Influence of roadkill during breeding migration on the sex ratio of land crab (Sesarma haematoche)

Journal of Ecology and Environment

Mi Ryu¹  Jae Geun Kim² 

[1] Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Program in Environmental Education, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, 08826, Seoul, Korea;Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Program in Environmental Education, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, 08826, Seoul, Korea;Department of Biology Education, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, 08826, Seoul, Korea;Center for Education Research, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, 08826, Seoul, Korea;

关键词: Breeding migration;    Coastal roads;    Land crab;    Roadkill;    Sesarma haematoche;    Sex ratio;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s41610-020-00167-6

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

Adult land crabs generally live on land while their larvae live in the sea. In the case of Sesarma haematoche, female crabs migrate from land to sea to release the larvae at the high tide of syzygy night. Artificial structures along coastal areas are being obstacles for the migration of land crabs and causing synchronized roadkills on coastal roads during breeding migration. In this research, we compared the sex ratios of crab populations in coastal areas with coastal roads and uninhabited island areas with no road. The proportion of females in inland habitats with coastal roads was significantly smaller than island habitats. In particular, females are exposed to the risk of annually repeated roadkills, and the proportion of females decreases rapidly with their growth. If this tendency is general for land crab populations in the coastal areas with roads, significant road mortality of female land crabs during breeding migration can lead to severe population decline in coastal areas. Therefore, it is necessary to take an action to save land crabs crossing coastal roads.

【 授权许可】

CC BY