A koala unfriendly infrastructure

"The sixth koala killed between Bonville and Repton."

No virtual fencing, no AI sensors, no speed restrictions
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https://coffscoast.newsofthearea.com.au/koala-highway-death-raises-questions-over-wait-for-signage

"Signs are litter on a stick
Signs are white noise motorists ignore
Signs are a cheap option"
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Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping The Future of Our Planet with Ben Goldfarb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVkw0fOslck
#koalas #wildlife #Biodiversity #conservation #roads #highways #NegativeExternalities #Infrastructure #cars #vehicles #crashes #ExtinctionCrisis #RoadEcology #RoadKill #signage #fencing #MidNorthCoast #ThegreatkoalaNationalPark #Bellingen #Repton #Bonville #Coffs #WildlifeSafety

Koala signage (litter on a stick) erected and then vandalised by motorists. Bellingen/ Gleniffer

Animal friendly infrastructure - Road ecology

"Some 40 million miles of roadways encircle the earth, yet we tend to regard them only as infrastructure for human convenience. While roads are so ubiquitous they’re practically invisible to us, wild animals experience them as entirely alien forces of death and disruption. , the harms of highways extend far beyond roadkill. "
Ben Goldfarb, Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet >>
https://www.bengoldfarb.com/crossings

Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping The Future of Our Planet with Ben Goldfarb >>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVkw0fOslck
#biodiversity #wildlife #habitat #roads #highways #NegativeExternalities #Infrastructure #cars #vehicles #crashes #liability #tyres #RoadEcology #RoadKill #signage #fencing #weeds #pollution #LoggingImpacts #mobility #animals #MigratorySpecies #access #barriers #FreewayWalls #crossings #ExtinctionCrisis

@tangledwing That's great footage. I went looking and there's this 2025 Masters thesis from Utah State University, by Blake Ledbetter, that seems to be the source of the stats in that video of animals successfully crossing that wildlife bridge.

https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd2023/433/

#RoadEcology

Seasonal and Temporal Influences on Successful Crossing Rates by Ungulates of a North Utah Wildlife Overpass

Encroachment of human infrastructure fragments wild landscapes and introduces a suite of negative impacts for humans and wildlife. In Utah, roadways threaten migratory ungulates by creating a barrier to movements and preventing access to seasonal migration routes. To mitigate these conflicts, state transportation agencies often install wildlife crossing structures to allow animals to safely cross over or under roadways. Selecting the proper crossing structure requires consideration of the species of interest, landscape, location, and structural dimensions. Often there is balance between the optimal location, the dimensions of the crossing structures, and what is feasible given the landscape. In 2018, the Utah Department of Transportation installed an overpass that was much longer than it is wide (0.13 width to length ratio, the recommended ratio is 0.8) across a major Interstate. The purpose of my study was to determine if the target species, mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) as well as other animals such as moose (Alces alces) and elk (Cervus canadensis) would use this crossing structure. Additionally, I sought to determine if there were seasonal or temporal influences on successful crossing rates. I conducted an observational study using trail cameras installed along Parley's Canyon Overpass from April 2020-July 2022, to record wildlife use of the overpass. I evaluated the proportion of crossings for mule deer, elk, and moose that occurred during different times of the day and among seasons. Mule deer and moose successfully used the overpass 97.9% (of 1,973 visits) and 100% (of 65 visits) of total visits; however, elk only made 3 successful crossings (23.08%). I determined that, due to high success rates regardless of season or time of day, mule deer feel safe enough to cross this overpass if they encounter it regardless of timing of when they encounter it. Additionally, overpasses with smaller width to length ratios like this one can be used by mule deer and moose successfully, but not elk. My research will add to the literature regarding issues in transportation, wildlife ecology, and wildlife behavior that aid in determining wildlife crossing structure design and placement preferences by ungulates in the American west.

DigitalCommons@USU
The Silent Impact: How Roads Are Eroding Europe’s Food Webs | Current Conservation

Current Conservation The Silent Impact: How Roads Are Eroding Europe’s Food Webs

Current Conservation
The Silent Impact: How Roads Are Eroding Europe’s Food Webs | Current Conservation

Current Conservation The Silent Impact: How Roads Are Eroding Europe’s Food Webs

Current Conservation

Publication in Transport Ecology about our paper on the effects of roads on European food webs.

#roadecology #foodwebs #ecologicalnetworks #biogeography

https://transportecology.info/research/roadkill-cascading-effects-food-webs

The domino effect of roads on biodiversity: How the impacts of wildlife-vehicle collisions propagate through food webs — Transport Ecology

Our study reveals that roads and traffic not only cause direct wildlife mortality but also destabilise entire ecological networks by altering predator-prey interactions. By mapping high-risk areas for disrupted predator-prey interactions across Europe, we highlight the urgent need for tailored measu

Transport Ecology
Montana high school senior Kylie hit a deer while driving near Yellowstone. But, from tragedy came action. She painted a school mural to spread awareness that solutions to this problem exist, after learning 177 crossings have been built across the Yellowstone to Yukon region. #RoadEcology

A Montana student's mission to...
A Montana student's mission to highlight wildlife crossings through art and action - Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative

A Bozeman student paints a wildlife crossing mural at her high school to highlight the benefits for people and nature through art.

Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative

"There are now at least 173 underpasses and overpasses that are dedicated for #wildlife to get safely across roads.

"There’s three more that are under construction right now and there are 47 that have been committed to by various governments.

"So, we’re getting to this place where consideration of wildlife getting across roads is just a normal part of what we do. That’s super exciting."

#rewilding #roadecology #grizzlies #rockymountains #yellowstone #yukon

https://www.rewildingmag.com/y2y-is-making-way-for-grizzlies-and-more/

Y2Y is making way for grizzlies and more

Wildlife expert Jodi Hilty discusses how the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative’s interconnected corridors are making a massive impact on multiple species.

Rewilding Magazine

A terrific book about—science! And roads and animals and lots of other good stuff.

Also good to note: it’s recommended by Science Friday—which is devoted to science.

#standupforscience #sciencefriday #roadecology