Survival Rates of Adult Female Moose on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Bangs, Edward E.; Bailey, Theodore N.; Portner, Mary F.

doi:10.2307/3809176

Cited by 36 publications

(29 citation statements)

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“…A second mechanism that can reduce wildlife abundance along roads is direct mortality (Forman and Alexander 1998;Forman et al 2003). The large home ranges (14-26 km 2 ) of moose (Alces alces) result in a high frequency of road crossings and deaths from vehicles, a primary cause of mortality in some areas (Bangs et al 1989;Cederlund and Sand 1994). Increased mortality from roads is also widespread for many amphibians and reptiles (reviewed in Fahrig and Rytwinski 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Delimiting road-effect zones for threatened species: implications for mitigation fencing

et al. 2015

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Context. Roads are a pernicious form of habitat loss for many wildlife populations because their effects often extend far beyond the roads themselves, giving rise to reduced wildlife abundance in road-effect zones. Quantifying the extent of road-effect zones more accurately portrays their impact on populations and the true extent to which habitat is lost for many species.Aim. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate ways of determining the extent of road-effect zones for a model study species to better quantify the effect of roads on habitat loss.Methods. We conducted road-side surveys for signs of Mojave desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) 0, 200, 400, 800 and 1600 m from county roads and interstates, two of the most common road types in critical habitat of this threatened species. Using data from these road-side surveys, we estimated the extent of road-effect zones using piecewise regression and modified von Bertalanffy models.Key results. We found reduced abundances of tortoise sign along both county roads and interstates. Reductions extended farther from the large, high-traffic interstate than from the smaller, lower-traffic county roads (306 m versus 230 m). The increase in the abundance of tortoise signs with distance from roads approximated a negative exponential curve.Conclusions. Interstate and county roads both contribute to habitat loss in road-side areas by making these habitats unsuitable to desert tortoises, presumably by removing animals via mortality from collisions with vehicles. Larger roads with greater traffic have more extensive effects.Implications. Roadside mitigation fencing has been proposed as one way to reduce mortality of desert tortoises and to reclaim habitat by allowing tortoises to recolonise currently depauperate road-effect zones. Immediate mortality is more likely to be prevented by fencing county roads where tortoises occur closer to roads and are more likely to be struck by vehicles and killed. However, fencing interstate should yield more reclaimed habitat than that obtained from fencing county roads. Managers must consider balancing these goals along with other concerns when deciding where to place roadside fencing.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Delimiting road-effect zones for threatened species: implications for mitigation fencing

et al. 2015

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“…Perhaps the most obvious way that roads negatively affect animals is through vehicleinduced mortality. For example, traffic collisions are the primary cause of death for moose (Alces alces) in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska (Bangs et al 1989), for badgers (Meles meles) in England (Clarke et al 1998) and the second leading cause of death for Iberian lynx (Felis pardina) in Spain (Ferreras et al 1992). Roads pose a direct threat to the survival of not just individual animals but also some populations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of body-size and diet on road-kill trends in mammals

Barthelmess

Brooks

2010

Biodivers Conserv

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Roads negatively impact animals in a variety of ways. One of the most obvious impacts is vehicle-induced mortality. We have little understanding of the patterns and rates of road mortality for mammals. The aims of this study were to determine representative road-kill rates for local mammal species, compare road-kill rates between mammals of different sizes and diets, and compare patterns of road mortality between seasons. We hypothesized that carnivores would be killed less often than herbivores or omnivores and that medium sized mammals (1.0-10.0 kg) would be killed more often than expected based on their frequency in the area. At least 50% of the mammal species in the study area were impacted by road mortality, representing 21 species from 5 mammalian orders. Carnivores were found less often and medium-sized mammals more often than predicted. Porcupines (Erithizon dorsatum), raccoons (Procyon lotor), cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus) and striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) were the most frequent species to be killed. On average, 3.8 mammals were killed per 100 km of road. The road-kill rate varied between seasons and species and peaked in mid June. We also looked across studies to determine general rates of vehicle-induced mortality for mammals and found that an average of 8.8 mammals are killed per 100 km. Given the rapid decline of many mammal species and the consistent increase in vehicle miles traveled, efforts to preserve roadless areas and develop strategies to mitigate the effects of roads on mammals are warranted.

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“…For example, 50% of the known deaths of the endangered Florida panther (Felis concolor) is due to roadkill (Harris and Gallagher 1989), while roadkill is the largest mortality factor for English populations of European badgers (Meles meles) (Gallagher and Nelson 1979). In fact, roadkill has been implicated in population declines of a range of iconic and/or threatened species, including moose (Alces alces) (Bangs et al 1989), deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (Sarbello and Jackson 1985), koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) (Dique et al 2003), wolf (Canis lupus) (Fuller 1989), eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus) (Jones 2000), and amphibians (van Gelder 1973;Fahrig et al 1995). Mortality varies among species; for example, 30% of common toads (Bufo bufo) crossing roads are killed by vehicles (van Gelder 1973), while for more 'road-wise' species, crossing roads is less problematic (Jones 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution and abundance of roadkill on Tasmanian highways: human management options

2008

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Abstract. An obvious sign of potential human impact on animal populations is roadkill. In Tasmania, this impact is perceived as relatively greater than in other Australian states, and is often noted by visitors and locals alike, such that calls for management action are common in the popular press. The goal of this three-year study was to assess the frequency and distribution of species killed on Tasmanian roads. Seasonal surveys were completed along five major routes, for a total of 154 trips. Over 15 000 km of road were surveyed and 5691 individuals in 54 taxa were recorded for an average roadkill density of 0.372 km À1. Over 50% of encountered roadkill could be identified to species, with common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) and Tasmanian pademelon (Thylogale billardierii) the most common species identified, both in overall numbers and frequency of trips encountered. The 10 most common taxa accounted for 99% of the items observed. The seasonal occurrence, relationship with vehicle speed, and clustering in local hotspots for particular taxa all suggest that mitigation measures, such as vehicle speed reduction in specific areas, may be effective in reducing the number of animals killed. Mitigation measures, however, will not apply equally to all species and, in particular, success will depend on changing human behaviours.

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Survival Rates of Adult Female Moose on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Cited by 36 publications

References 0 publications

Delimiting road-effect zones for threatened species: implications for mitigation fencing

Delimiting road-effect zones for threatened species: implications for mitigation fencing

The influence of body-size and diet on road-kill trends in mammals

Distribution and abundance of roadkill on Tasmanian highways: human management options

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