Spatial patterns and factors influencing small vertebrate fauna road-kill aggregations

Abstract

We examined the spatial patterns and factors influencing small terrestrial vertebrate road-kill aggregations in the Bow River Valley, Alberta, Canada. We surveyed roads varying in traffic volume, configuration and adjacent landscape attributes for road-kills between 1997 and 2000. The spatial pattern of road-kills was described using neighbour K statistics. We investigated the importance of road-kills at three taxonomic levels using logistic regression. Mammal and bird road-kill indices were consistently higher on a low volume parkway than on the high-speed, high volume Trans-Canada highway (TCH). Birds were more vulnerable to collisions than mammals on the TCH. Road-kill aggregations were nonrandomly distributed. Parkway road-kills were aggregated on small scales and characterized by low clustering intensities compared to the TCH. Road-kills were less likely to occur on raised sections of road. Road-kills tended to occur close to vegetative cover and far from wildlife passages or culverts. Our findings reveal how two distinct road types can have different effects in terms of vertebrate mortality and their spatial pattern. We recommend a series of mitigation measures for existing roads or future road planning projects.