Anthropogenic effects on activity patterns of wildlife at crossing structures

Authors:
Open Access
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Despite the popular perception of protected areas as vestiges of remnant wilderness, the behavior and activity patterns of wildlife in these areas are still subject to many forms of anthropogenic disturbances, such as roads, recreation and resource extraction. In Banff National Park, Alberta, efforts to mitigate the effects of roads on wildlife using wildlife crossing structures (WC) have been successful for a number of large mammal species, when measured as a reduction in mortality from vehicle collisions or the restoration of population connectivity; however, a comprehensive view of mitigation success should also account for the restoration of animal behavior and activity patterns. We evaluated the general hypothesis that existing WC have mitigated the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on wildlife activity, and predicted that the activity patterns of wildlife at WC should be similar to those in areas characterized by little or no human disturbance. We collected data from a long‐term monitoring program of activity patterns, in an assemblage of large mammal species, using a network of camera traps throughout Banff National Park. We quantified the inter‐ and intra‐specific overlap of diel activity patterns at 39 engineered wildlife crossings, varying in design (e.g., over and underpasses) and age. We compared activity at WC to baseline conditions at 126 backcountry sites (BC). In general, activity patterns at WC were found to closely match those at BC. Of the eight species we examined, only elk and coyotes showed significantly different peaks in activity. Activity between WC depended on the time of day, the amount of human use and age of the crossing structure; however, the impact of these factors varied among carnivores and ungulates. Our work demonstrates that the impact of people on wildlife activity at WC is highly context dependent and that the restoration of native patterns of activity within protected areas will require management of human activity, even in relatively remote areas.

This publication has 57 references indexed in Scilit: