Roadkill in the Brazilian Cerrado savanna: understanding patterns to preserve the region's fauna

Resumo

The southwest of the Brazilian state of Goiás is located on the soybean exportation route, which links this rural region to the country's principal seaports. The traffic of trucks on the region's highways is intense, reinforcing the need for the understanding of the effects of roadkill on its fauna, in particular the identification of which species are affected and the intensity of the impacts. In this context, we collected samples each month over a one-year period on five of the region's highways, all of which originate in the town of Jataí, linking it to the neighboring towns of Acreúna, Aporé, Itajá, Doverlândia and Portelândia. We used a factorial analysis of variance with Tukey's a posteriori test and a 95% confidence limit to evaluate the variation in the species richness and abundance of the roadkill among these routes and between climatic seasons. We recorded 1113 individuals, including nine amphibians, 55 reptiles, 223 birds, and 826 mammals. The divided highway had the highest species richness and abundance, and was significantly different from the other roads. We also found significant seasonal differences in overall abundance, and the species richness and abundance of the herpetofauna, with a greater number of collisions occurring during the rainy season. These findings indicate a fundamental need for effective mitigation measures, in particular on the routes with more intense traffic. Over the long term, programs of environmental education -- especially during the rainy season -- may help to raise the awareness of drivers.