Tunnel for amphibians - Municipal Road EM 529 - Évora, Portugal
Posted by: 
tmob
N 38° 40.231 W 008° 02.113
29S E 583928 N 4280655
A tunnel made to allow amphibians crossing the Municipal Road EM 529, an hot spot on road killings in Central Alentejo. This crossing was done by the project LIFE LINES.
Waymark Code: WM14ZG8
Location: Évora, Portugal
Date Posted: 09/18/2021
Views: 2
A tunnel made to allow amphibians crossing the Municipal Road EM 529, an hot spot on road killings in Central Alentejo. This crossing was done by the project LIFE LINES.
Besides the tunnel itself, a small wall was built along the road, blocking the way of the amphibians, and leading them to the tunnel, were the crossing is safe.
There are several other structures like this one along this road.
An excerpt of a master thesis done in subject:
«Amphibians are the group of animals most affected by road-kill. The main measure used for mitigation is the implementation of barrier walls/fences that prevent the passage of amphibians to the roads, and when associated with tunnels or other structures allow a safe crossing. In the present study, the mitigating effect of the barrier walls for no road-kill implemented under the LIFE LINES project on a secondary road where an amphibian mortality hotspot had previously been detected was evaluated. Through vehicle and walking surveys, the barrier walls system, the mitigated road zone and a road zone without any intervention were monitored. Barriers have proven to be an effective means of preventing mortality by effectively preventing most amphibians from accessing the road. However, the maintenance and supervision of these structures are fundamental to its success.
- Source
Project LIFE LINES
The main goals of the project LIFE LINES are:
1) Essay, evaluate and disseminate measures to mitigate negative effects of the linear infrastructure in different species of fauna and, simultaneously, promote the creation along this of a Green Infrastructure to support improvement and conservation status of the biodiversity;
2) Minimize a number of problems arising from the presence of linear infrastructures, including:
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- reduction of connectivity;
-mortality and barrier effect due to the infrastructure;
-mortality by electrocution;
-absence of refuges and corridors;
-lack of information to manage;
-detection and control of invasive flora.
3) Promote the dissemination and replication of the actions and results elsewhere;
4) Raise public awareness for the impacts of linear infrastructure on biodiversity and involve citizens in data acquisition and conservation actions.
The project will take place in Central Alentejo, southern Portugal, in an area crossed by the main terrestrial transportation corridor between Lisbon and Madrid, where there is a particularly high concentration of roads and powerlines. The intervention area, with approximately 210.000 ha is located in the municipalities of Évora, Montemor-o-Novo, Estremoz, Arraiolos and, marginally, Vendas Novas.
- Source