The effectiveness of decommissioning roadside mineral licks on reducing moose (<i>Alces alces</i>) activity near highways: implications for moose–vehicle collisions

Rea, Roy V.; Scheideman, Matthew C.; Hesse, Gayle; Mumma, Matthew A.

doi:10.1139/cjz-2021-0046

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…For species that forage on roads surfaces, we suggest that reducing the attractiveness of the road by removing carrion, salt pools and limiting the presence of preys (such as rodents) on roadsides is the most efficient solution. For example, decommissioning roadside salt pools has been shown to reduce the time moose spend on the road and could in theory reduce moose-vehicle collisions by up to 49% (Rea et al ., 2021; Grosman et al ., 2009). Mitigation policies should also be species-specific (Teixeira et al ., 2013; Saint-Andrieux et al ., 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A biologically realistic model to predict wildlife-vehicle collision risks

Bénard

Lengagne

Bonenfant

2023

Preprint

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Road networks have major ecological impacts on living organisms consequent to habitat loss and fragmentation, chemical and acoustic pollution, and direct mortality when wildlife-vehicle collisions are involved (WVC). The many past empirical studies revealed biological traits shared by species most vulnerable to roadkills (e.g. population density). Similarly, spatial locations of WVC hot-spots are associated to landscape features at large spatial scales, and to road characteristics at small spatial scale. We currently lack a comprehensive theoretical framework for WVC. Animal movement in relation to habitats is an essential driver of encounters with roads, but this remains largely ignored in studies, even when movement ecology provides the necessary tools to investigate the impact of animal movement on WVC. We built a general individual-based model incorporating recent knowledge in movement ecology (movement typology: roaming, migratory route crossing a road, active attraction and active repulsion of roads) to estimate WVC risks. We explored the relative effects of animal and vehicle movement parameters (speed,abundance, road sinuosity and animal movement pattern) on collision probability; We show that animal behaviour toward roads has major impacts on the number and risks of WVC, but also modulate the effects of other factors (animal traveling speed, species local abundance, road traffic volume) on WVC. Sensitivity analyses show that the movement and behaviour of the animal has more influence on WVC risks than any of the characteristics of roads and vehicles we tested. Our results suggest that (1) effective roadkill mitigation should be species-specific and could vary in efficiency depending on the target's movement pattern (mating and migratory seasons, foraging habits. . . ) and (2) empirical studies of WVC should incorporate knowledge about the behavioural habits of the focal species in relation to roads.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…CC-BY-NC 4.0 International license available under a (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made 49% (Rea et al, 2021;Grosman et al, 2009). Mitigation policies should also be species-specific (Teixeira et al, 2013;Saint-Andrieux et al, 2020).…”

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confidence: 99%

A biologically realistic model to predict wildlife-vehicle collision risks

Bénard

Lengagne

Bonenfant

2023

Preprint

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“…Road networks are known to influence the movement patterns of moose, as they tend to move faster and over greater distances when close to paved (Wattles et al., 2018 ) and forest roads (Brown et al., 2018 ). These behavioral responses illustrate the compromises moose have to make to balance the risk of facing humans (Eldegard et al., 2012 ) or predators (DeMars & Boutin, 2018 ; St‐Pierre et al., 2022 ) near roads with the attractiveness of salt pools and early‐seral vegetation found on roadsides in spring (Laurian et al., 2008a ; Miller & Litvaitis, 1992 ; Rea et al., 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These behavioral responses illustrate the compromises moose have to make to balance the risk of facing humans (Eldegard et al, 2012) or predators (DeMars & Boutin, 2018;St-Pierre et al, 2022) near roads with the attractiveness of salt pools and early-seral vegetation found on roadsides in spring (Laurian et al, 2008a;Miller & Litvaitis, 1992;Rea et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal variations in female moose responses to roads and logging in the absence of wolves

Gagnon,

Lesmerises,

St‐Laurent

2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Animal movements, needed to acquire food resources, avoid predation risk, and find breeding partners, are influenced by annual and circadian cycles. Decisions related to movement reflect a quest to maximize benefits while limiting costs, especially in heterogeneous landscapes. Predation by wolves (Canis lupus) has been identified as the major driver of moose (Alces alces) habitat selection patterns, and linear features have been shown to increase wolf efficiency to travel, hunt, and kill prey. However, few studies have described moose behavioral response to roads and logging in Canada in the absence of wolves. We thus characterized temporal changes (i.e., day phases and biological periods) in eastern moose (Alces alces americana) habitat selection and space use patterns near a road network in a wolf‐free area located south of the St. Lawrence River (eastern Canada). We used telemetry data collected on 18 females between 2017 and 2019 to build resource selection functions and mixed linear regressions to explain variations in habitat selection patterns, home‐range size, and movement rates. Female moose selected forest stands providing forage when movement was not impeded by snow cover (i.e., spring/green‐up, summer/rearing, fall/rut) and stands offering protection against incidental predation during calving. In winter, home‐range size decreased with an increasing proportion of stands providing food and shelter against harsh weather, limiting the energetic costs associated with movement. Our results reaffirmed the year‐round aversive effect of roads, even in the absence of wolves, but the magnitude of this avoidance differed between day phases, being lower during the “dusk‐night‐dawn” phase, perhaps due to a lower level of human activity on and near roads. Female moose behavior in our study area was similar to what was observed in landscapes where moose and wolves cohabit, suggesting that the risk associated with humans, perceived as another type of predator, and with incidental predators (coyote Canis latrans, black bear Ursus americanus), equates that of wolf predation in heavily managed landscapes.

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“…New roads are built annually, including in sparsely populated areas (Ignatavičius et al, 2020), and roads are being newly constructed or reconfigured in a manner that enhances driver safety but facilitates greater speed by motorists and increased traffic volume (e.g., wider, smoother, and straighter; e.g., Bíl et al, 2020; Boyle et al, 2020; Park et al, 2021). As such, substantial effort is needed to accurately record UVC so that the number of incidents and where and when they occur can be used to rationalize and develop effective mitigation strategies (Brennan et al, 2022; Favilli et al, 2018; Mayer et al, 2021; Rea et al, 2021; Saint‐Andrieux et al, 2020). However, records of UVC based on counts of roadside carcasses or reports by drivers involved in these incidents are assuredly underestimates.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dead mammal walking: A month‐long march by a bison (Bison bison) after an ungulate–vehicle collision

Jung,

Lewis,

Miller

et al. 2024

Ecosphere

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Globally, ungulate–vehicle collisions (UVCs) are a major human safety concern and may also represent a significant source of mortality for some ungulate populations. However, records of UVC based on counts of roadside carcasses or reports by drivers involved in these incidents are assuredly underestimated because not all ungulates struck die immediately or at the roadside or are reported by drivers or authorities. Here, we provide an observation and analysis of the movements of a GPS‐collared bison (Bison bison) that was involved in a UVC on the Alaska Highway and died in a thick boreal forest 29 days later. During that time, she moved 49.7 km from where she was hit. Her daily movement rate (in kilometers per hour) and daily net displacement (in kilometers per day) were significantly greater in the 29‐day period before she was struck compared with 29 days afterward. This vivid example illustrates that individuals injured in a UVC can die several weeks later and at a considerable distance from where they were initially struck. Moreover, when they eventually die, it may be where their carcass would not be found or associated with a UVC. Bison are the largest land mammal in North America and perhaps more robust to some lower impact UVC than smaller bodied species. Even so, if not for the GPS collar on this bison, we would have never known the fate of this individual, and the carcass likely never found. Taken together, the movements and final resting place of this bison illuminate how estimates of mortality as a result of UVC can be underestimated when the animal does not die immediately and in a location where it can be found. Given our data, we further urge managers to consider roadside counts of animals killed in UVC as a minimum estimate when considering options for mitigation.

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The effectiveness of decommissioning roadside mineral licks on reducing moose (Alces alces) activity near highways: implications for moose–vehicle collisions

Cited by 6 publications

References 28 publications

A biologically realistic model to predict wildlife-vehicle collision risks

A biologically realistic model to predict wildlife-vehicle collision risks

Temporal variations in female moose responses to roads and logging in the absence of wolves

Dead mammal walking: A month‐long march by a bison (Bison bison) after an ungulate–vehicle collision

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