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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Enhancing Existing Isolated Underpasses With Fencing Reduces Wildlife Crashes And Connects Habitat, Bridget M. Donaldson, Kaitlyn E. M. Elliott
Enhancing Existing Isolated Underpasses With Fencing Reduces Wildlife Crashes And Connects Habitat, Bridget M. Donaldson, Kaitlyn E. M. Elliott
Human–Wildlife Interactions
The impact of wildlife–vehicle collisions on drivers and wildlife populations has been gaining attention in the United States. Given the established success of wildlife crossings with fencing in reducing wildlife crashes and connecting habitat, information is needed on cost-effective means of implementation for departments of transportation. When wildlife crossings are constructed, they are often built into new road projects as a series of 2 or more underpasses and/or overpass structures connected by exclusionary fencing. Given limited transportation budgets and the prevalence of maintenance activities more so than new construction in many states, enhancing existing underpasses on previously constructed roads has …
Species Composition And Temporal Patterns Of Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions In Southwest Virginia, Usa, James A. Vance, Walter H. Smith, Gabrielle L. Smith
Species Composition And Temporal Patterns Of Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions In Southwest Virginia, Usa, James A. Vance, Walter H. Smith, Gabrielle L. Smith
Human–Wildlife Interactions
Mitigating wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVCs) is becoming a major wildlife conservation focus, particularly in areas characterized by increased anthropogenic development. Concomitantly, wildlife managers and transportation planners need better information regarding spatiotemporal patterns of WVCs to develop measures that mitigate negative impacts on wildlife. To address this need, in 2015 we conducted a yearlong WVC study in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, USA to determine the species composition of WVCs across mammals, birds, and herpetofauna. In addition, we compared patterns of WVC road mortalities across 2 adjacent routes with different vehicle traffic volumes and evaluated the relationships between temporal variations in WVC …
Engaging People In Nature Stewardship Through Master Naturalist Programs, Mark Larese-Casanova, Michelle Prysby
Engaging People In Nature Stewardship Through Master Naturalist Programs, Mark Larese-Casanova, Michelle Prysby
Human–Wildlife Interactions
Master Naturalist programs across the country have reconnected Americans with nature for >20 years. Research suggests that reconnecting humans with nature benefits personal health and wellness, educates stakeholders about the importance of conservation, and enhances individual participation in stewardship efforts. Nationally, the Alliance of Natural Resource Outreach and Service Programs coordinates and supports Master Naturalist programs through facilitating collaboration and sharing of resources, as well as organizing an annual conference. We explore the Virginia Master Naturalist and Utah Master Naturalist programs as 2 examples of different, but highly effective, statewide programs to highlight the diversity of Master Naturalist programs. The …
Public Geospatial Datasets As An Approach To Maximizing Efficiency In The Collection Of Site Covariates In Wildlife–Vehicle Collision Studies, James A. Vance, Walter H. Smith, Gabrielle L. Smith
Public Geospatial Datasets As An Approach To Maximizing Efficiency In The Collection Of Site Covariates In Wildlife–Vehicle Collision Studies, James A. Vance, Walter H. Smith, Gabrielle L. Smith
Human–Wildlife Interactions
Wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVCs) are a major research focus because of increasing human health and safety concerns and the potential for biological impacts on wildlife. A key component of both understanding the causes of WVCs and designing mitigation measures is the collection and analysis of environmental and roadway data at WVC sites. However, collecting these site data can be logistically challenging and potentially dangerous to researchers. We studied the feasibility and accuracy of using public geospatial datasets, particularly Google Earth and Street View, as an alternative approach to assessing WVC onsite covariates. We randomly selected 50 sites from a larger WVC …
Factors Affecting Autumn Deer–Vehicle Collisions In A Rural Virginia County, William J. Mcshea, Chad M. Stewart, Laura J. Kearns, Stefano Liccioli, David Kocka
Factors Affecting Autumn Deer–Vehicle Collisions In A Rural Virginia County, William J. Mcshea, Chad M. Stewart, Laura J. Kearns, Stefano Liccioli, David Kocka
Human–Wildlife Interactions
Vehicular collisions with white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are a safety and economic hazard to motorists. Many efforts to reduce deer–vehicle collisions (DVCs) have proven unsuccessful, but deer reduction has been a primary management tool in several states. The Virginia Department of Transportation geo-located all known DVCs in Clarke County, Virginia, from August through December 2005 (n = 246) and 2006 (n = 259). We estimated harvest intensity, deer population density, amount of forest and housing development, presence of row crops, and traffic volume and speed for 228 road segments (each 500 m in length) within the …