation of verges are not maintained Harmony – Procedures for the Design of Roads in Harmony with Wildlife Results 1. vertebrates were found at 3 sampling sites (Pilisjászfalu, Mány, Agárd) we found the most individuals at Agárd site (96 amphibians.) Pilisjászfalu site: bicolored shrew (Crocidura leucodon) listed in Annex II. of the Habitat Directive 3% Agárd Pelobates fuscus 9% Bombina bombina 88% Lissotriton vulgaris Harmony – Procedures for the Design of Roads in Harmony with Wildlife Results 2. In Agárd: the main values of abundance decreased from sites with enhanced maintenance to sites without maintenance In the case of seasonal pattern the main abundances in sections without or with normal maintenance were highest in summer, followed by spring. In the sections with enhanced maintenance we didn’t find any seasonal differences. Harmony – Procedures for the Design of Roads in Harmony with Wildlife Conclusions 5 reptile, 7 amphibian, 2 mammal species along Hungarian motorways Road verges can provide habitat for several animal groupsthis fact should be taken into consideration when deciding about the priorities of road (side) maintenance. Sections without maintenance the road mortality can increase significantly (bicolored shrew (Crocidura leucodon)) Timing is important all maintenance on road habitats should be avoided while amphibian migration (e.g. the Kiskunság National Park in Hungary) Harmony – Procedures for the Design of Roads in Harmony with Wildlife Conclusions The intensity of the maintaining In hot periods the vegetation ensures a shield for these taxonomic groups Decreasing the intensity of the maintainingthese habitats can provide shelter for several species near fields of agriculture. The influence of maintenance showed different patterns depending on the sampling areas, which can be explained by different biotic and abiotic environments and the extent of human disturbances. We need to take the environmental differences into account when deciding about the methods of maintaining different road sections. (At present the Hungarian National Road Authority Company uses the same maintenance methods in all sampling areas.) Harmony – Procedures for the Design of Roads in Harmony with Wildlife In memoriam Acknowledgement Ferenc Kádár (Carabidae), Diána Vona-Túri (Isopoda), Tünde Szmatona Túri Financing: OTKA (Hungarian Research Found, 83829), CEDR-Harmony Dr. Miklós Puky (1961-2015) Thank you for your attention!