Effects Of Road Mortality On Amphibian Populations

The effect of road mortality on amphibians is explored in this article. The author discusses what factors contribute to the number of animals struck on highways and what the impacts will be over time. The article explains that while measures have been taken to reduce the number of amphibians killed on the road, their long-term effectiveness is uncertain and it is unlikely that funding will be available to address this issue more fully.

“Road mortality is a widely recognized but rarely quantified threat to the viability of amphibian populations. The global extent of the problem is substantial and factors affecting the number of animals killed on highways include life-history traits and landscape features. Secondary effects include genetic isolation due to roads acting as barriers to migration. Long-term effects of roads on population dynamics are often severe and mitigation methods include volunteer rescues and under-road tunnels. Despite the development of methods that reduce road kill in specific locations, especially under-road tunnels and culverts, there is scant evidence that such measures will protect populations over the long term. There also seems little likelihood that funding will be forthcoming to ameliorate the problem at the scale necessary to prevent further population declines.”