<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV id=artihead class=artihead><A href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00220981"><B>Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology</B></A><BR><A href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=PublicationURL&_tockey=%23TOC%235085%232009%23996199998%231531308%23FLA%23&_cdi=5085&_pubType=J&view=c&_auth=y&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=319ff614caa139bd6580c89d92bbb7b4">Volume 380, Issues 1-2</A>, 15 November 2009, Pages 113-118 </DIV>
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<DIV class=articleTitle><STRONG><FONT size=5>Sub-lethal effects of off-road vehicles (ORVs) on surf clams on sandy beaches </FONT></STRONG></DIV><!-- articleText -->
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<DIV class=ppvMSG><A href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6T8F-4XC976T-2-9&_cdi=5085&_user=10&_orig=search&_coverDate=11%2F15%2F2009&_sk=996199998&view=c&wchp=dGLbVlW-zSkWb&md5=13d54901e398c4241a53675421877e6f&ie=/sdarticle.pdf"><STRONG><FONT size=5></FONT></STRONG></A>
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<DIV>Natalie Sheppard<A onclick="toggleTabs('unsubTab')" href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T8F-4XC976T-2&_user=10&_coverDate=11%2F15%2F2009&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=711228c4ad59c3ce0999313dd9#aff1"><SUP>a</SUP></A>, Kylie A. Pitt<A onclick="toggleTabs('unsubTab')" href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T8F-4XC976T-2&_user=10&_coverDate=11%2F15%2F2009&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=711228c4ad59c3ce0999313dd9#aff1"><SUP>a</SUP></A><SUP>, </SUP><A name=bcor1></A><A onclick="toggleTabs('unsubTab')"
href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T8F-4XC976T-2&_user=10&_coverDate=11%2F15%2F2009&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=711228c4ad59c3ce0999313dd9#cor1"><SUP><IMG title="Corresponding Author Contact Information" border=0 alt="Corresponding Author Contact Information" src="http://www.sciencedirect.com/scidirimg/entities/REcor.gif"></SUP></A><SUP>, </SUP><A href="mailto:K.Pitt@griffith.edu.au"><SUP><IMG title="E-mail The Corresponding Author" border=0 alt="E-mail The Corresponding Author" src="http://www.sciencedirect.com/scidirimg/entities/REemail.gif"></SUP></A> and Thomas A. Schlacher<A onclick="toggleTabs('unsubTab')"
href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T8F-4XC976T-2&_user=10&_coverDate=11%2F15%2F2009&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=711228c4ad59c3ce0999313dd9#aff2"><SUP>b</SUP></A><SUP>, </SUP><A href="mailto:tschlach@usc.edu.au"><SUP><IMG title="E-mail The Corresponding Author" border=0 alt="E-mail The Corresponding Author" src="http://www.sciencedirect.com/scidirimg/entities/REemail.gif"></SUP></A></DIV></STRONG></DIV><!-- authorsNoEnt -->
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<DIV><A name=aff1></A><SUP>a</SUP>Australian Rivers Institute – Coast and Estuaries and Griffith School of Environment, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, QLD 4222, Australia</DIV>
<DIV><A name=aff2></A><SUP>b</SUP>University of the Sunshine Coast, Faculty of Science, Health and Education; Maroochydore DC, QLD-4558, Australia</DIV></DIV><!-- authorsNoEnt --></DIV><!-- articleText -->
<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=articleText><BR>Received 6 May 2009; </DIV><!-- articleText -->
<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=articleText>revised 7 September 2009; </DIV><!-- articleText -->
<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=articleText>accepted 7 September 2009. </DIV><!-- articleText -->
<DIV style="DISPLAY: inline" class=articleText>Available online 3 October 2009. </DIV><!-- articleText --><BR>
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<H3 class=h3>Abstract</H3>
<DIV>Ecological impacts of vehicle traffic are a significant environmental management issue on many sandy shores. Impacts usually focus on lethal effects of vehicles to organisms, but sub-lethal effects which could reduce the fitness of macrofauna populations are equally possible but unknown. Consequently, we measured changes in body condition and burrowing performance of the beach clam <I>Donax deltoides</I> subjected to vehicle traffic on sandy shores in eastern Australia. Body mass index of clams on beaches open to traffic was 16% lower, but gonadosomatic index and relative valve thickness were not consistently linked to vehicle access to beaches. By contrast, off-road vehicles significantly impaired the burrowing performance of clams. After experimental exposure to ORV traffic (30 passes) and dislodgement from the sediment, the time taken for clams to re-bury into the sand doubled irrespective of the vehicle weight used. Because burrowing is such a
critical function in the behavioural repertoire of sandy beach animals, the traffic-induced changes to organisms' performance found in this study may increase mortality by causing displacement to less favourable habitats by swash, and by intensifying the risk of predation and desiccation. When assessing the ecological impacts of vehicles on beach fauna, it is thus important to consider both lethal and sub-lethal effects.</DIV></DIV><!-- articleText -->
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<DIV><STRONG>Keywords: </STRONG><I>Body condition</I>; Burrowing; <I>Donax deltoides</I>; Human impacts; Recreational ecology; Sandy shores</DIV></DIV></td></tr></table><br>