scholarly journals Wildlife Crossing Design Influences Effectiveness for Small and Large Mammals in Banff National Park

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Stewart ◽  
Bryson Russell ◽  
Evan Zelig ◽  
Gaurang Patel ◽  
Kaitlin Stack Whitney
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
National Park ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Black Bears ◽  
Large Mammals ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Banff National Park ◽  
Crossing Structures ◽  
Snowshoe Hares ◽  
Transportation Routes

Banff National Park (BNP) is Canada’s oldest national park and a very popular one, with both year-round residents and millions of annual visitors. In turn, this means there are several busy road and rail transportation routes throughout the park. These factors can have a number of negative effects on local wildlife. The wildlife crossing structures of the Trans-Canada Highway in BNP have become a key conservation tool to conserve biodiversity in the park and beyond. As the first large-scale operation of highway mitigation of its kind in North America, it is a perfect case for understanding the conservation value of highway overpasses and underpasses for a variety of wildlife species including both large and small mammals. It was determined from the research that there is a vast majority of information available for large mammals compared to small mammals. Small mammals used the crossing structures to avoid predators, while large mammals used the crossing structures to avoid humans. The design of the structure was extremely influential on its effectiveness with black bears and cougars preferring narrow bridges with cover, elk preferring wide, open bridges, and smaller mammals, such as weasels, snowshoe hares, and some mice preferring culverts with vegetation cover.

scholarly journals Genetic connectivity for two bear species at wildlife crossing structures in Banff National Park

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1780) ◽  
pp. 20131705 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Sawaya ◽  
Steven T. Kalinowski ◽  
Anthony P. Clevenger
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
National Park ◽  
Ursus Arctos ◽  
Black Bears ◽  
Genetic Connectivity ◽  
Genetic Admixture ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Banff National Park ◽  
Crossing Structures ◽  
Wildlife Crossing Structures

Roads can fragment and isolate wildlife populations, which will eventually decrease genetic diversity within populations. Wildlife crossing structures may counteract these impacts, but most crossings are relatively new, and there is little evidence that they facilitate gene flow. We conducted a three-year research project in Banff National Park, Alberta, to evaluate the effectiveness of wildlife crossings to provide genetic connectivity. Our main objective was to determine how the Trans-Canada Highway and crossing structures along it affect gene flow in grizzly ( Ursus arctos ) and black bears ( Ursus americanus ). We compared genetic data generated from wildlife crossings with data collected from greater bear populations. We detected a genetic discontinuity at the highway in grizzly bears but not in black bears. We assigned grizzly bears that used crossings to populations north and south of the highway, providing evidence of bidirectional gene flow and genetic admixture. Parentage tests showed that 47% of black bears and 27% of grizzly bears that used crossings successfully bred, including multiple males and females of both species. Differentiating between dispersal and gene flow is difficult, but we documented gene flow by showing migration, reproduction and genetic admixture. We conclude that wildlife crossings allow sufficient gene flow to prevent genetic isolation.

Factors affecting the permeability of road mitigation measures to the movement of small mammals

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (4) ◽  
pp. 379-384
Author(s):  
Adam T. Ford ◽  
Anthony P. Clevenger
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Mesh Size ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Highway Maintenance ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Banff National Park ◽  
Crossing Structures ◽  
Road Mitigation ◽  
Large Animals

Mitigation measures, such as wildlife-exclusion fencing and crossing structures (overpasses, underpasses, culverts), have been widely demonstrated to reduce the negative effects of roads on medium-sized and large animals. It is unclear how these mitigation measures influence the movement of small mammals (<5 kg). Our study has three objectives: (1) to test whether culverts improve highway permeability; (2) to determine factors associated with culvert use, such as culvert obstruction by snow; (3) to evaluate factors contributing towards fence permeability, such as the presence of a culvert, snow depth, and fence mesh size. We used snow tracking to assess the movement for four small-mammal taxa along the Trans-Canada Highway corridor in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. We found that the presence of a culvert within 100 m of transects significantly improved fence and highway permeability. Obstruction of the culvert entrance by snow was negatively correlated with the probability of use, and therefore, of highway permeability. Furthermore, the mesh size of the fencing did not affect fence or highway permeability. We recommend that culvert entrances be located on the outside of fenced right-of-ways to reduce obstruction by highway maintenance activities such as snowplowing.

scholarly journals Prevalence and Distribution of Plague and Tularemia in Small Mammals of Grand Teton National Park

2000 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 34-36
Author(s):  
Asaf Dagan ◽  
Colin Gillin ◽  
Kira Marciniak
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
National Park ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
University Of Wyoming ◽  
Grand Teton National Park ◽  
Wild Mammals ◽  
Bacterial Diseases ◽  
Zoological Society ◽  
Scale Population ◽  
Low Incidence

Sylvatic plague (Yersinia pestis) and tularemia (Francisella tularensis) are infectious bacterial diseases that can be transmitted from wild mammals to humans by insects or through direct contact. Although cases of plague and tularemia have been reported in the southwest, a comprehensive understanding of the prevalence, distribution and dynamics of these diseases is lacking. During the months of June and July 2000 we sampled small mammals in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) for antibodies of these zoonotic diseases. This survey was conducted in conjunction with a large scale population dynamics study, lead by Dr. Brian Miller, Denver Zoological society, and Dr. Hank Harlow, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming. A published survey of plague and tularemia has not been conducted in GTNP. In 1996, Dr. Fredrick Jannett looked for plague in the genus Microtus and found low incidence

Demographic Connectivity for Ursid Populations at Wildlife Crossing Structures in Banff National Park

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 721-730 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHAEL A. SAWAYA ◽  
ANTHONY P. CLEVENGER ◽  
STEVEN T. KALINOWSKI
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Banff National Park ◽  
Crossing Structures ◽  
Wildlife Crossing Structures

scholarly journals Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) seeds as food for bears (Ursus spp.) in Banff National Park, Alberta

2015 ◽  
Vol 129 (1) ◽  
pp. 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Hamer ◽  
Ian Pengelly
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Black Bears ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Pinus Albicaulis ◽  
Whitebark Pine ◽  
Banff National Park ◽  
American Black ◽  
American Black Bears

The large, nutrient-rich seeds of Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelmann) are important food for bears (Ursus spp.) in Yellowstone National Park. In Banff National Park, studies have shown that American Black Bears (Ursus americanus) eat these seeds, but little additional information is available. We studied Whitebark Pine in Banff National Park to address this information gap. Because bears obtain Whitebark Pine seeds from Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) middens, our objective was to measure the abundance, habitat characteristics, and use by bears of middens in Whitebark Pine forests. A second objective was to determine whether Grizzly Bears (U. arctos) in Banff National Park also eat Whitebark Pine seeds. In 2011–2012, we ran 29 ha of 20–50 m wide transects at 10 sites with accessible Whitebark Pine stands and found 0–3.7 middens/ha (mean 1.23, SD 1.17, n = 10). Midden density was weakly related to total basal area of all conifers but not to basal area of Whitebark Pine. Middens were located in the upper subalpine at an average elevation of 2110 m (SD 90, n = 8) on 41–248° facing slopes with a mean steepness of 28° (SD 5, n = 8). Bears had excavated middens at all eight sites where we found middens; at the remaining two sites, middens did not occur within our transects. Overall, 24 (67%) of the 36 middens located in our transects had been dug by bears. In October 2013, we searched areas where three global positioning system (GPS)-collared Grizzly Bears had been located in late September 2013 and found five recently dug middens located less than 6 m from GPS fixes. These observations are, to our knowledge, the first conclusive evidence that grizzly Bears in Banff National Park eat Whitebark Pine seeds. Because Whitebark Pine occurs at high elevations on steep slopes where human use is low, this resource may be important in keeping bears in habitat where risk of human-caused mortality is lower. Our results may assist managers responsible for conservation of bears in Banff National Park, where both American Black Bears and Grizzly Bears are subject to high levels of human-caused mortality.

scholarly journals A note on the mammals of the Addo Elephant National Park

Koedoe ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J.H Grobler ◽  
H.H Braack
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
National Park ◽  
Large Mammals

The small mammals of the Addo Elephant National Park (AENP) have been discussed and the large mammals listed by Swanepoel (1975, Koedoe 18: 103-130). Since this publication various changes have taken place and new species have been recorded. In addition, some species introduced to the AENP (Penzhorn 1971, Koedoe 14: 145-159) have succumbed. This note serves to bring the record up to date.

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