A Behavior-Based Framework for Assessing Barrier Effects to Wildlife from Vehicle Traffic Volume 1 Sandra L
CONCEPTS & THEORY A behavior-based framework for assessing barrier effects to wildlife from vehicle traffic volume 1 Sandra L. Jacobson,1,† Leslie L. Bliss-Ketchum,2 Catherine E. de Rivera,2 and Winston P. Smith3,4 1 1USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Davis, California 95618 USA 1 2Department of Environmental Science & Management, School of the Environment, 1 Portland State University, Portland, Oregon 97207-0751 USA 1 3USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, La Grande, Oregon 97850 USA 1 Citation: Jacobson, S. L., L. L. Bliss-Ketchum, C. E. de Rivera, and W. P. Smith. 2016. A behavior-based framework for assessing barrier effects to wildlife from vehicle traffic volume. Ecosphere 7(4):e01345. 10.1002/ecs2.1345 Abstract. Roads, while central to the function of human society, create barriers to animal movement through collisions and habitat fragmentation. Barriers to animal movement affect the evolution and tra- jectory of populations. Investigators have attempted to use traffic volume, the number of vehicles passing a point on a road segment, to predict effects to wildlife populations approximately linearly and along taxonomic lines; however, taxonomic groupings cannot provide sound predictions because closely related species often respond differently. We assess the role of wildlife behavioral responses to traffic volume as a tool to predict barrier effects from vehicle-caused mortality and avoidance, to provide an early warning system that recognizes traffic volume as a trigger for mitigation, and to better interpret roadkill data. We propose four categories of behavioral response based on the perceived danger to traffic: Nonresponders, Pausers, Speeders, and Avoiders.
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