Modelling on wildlife (mammalia)-vehicle collisions in steppe area: Kirikkale-Cankiri highway

The negative effects of transportation structures on wildlife are increasing rapidly throughout the whole world. Transportation structures not only result in animal deaths as a result of wildlife - vehicle collisions (WVC), but also bring damages such as fragmentation of habitats, land use change, density of settlement, pollution and noise. As a result of vehicle collision, material and mortal consequences for people are emerging. There are many methods applied worldwide to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions. Identification of hot spots and related models are the most important methods of how to plan the measures spatially. The basic aims of thesis, which is conducted on the Kırıkkale-Çankırı Highway, are the following: i) identificate of the locations of the WVC events, ii) analyzed the temporal and distance characteristics of the accident that took place in the result of WVC, iii) identificate of hot spots, iv) modeling the effects of landscape and traffic characteristics on accidents and v) present a solution proposal for the mitigation of accidents. For this purpose, data were collected at least once a week for the deaths from the WVC on the road during the project period. The hotspots of WVC sites were generated by CrimeStat3 software and were in GIS. Variables related to the WVC event points were statistically analyzed by using the data obtained from land survey, aerial photographs and satellite images, and then modeled with logit regression approach. For the study carried out between May 2014 and May 2018 at Kırıkkale-Çankırı Highway, 389 medium and large mammal wild animals of 9 species were recorded. The maximum number of deaths was 182 in the hedgehog (Erinaceus concolor). There were three very high density, two high density and four average medium density clusters in the hot spots map that contains all the accidents. The model has achieved a high rate of 69% to predict accidental points. The model shows that for all species the probability of a fatal accident increases as the traffic volume and road width increases. Determining where, when and how often these accidents occur are important means of reducing both the accidents and the correct strategies for ensuring the migratory movements of wild animals. The dissemination of the model results and the safeguarding of wildlife transitions between habitat fragments in different areas will ensure that the precautions to be taken are taken in the right places. The results of the study will provide significant contributions to the conservation of biological diversity and the reduction of mortality. In addition, it may be possible to reduce human casualties and property damage resulting from accidents. As a result, every measure to be taken, or any structure to be built, will produce economic and ecological results. Any precautions to be taken in the right place will be economically profitable, but every misplaced investment will result in an economic loss.