Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice: Assessing Two Decades of Methodological Procedures and Reporting Omissions in Roadkill Studies of the Brazilian Cerrado

This review assesses two decades (2000–2024) of Road Ecology research in the Brazilian Cerrado, a global biodiversity hotspot. We analyzed 63 studies on four major vertebrate groups to quantify trends, methodological procedures, omissions, and road mortality, drivers that could compromise the evidence base for environmental management. While research output has expanded temporally, it remains geographically concentrated in established states (Goiás, Minas Gerais, and São Paulo), leaving high-deforestation frontiers like the Matopiba region (Tocantins, Maranhão, Piauí, and Bahia) severely under-represented. Methodologically, the prevailing reliance on high-speed vehicle surveys (48