Presenter(s): India Brock − Biological Anthropology, Environmental Science
Faculty Mentor(s): Frances White, Larry Ulibarri
Oral Session 4S
Research Area: Primate Conservation
Funding: CAS Continuing Student Scholarship
Anthropogenic modification of natural landscapes is an increasing problem for wildlife, including primates. Infrastructure, including roads, have direct and indirect impacts on wildlife and landscapes. Specifically, mortality from collisions with vehicles and dissection of habitats may reduce population sizes, reduce genetic diversity, and increase genetic differentiation. Road ecology is concerned with understanding and mitigating the effects of roads on wildlife. While this research has focused on a number of taxa, research on primates is particularly scarce. Here, we review the literature for studies on crossing structures as a conservation strategy in wild primate populations. We identified 10 publications on this subject that focused on lemurs (N=1), New World monkeys (N=5), Old World monkeys (N=3), and apes (N=1). We also include data on two unpublished studies. Four bridge designs were used in these studies that varied in their dimensions, construction material, and usage across taxonomic categories. We highlight differences in monitoring and usage across each of these studies. This review highlights a paucity of literature on this oft recommended conservation strategy and an inability to collectively build on previous work from lack of publication. We contend that long-term monitoring of crossing structures be integral to studies on crossing structure. A conceptual framework is proposed for the standardization of crossing structure studies include components for designing purpose-built crossing structures, and avenues for appropriately evaluating bridge effectiveness. We urge the scientific and primatologic communities that primate crossing structure use and effectiveness must be scientifically based.