Effects of forest roads on wildlife (mammalia) in Düzce (case study-Aksu Forest Enterprise Chief)

Forest roads are the most important infrastructural facilities to exploit forests that are renewable natural resources. A road network that leads us to our goals needs to be established in order to plan forestry activities sustainably. Despite the benefits of forest roads, they have great potential to cause degradation and fragmentation effects on ecological. Ecological impacts of forest roads are effects during the construction, short term or long term effects. For example; loss of habitat and biota, accidental animal deaths by traffic. The loss of habitat and change in habitat extends beyond the edge of the road. The aim of the current study is to carry out effects of forest roads on wildlife in Aksu Region/Düzce. The information obtained will contribute to understanding the behavior of wild animals and taking necessary measures for species in planning of roads to be made for forestry production activities. A total of 6 forest roads and their surroundings were selected as study area in Aksu Region. 4 camera traps were placed in each sample area. The image ratio (DR) was calculated from images obtained from camera traps points. The number of species at each spot and the rate of display of species were classified according to the time of the month and forestry activity. It was determined whether there was any difference between sample area points by using wild animal general viewing rate and vehicle density display rate. In the results of study; the number of species and the number of individuals in the species which are observed at the points where the sampling areas are observed with camera traps show significant differences. On the other hand, there was no difference in the number of views. The number of species, number of views and number of individuals determined by the camera traps installed on the road platform, roadside, under road and control points do not differ. In order to determine the effect of the road, the number of individuals and the number of individuals identified in the road route, exclude road route (roadside and under road) and control points, and the number of individuals were not significantly different, but the number of views was different. As a result; people and wild animals use the same area but show time differences. The presence of wild animals was detected more actively at night and early in the morning when there were no vehicle passes. It was also determined in the study that wild animals adopted the road as part of nature.