Pronghorn and mule deer use of underpasses and overpasses along U.S. Highway 191
ABSTRACT The seasonal migrations of ungulates are increasingly threatened by various forms of anthropogenic disturbance, including roads, fences, and other infrastructure. Although roadway impacts (e.g., wildlife–vehicle collisions and landscape permeability) to species such as mule deer (Odocoileus...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2016-06-01
|
| Series: | Wildlife Society Bulletin |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.650 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850115665423237120 |
|---|---|
| author | Hall Sawyer Patrick A. Rodgers Thomas Hart |
| author_facet | Hall Sawyer Patrick A. Rodgers Thomas Hart |
| author_sort | Hall Sawyer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT The seasonal migrations of ungulates are increasingly threatened by various forms of anthropogenic disturbance, including roads, fences, and other infrastructure. Although roadway impacts (e.g., wildlife–vehicle collisions and landscape permeability) to species such as mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) can largely be mitigated with underpasses and continuous fencing, similar mitigation may not be effective for pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) or other ungulate species that are reluctant to move through confined areas. The Wyoming Department of Transportation recently installed 6 underpasses and 2 overpasses along 20 km of U.S. Highway 191 in western Wyoming, USA, where we evaluated species‐specific preferences by documenting the number of migratory mule deer and pronghorn that used adjacent overpasses and underpasses for 3 years (autumn 2012 to spring 2015) following construction. We also measured the amount of back‐and‐forth movement across the highway for each species through time. We documented 40,251 crossings of the highway by mule deer and 19,290 crossings by pronghorn. Of those highway crossings, 79% of mule deer moved under, whereas 93% of pronghorn moved over the highway. These strong species‐specific differences were evident at both sites and support the notion that overpasses are more amenable to pronghorn than underpasses. Concurrently, we documented a 64–306% increase in the amount of back‐and‐forth movement of mule deer and pronghorn across the highway during migration periods. Such movement flexibility is presumed to improve their ability to respond to changing environmental conditions by easily accessing habitats on either side of the highway. Our results highlight that species‐specific preferences are an important consideration when mitigating roadway impacts with wildlife crossing structures. © 2016 The Wildlife Society. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-40ddf87e629e41ed80509d4fb847e4c5 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2328-5540 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2016-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Wildlife Society Bulletin |
| spelling | doaj-art-40ddf87e629e41ed80509d4fb847e4c52025-08-20T02:36:31ZengWileyWildlife Society Bulletin2328-55402016-06-0140221121610.1002/wsb.650Pronghorn and mule deer use of underpasses and overpasses along U.S. Highway 191Hall Sawyer0Patrick A. Rodgers1Thomas Hart2Western Ecosystems Technology, Incorporated200 South 2nd StreetLaramieWY82070USAWestern Ecosystems Technology, Incorporated200 South 2nd StreetLaramieWY82070USAWyoming Department of Transportation5300 Bishop BoulevardCheyenneWY82009USAABSTRACT The seasonal migrations of ungulates are increasingly threatened by various forms of anthropogenic disturbance, including roads, fences, and other infrastructure. Although roadway impacts (e.g., wildlife–vehicle collisions and landscape permeability) to species such as mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) can largely be mitigated with underpasses and continuous fencing, similar mitigation may not be effective for pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) or other ungulate species that are reluctant to move through confined areas. The Wyoming Department of Transportation recently installed 6 underpasses and 2 overpasses along 20 km of U.S. Highway 191 in western Wyoming, USA, where we evaluated species‐specific preferences by documenting the number of migratory mule deer and pronghorn that used adjacent overpasses and underpasses for 3 years (autumn 2012 to spring 2015) following construction. We also measured the amount of back‐and‐forth movement across the highway for each species through time. We documented 40,251 crossings of the highway by mule deer and 19,290 crossings by pronghorn. Of those highway crossings, 79% of mule deer moved under, whereas 93% of pronghorn moved over the highway. These strong species‐specific differences were evident at both sites and support the notion that overpasses are more amenable to pronghorn than underpasses. Concurrently, we documented a 64–306% increase in the amount of back‐and‐forth movement of mule deer and pronghorn across the highway during migration periods. Such movement flexibility is presumed to improve their ability to respond to changing environmental conditions by easily accessing habitats on either side of the highway. Our results highlight that species‐specific preferences are an important consideration when mitigating roadway impacts with wildlife crossing structures. © 2016 The Wildlife Society.https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.650Antilocapra americanaconnectivityhighwaymigrationmitigationmule deer |
| spellingShingle | Hall Sawyer Patrick A. Rodgers Thomas Hart Pronghorn and mule deer use of underpasses and overpasses along U.S. Highway 191 Wildlife Society Bulletin Antilocapra americana connectivity highway migration mitigation mule deer |
| title | Pronghorn and mule deer use of underpasses and overpasses along U.S. Highway 191 |
| title_full | Pronghorn and mule deer use of underpasses and overpasses along U.S. Highway 191 |
| title_fullStr | Pronghorn and mule deer use of underpasses and overpasses along U.S. Highway 191 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pronghorn and mule deer use of underpasses and overpasses along U.S. Highway 191 |
| title_short | Pronghorn and mule deer use of underpasses and overpasses along U.S. Highway 191 |
| title_sort | pronghorn and mule deer use of underpasses and overpasses along u s highway 191 |
| topic | Antilocapra americana connectivity highway migration mitigation mule deer |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.650 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hallsawyer pronghornandmuledeeruseofunderpassesandoverpassesalongushighway191 AT patrickarodgers pronghornandmuledeeruseofunderpassesandoverpassesalongushighway191 AT thomashart pronghornandmuledeeruseofunderpassesandoverpassesalongushighway191 |