Effects of reflective warning markers on wildlife

PeerJ

article

Yi-Hao Fang¹  Ying Gao¹  Yin Yang¹  Kun Tan¹  Yan-Peng Li¹  Guo-Peng Ren¹  Zhi-Pang Huang¹  Liang-Wei Cui²  Wen Xiao¹ 

[1] Institute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University;Collaborative Innovation Center for Biodiversity and Conservation in the Three Parallel Rivers Region of China, Dali University;The Provincial Innovation Team of Biodiversity Conservation and Utility of the Three Parallel Rivers Region from Dali University, Dali University;The Key Laboratory of Yunnan Education Department on Er’hai Catchment Conservation and Sustainable Development, Dali University;Faculty of Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization, Southwest Forestry University;School of Archaeology & Anthropology, Australian National University

关键词: Reflective materials;    Secondary light pollution;    Camera trap;    Daytime;    Nighttime;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.7614

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

Light pollution has become one of the top issues in environmental pollution, especially concerning how secondary light pollution, such as from traffic reflective materials, influences animal distribution and behavior. In this study, 15 camera traps were set up at sites with or without reflective warning markers (RWM) in coniferous forests on Cangshan Mountain located in Dali Prefecture, China. The results showed that the number of independent photographs and species at sites without RWMs were significantly higher than those at sites with RWMs. Significant differences were found between daytime and nighttime composition of bird species and non-flying mammals between two sites. This study found that RWMs had negative effects on wildlife, with the avoidance response of birds to RWMs being more obvious than that of animals at daytime. It is recommended that the use of reflective materials be carefully considered, especially in protected areas.

【 授权许可】

CC BY