Safer
Roads,
Connected Habitats UNH-led research is helping New Hampshire reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions by identifying hotspots and enhancing animal-friendly crossings statewide
W
hen the preferred routes of medium-sized and large animals intersect with roads, the results can be severe for both animals and drivers. Efforts to reduce the approximately 1,500 wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) reported annually in New Hampshire have been limited by a lack of understanding of WVC hotspots — sections of road where WVC rates are particularly high. UNH research, funded by the NH Agricultural Experiment Station, shows that while knowing where WVC hotspots are is critical to tailoring better management practices, accounting for adjacent wildlife habitats and different animals’ interactions with roads is also key to lowering WVC risks. “Reducing WVCs in New Hampshire is a two-part effort,” says Rem Moll, associate professor of natural resources and the environment. “We first need to identify the sites that present the biggest problems for drivers and wildlife. We then need to prioritize the most effective actions we can take despite limited resources, such as making existing structures like culverts and bridge underpasses more usable for animals.” Research published in the journal Environmental Management focused on the role of connectivity — linkages that allow animals to move easily between habitats — in predicting WVC hotspot locations. Subsequent work monitored hotspots and assessed WVC mitigation strategies. Moll
13 • University of New Hampshire