Wildlife Use of Road Mitigation Structures in Relation to Their Construction, Structural Characteristics, and Environmental Factors along a South Texas Highway

Author

Anna D. Rivera Roy, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Date of Award

5-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Agricultural, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences

First Advisor

Dr. Richard Kline

Second Advisor

Dr. Christopher Gabler

Third Advisor

Dr. John Young, Jr.

Abstract

Roads are known to negatively impact wildlife by fragmenting habitat and mortality caused by wildlife-vehicle collisions. Road mitigation structures, such as wildlife crossing structures (WCS), wildlife guards (WG), and fencing are commonly used to address the issue of roads. In South Texas, such structures were built or modified along State Highway (SH) 100 in Cameron County as an effort to conserve the endangered ocelot (Leopardus pardalis). Camera traps were deployed to monitor these structures as a way to assess their effectiveness in restricting wildlife entry into the roadway with fencing and WG and conveying wildlife movement across roads through WCS. By examining changes in wildlife interaction with these structures from their construction to post construction and examining the relationship between wildlife movement through WCS and their structural characteristics and environmental factors, this thesis provides baseline insight into the effectiveness of road mitigation along SH 100.

Comments

Copyright 2020 Anna Rivera Roy. All Rights Reserved.

https://go.openathens.net/redirector/utrgv.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/wildlife-use-road-mitigation-structures-relation/docview/2423110424/se-2?accountid=7119

Recommended Citation

Rivera Roy, Anna D., "Wildlife Use of Road Mitigation Structures in Relation to Their Construction, Structural Characteristics, and Environmental Factors along a South Texas Highway" (2020). Theses and Dissertations. 577.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/etd/577