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https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27432/critical-issues-in-transportation-for-2024-and-beyond

Multiuse Overpasses: Does Human Use Impact the Use by Wildlife?

In the highly fragmented landscapes of the Netherlands, currently the pressure of both the public and recreational interest groups intensifies to open up wildlife passages for recreational co-use. The most frequently expressed request is to allow hikers, bikers and horseback riders to pass across wildlife overpasses. The objective of this study was to assess whether the use of wildlife overpasses by medium-sized and large mammals is affected by such human co-use. The authors chose two wildlife overpasses where human co-use is currently allowed – overpass Zanderij Crailoo and overpass Slabroek - and monitored the use by both mammals and humans for over one year. The monitoring aimed primarily to assess which species use the crossing structures, to assess the frequency of crossings, and to assess the behavior of the animals while crossing. The results were compared with data on the use of wildlife overpasses without human co-use elsewhere in the country. Furthermore, the authors studied whether there is a correlation between the crossing frequency of humans and the crossing frequency of the animals as well as the time of the day that the animals use the overpass. Crossings were detected of almost all medium-sized to large mammal species that were present in the areas around the studied wildlife overpasses. Crossing rates were not necessarily lower compared to wildlife overpasses without human co-use. For example, Roe deer passes overpass Zanderij Crailoo more often than any other studied overpass in the country. At overpass Slabroek, however, a higher number of species crossed less frequently than expected. Human co-use potentially affects the speed in which the animals pass; Roe deer crossed more frequently in a trot or gallop at the overpasses with human use compared to an overpass closed to humans. The effect was larger at the smaller overpass Slabroek. No strong correlations, positive or negative, were found between the crossing frequency of humans and the crossing frequency of wildlife. However, some of the species do tend to use the overpass later in the day on days with high recreational use. These results help to improve decision-making on opening wildlife overpasses for human use and provide guidelines for the design of such crossing structures. Recommendations for further research are: (1) to carry out an experimental study in which human co-use is manipulated, (2) to replicate the study at other sites, (3) to extend the study to other animal groups, (4) to repeat the study on overpass Zanderij Crailoo and Slabroek after five years, (5) to conduct comparative studies on overpasses without human use to increase base-line information, and (6) to carry out similar studies at wildlife underpasses with human co-use.

  • Summary URL:
  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Abstract used with permission from the International Conference on Ecology and Transportation, organized by the Center for Transportation and the Environment, Institute for Transportation Research and Education, North Carolina State University.
  • Corporate Authors:

    North Carolina State University, Raleigh

    Center for Transportation and the Environment
    Raleigh, NC  United States  27695-8601
  • Authors:
    • van der Grift, Edgar A
    • Ottburg, Fabrice
    • Pouwels, Rogier
    • Dirksen, Jolanda
  • Conference:
  • Publication Date: 2012

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: Figures; Photos; References;
  • Pagination: pp 125-133
  • Monograph Title: Proceedings of the 2011 International Conference on Ecology and Transportation (ICOET 2011)

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01558424
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Mar 31 2015 8:53AM