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Environmental Health and Protection Commons™

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2008

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Institution
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Articles 211 - 219 of 219

Full-Text Articles in Environmental Health and Protection

Locations Of Deer–Vehicle Collisions Are Unrelated To Traffic Volume Or Posted Speed Limit, John A. Bissonette, Christine A. Kassar Jan 2008

Locations Of Deer–Vehicle Collisions Are Unrelated To Traffic Volume Or Posted Speed Limit, John A. Bissonette, Christine A. Kassar

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Consensus is lacking regarding the influence of vehicle speed and traffic volume on deer–vehicle collision (DVC) rates. Yet, annual average daily traffic fl ow (AADT) and posted speed limit (PSL) typically are used to measure these variables. To resolve this conflict, we studied the effects of traffic volume and vehicle speed on DVCs in Utah. Our results showed no relationship between AADT or PSL and DVC occurrence. There are at least 3 explanations for our results: (1) no causal relationship exists; (2) AADT and PSL, as measured, actually explain little of the variation; and (3) data quality problems exist. We …

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Standardizing The Data On Wildlife–Vehicle Collisions, Johan T. Du Toit Jan 2008

Standardizing The Data On Wildlife–Vehicle Collisions, Johan T. Du Toit

Human–Wildlife Interactions

There are few more dramatic manifestations of human– wildlife conflict than squealing brakes, a sickening crunch, flying gravel, and then silence except for the weakly spasmodic scrabbling of a semipulverized deer as it lies dying on the side of a highway. The scientific analysis of wildlife–vehicle collisions is an applied science of increasing importance throughout the industrialized world, but it is yet woefully deficient in theoretical underpinnings and standardized methodology. The overarching discipline of road ecology has only recently gained formal recognition through the publication of the first definitive book on this topic by Forman et al. (2003). And until …

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Trans Fatty Acids Provide Evidence Of Anthropogenic Feeding By Black Bears, Gregory W. Thiemann, Randal S. Stahl, Sharon Baruch-Mordo, Stewart W. Breck Jan 2008

Trans Fatty Acids Provide Evidence Of Anthropogenic Feeding By Black Bears, Gregory W. Thiemann, Randal S. Stahl, Sharon Baruch-Mordo, Stewart W. Breck

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Bears (Ursus spp.) that become conditioned to anthropogenic food sources pose a risk to human safety and generally need to be relocated, rehabilitated, or destroyed. Identifying food-conditioned bears may be difficult if the animal is not captured or killed while immediately engaged in the nuisance behavior. Fatty acid signature analysis has been used to examine the dietary habits of bears and other carnivores and is based on the predictable incorporation of ingested fatty acids into the consumer’s fat stores. Unusual fatty acids that are available in only a few food types may be particularly useful dietary markers. In this …

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Deer–Vehicle Collision Trends At A Suburban Immunocontraception Site, Allen T. Rutberg, Ricky E. Naugle Jan 2008

Deer–Vehicle Collision Trends At A Suburban Immunocontraception Site, Allen T. Rutberg, Ricky E. Naugle

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Observations of extended estrus seasons in female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) vaccinated with porcine zona pellucida (PZP) immunocontraceptives have led to speculation that management use of PZP would, perversely, increase the rate of deer–vehicle collisions. To test this hypothesis, we studied PZP-treated female deer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland. PZP-treated female deer did not differ from untreated female deer in risk of death by vehicle collision, and the number of deer killed in vehicle collisions was uncorrelated with the number of deer treated with PZP, whether or not population size was controlled for. …

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In Memory: Paul Eugene Bucklin, Kraig L. Glazier Jan 2008

In Memory: Paul Eugene Bucklin, Kraig L. Glazier

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Paul Eugene “Gene” Bucklin (1942–2008), a wildlife specialist with USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services, was killed in a fatal car accident near his home in Chinook, Montana, on February 16, 2008. Born in Billings, Montana, he was raised on a sheep and cattle ranch in Redstone, Montana, where he learned to trap and hunt. Gene spent his life on the prairies of the “Highline,” the northern part of Montana that stretches from the Rocky Mountains of Glacier National Park to the North Dakota border. In 1979 he began a lifelong career with USDA/APHIS/ Wildlife Services in Chinook.

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Evaluation Of Physical Barriers To Prevent Prairie Dog Colony Expansion, Gary Witmer, James Gionfriddo, Michael Pipas Jan 2008

Evaluation Of Physical Barriers To Prevent Prairie Dog Colony Expansion, Gary Witmer, James Gionfriddo, Michael Pipas

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Expansion of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies on public and private lands can result in damage to property. Physical barriers to prairie dogs can be used to minimize human–wildlife conflicts. We evaluated 17 existing barriers in the Fort Collins and Boulder, Colorado, areas. Most barriers were made of a single row of vinyl material; these barriers sustained high levels of damage, primarily from wind, and were frequently breached by prairie dogs digging underneath them. Barriers that included a vegetation and a vinyl barrier or a double-vinyl barrier were wind damaged and breached less frequently than the single-vinyl …

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Assessment Of Costs Associated With Deer–Vehicle Collisions: Human Death And Injury, Vehicle Damage, And Deer Loss, John A. Bissonette, Christine A. Kassar, Lawrence J. Cook Jan 2008

Assessment Of Costs Associated With Deer–Vehicle Collisions: Human Death And Injury, Vehicle Damage, And Deer Loss, John A. Bissonette, Christine A. Kassar, Lawrence J. Cook

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Collisions between large vertebrates and vehicles along roadways are an increasing concern, not only because of ecological consequences, but also because of associated economic and social costs. We used a large-scale, long-term data set comprising several databases from Utah to summarize and analyze these costs. The overall cost for 13,020 collisions from 1996 to 2001 in Utah was approximately $45,175,454, resulting in an estimated average per year cost of about $7,529,242 and a mean collision cost of $3,470. These figures include human fatality costs of $24 million (53% of total costs); vehicle damage costs of $18 million (39%); loss of …

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Echinacea And Deer Whistles: Science And Trust In The Wildlife Arena, Ben C. West Jan 2008

Echinacea And Deer Whistles: Science And Trust In The Wildlife Arena, Ben C. West

Human–Wildlife Interactions

“We must educate the public.” Few mantras have been used as often in the wildlife management profession, particularly in the arena of human–wildlife conflicts. In a modern era where people increasingly are separated from the natural world, wildlife professionals frequently note a lack of basic understanding about ecological systems among our stakeholders and cooperators. In response, we have created a plethora of educational programs and yet continue to call for more.

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Demographics Of Non-Hunted White-Tailed Deer Populations In Suburban Areas, Anthony J. Denicola, Dwayne R. Etter, Thomas Almendinger Jan 2008

Demographics Of Non-Hunted White-Tailed Deer Populations In Suburban Areas, Anthony J. Denicola, Dwayne R. Etter, Thomas Almendinger

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Burgeoning deer populations in urban and suburban areas, along with the inherent problems stemming from this increase, are becoming increasingly widespread. To address these problems, wildlife biologists need quality baseline data of herd composition for harvest and treatment forecasts for management and fertility control research programs. In this study, we provide white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) population data from 4 areas where localized suburban white-tailed deer populations were substantially reduced utilizing sharpshooting as a management tool. In each area, legal hunting was nonexistent for >10 years preceding the sharpshooting program. The areas ranged in size from 300 ha to …

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