Road and Rail Side Vegetation Management Implications of Habitat Use by Moose Relative to Brush Cutting Season

Abstract

Plants cut at different times produce resprouts that vary in their nutritional value relative to when they are cut. To determine how vegetation management in transportation (road and rail) corridors at different times of the year could influence browse quality in the years following cutting, and how this could potentially influence encounters between herbivores and vehicles, we undertook a 3-year study. In 2001, at a wildlife viewing area near Prince George, British Columbia, Canada, we established a control area and treatment areas where shrubs and trees that are used as food by moose (Alces alces) were cut at the beginning of June, July, August, September, and October. In the fall, moose were most often observed browsing the resprouts of plants cut in August (years 1 and 2 post-treatment) and September (year 3). Cumulative winter track counts were highest in the uncut control area in the years following cutting. Spring pellet counts revealed that most pellets were deposited in the uncut (years 1 and 2) and August-cut (year 3) areas during winter. With the exception of the first year after cutting, browse removal by moose was highest for plants cut later in the growing season. Overall, our findings suggest that following cutting, plants cut later in the year are selected more often by moose relative to those cut earlier. To reduce browse use of corridor vegetation in areas where concerns for moose-vehicle collisions exist, we recommend that vegetation maintenance activities be conducted in the early summer months of June and July.

Railway Ecology—Experiences and Examples in the Czech Republic

“…In the Czech Republic it may be due to the attractive food availability, which is in the immediate vicinity of the tracks in the winter (wild raspberry bushes, etc.). This explanation is also supported in other studies (Bowman et al 2010;Rea et al 2010;Marchand 1996). In the winter months the cleared track can also act as a migration corridor.…”

Response of moose to a high‐density road network

“…Moose also showed little to no aversion to class 6 roads with <10 vehicles/day. Though it has been reported moose may be attracted to roads because of increased forage (Dodd et al 2007, Rea et al 2010, availability of minerals (Laurian et al 2008, Grosman et al 2011), or to escape predators or insects (Berger 2007, Laurian et al 2012), we do not believe these are the reasons we saw no avoidance with these road classes. There is little to no clearing of vegetation next to class 2-6 roadways in Massachusetts, de-icing salts are used in much lower quantities than in areas farther north, and there are no known roadside salt licks.…”

Deer on the railway line: spatiotemporal trends in mortality patterns of roe deer

“…Ungulates are forced to cover larger distances in winter in order to find food and snow-free areas or those with little snow where they can dig easily. Such areas can usually be found along roads and railways (Bowman et al, 2010;Rea et al, 2010). This could be an explanation for the increased frequency of deertrain collisions in our study areas, as deer may move more during winter months.…”