FACTORS INFLUENCING THE FREQUENCY OF ROAD-KILLED WILDLIFE IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
During the 8 year (1989-1996) study period, 939 large mammals were killed by vehicles on roads within Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Elk and mule deer were the species most often killed by vehicles on park roads. Other species killed on park roads include bison, moose, coyote, antelope, beaver, whitetail deer, bighorn sheep, black bear, bobcat, grizzly bear, raccoon, and wolf. Vehicle-wildlife collisions pose a safety threat to people as well as wildlife. Park visitors have been injured and killed in vehicle collisions with wildlife. The authors analyzed the frequency of roadkills in relation to adjacent roadside cover types, posted speed limits, and actual average speed of vehicles. They also estimated the proportion of the park's large mammal population killed by vehicles each year. They concluded that speed of vehicles was the primary factor contributing to vehicle-wildlife collisions. Road design appeared to influence vehicle speed more than the posted speed limit. Cover types and wildlife population numbers also influenced the frequency of vehicle wildlife collisions. Most wildlife species were killed significantly more often in non-forested cover types than in forested types. Wildlife species with the highest population numbers were also the species most often killed by vehicles. Overall, vehicle-caused wildlife mortality does not appear to have a significant negative impact on large mammal populations in the park. However, road-killed wildlife carcasses appear to be a significant source of nutrition for some individual carnivores and scavengers whose home ranges encompass wildlife carcass disposal sites.
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Corporate Authors:
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC United States 20590 -
Authors:
- Gunther, K A
- Biel, M J
- Robison, H L
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Conference:
- International Conference on Wildlife Ecology and Transportation (ICOWET 1998)
- Location: Fort Myers Florida, United States
- Date: 1998-2-9 to 1998-2-12
- Publication Date: 1998
Language
- English
Media Info
- Features: References; Tables;
- Pagination: p. 32-42
- Monograph Title: PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WILDLIFE ECOLOGY AND TRANSPORTATION (ICOWET)
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Average travel speed; Fatalities; Ground cover; Highway design; Mammals; National parks; Road kill; Roadside; Speed limits; Wildlife
- Uncontrolled Terms: Animal populations
- Geographic Terms: Yellowstone National Park
- Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00784490
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, USDOT
- Created Date: Feb 7 2000 12:00AM