Study

Long-term effectiveness of US 1 crossing project in reducing florida key deer mortality

  • Published source details Parker I.D., Lopez R.R., Silvy N.J., Davis D.S. & Owen C.B. (2011) Long-term effectiveness of US 1 crossing project in reducing florida key deer mortality. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 35, 296-302.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Install barrier fencing and underpasses along roads

Action Link
Terrestrial Mammal Conservation
  1. Install barrier fencing and underpasses along roads

    A before-and-after, site comparison study in 1996–2009 along a highway through woodland and developed areas in Florida, USA (Parker et al. 2011; same experimental set-up as Braden et al. 2008 and Parker et al. 2008) found that underpasses beneath the highway, along with roadside fencing, reduced vehicle collisions with Florida Key deer Odocoileus virginianus clavium. Fewer deer were killed on the road over seven years after underpass and fence installation (1.6/year) than in the five years before installation (15.6/year). Concurrently, along an unfenced section without underpasses, 43 deer/year were killed in the latter period and 24/year were killed in the earlier period. Underpass use increased from 185 passages during the first year after construction to 1,337 passages in the seventh year after construction. A highway was upgraded to increase vehicle capacity, with construction completed in 2002. Two box culvert underpasses (14 m long, 8 m wide, 3 m high) were installed under a 2.6-km-long fenced road section through undeveloped land. Deer-vehicle collisions were monitored along this section and along an adjacent 3.0-km-long unfenced section through a developed area, before culvert installation (1996–2000) and after (2003–2009). Culvert use was monitored using camera traps.

    (Summarised by: Nick Littlewood)

Output references
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