Working Group on Iberian Lucanidae (GTLI)

Justification and objectives
Roads are a source of habitat fragmentation (Munguira & Thomas, 1992; Reijnen & Foppen, 1994; Fahrig et al., 1995; Forman & Alexander, 1998) and cause the death of several vertebrate and invertebrate species (Garnica & Robles, 1986; Munguira & Thomas, 1992; González Prieto et al., 1993; Forman & Alexander, 1998). In some cases these negative effects can be important for the conservation of populations of some threatened species (Fahrig et al., 1995; Forman & Alexander, 1998).

In northern Spain mortality in roads of Stag Beetle has been reported (Álvarez Laó & Álvarez Laó, 1995) and, in fact, this was one of the reasons that leaded to the formation of the Project Stag Beetle. The objective of this project is to quantify the mortality of Stag Beetle in roads and the factors which can contribute to it. A further objective is to utilise road mortality as an abundance index for Stag Beetle.

Results
Data are available for seven years (1992-1998) in the Avilés area (Asturias, northwestern Spain) about mortality in roads.

Study sites (in preparation)

Figures about mortality of Lucanus cervus in roads (only in Spanish)

Mortality in roads as an abundance index of Lucanus cervus (only in Spanish)

References

Álvarez Laó, C. M. & Álvarez Laó, D. J. 1995. Análisis de la mortalidad de ciervos volantes Lucanus cervus en carreteras asturianas. Bol. Cienc. Nat. R.I.D.E.A. 43: 15-25.

Fahrig, L.; Pedlar, J. H.; Pope, S. E.; Taylor, P. C. & Wegner, J. F. 1995. Effect of road traffic on amphibian density. Biol. Conserv. 73: 177-182.

Forman, T. T. & Alexander, L. E. 1998. Roads and their major ecological effects. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 29: 207-231.

Garnica, R. & Robles, L. 1986. Seguimiento de la mortalidad de erizos, Erinaceus europaeus, producida por vehículos en una carretera de poca circulación. Misc. Zool. 10: 406-408.

González Prieto, S.; Villarino, A. & Freán, M. M. 1993. Mortalidad de vertebrados por atropello en una carretera nacional del NO de España. Ecología 7: 375-389.

Munguira, M. L. & Thomas, J. A. 1992. Use of road verges by butterfly and burnet populations, and the effect of roads on adult dispersal and mortality. J. Appl. Ecol. 29: 316-329.

Reijnen, R. & Foppen, R. 1994. The effects of car traffic on breeding bird populations in woodland. I. Evidence of reduced habitat quality for willow warblers (Phylloscopus trochilus) breeding close to a highway. J. Appl. Ecol. 31: 85-94.