Study

Management of roadside salt pools to reduce moose–vehicle collisions

  • Published source details Leblond M., Dussault C., Ouellet J.-., Poulin M., Courtois R. & Fortin J. (2007) Management of roadside salt pools to reduce moose–vehicle collisions. Journal of Wildlife Management, 71, 2304-2310.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Modify the roadside environment to reduce collisions by reducing attractiveness of road verges to mammals

Action Link
Terrestrial Mammal Conservation
  1. Modify the roadside environment to reduce collisions by reducing attractiveness of road verges to mammals

    A replicated, before-and-after, site comparison study in 2003–2005 in mixed coniferous and deciduous forest in Québec, Canada (Leblond et al. 2007) found that draining roadside salt pools and filling them with rocks reduced the number and duration of visits by moose Alces alces. There was a lower overall visit rate to salt pools at night after some where drained and filled with rocks (0.2 visits/100 hours) than before (1.5 visits/100 hours). This decline was due to a fall in visits to drained pools with visit rates to undrained pools not changing significantly (see paper for details). Daytime visits did not decrease (after: 0.2/100 hours; before: 0.2–0.5). The average length of time spent at pools decreased (after: 0.02 hours/100 hours; before: 0.11–0.18). Before management, 57% (113/198) of recorded visits were of moose that drank the salty water. After management, no moose drank at drained pools. Moose were monitored at 12 roadside salt pools from mid-May to mid-August in 2003–2005. In autumn 2004, seven salt pools (those near most moose-vehicle collisions) were drained and filled with rocks (10–30 cm diameter) to deter moose. The other five were left untreated. Moose were monitored using movement and heat detectors that triggered a video camera or photo camera with infrared lights.

    (Summarised by: Rebecca K. Smith)

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