Date of Award
Spring 5-4-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Biological Science
First Advisor
Dr. Al Mead
Abstract
Wildlife-vehicle collisions are a global concern for both wildlife conservation and driver safety, and knowledge of spatiotemporal trends are required in order to effectively mitigate these consequences. This study documents species composition and spatiotemporal trends in terrestrial mammalian roadkill using ten-years of data recorded along a 12.8 mile stretch of State Route 212 in Baldwin and Putnam Counties, Georgia. From January 1 2012 to December 31 2021, 2,263 roadkilled vertebrates were observed on the survey route, and terrestrial mammals accounted for 84% of the observations. Two methods of hotspot identification indicated a non-random spatial distribution of roadkill associated with physical road characteristics and surrounding landscape features. Roadkills were most abundant near water crossings and perpendicularly oriented anthropogenically created edge habitats. The running average hotspot method identified less hotspots but highlighted major features associated with increased roadkill, while Malo’s method complimented the running average method by providing a more detailed depiction of where wildlife-vehicle collisions occurred. Temporal analysis using ANOVAs revealed seasonal trends in mammalian roadkill that align with known changes in activity patterns associated with biological events such as breeding and natal dispersal. The spatiotemporal trends reported were primarily influenced by Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), and nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus), the four species that were most frequently recorded.
Recommended Citation
Beck, Lucy, "Mammalian Roadkill Trends in Central Georgia" (2024). Biology Theses. 40.
https://kb.gcsu.edu/biology/40