Anthropogenic noise and light have been shown to impact wildlife behavior, distribution, movement, and population fitness and survival. Traffic noise and light can inhibit wildlife use of areas adjacent to roads, impair wildlife perception of traffic risks, and cause a barrier effect to wildlife occurrence and movement well beyond road edges. A critical action being taken by states to repair wildlife movement across roadways is construction of wildlife crossings, theoretically providing a safe passage across roads. Planning the location of these crossings and to some degree their design currently does not take into account traffic noise and light impacts on wildlife approaching the structures. The researchers will develop a method for statewide modeling of noise and light intrusion into areas adjacent to roads to aid locating and designing crossings to maximize wildlife approach and use. These models would have the added benefit of estimating traffic impacts as part of environmental analysis associated with delivering transportation projects. The researchers will use the Federal Highway Administration Traffic Noise Model (TNM) and light-scale tools in the geographic information systems (GIS) software ArcGIS to model the “noise-scape” and “light-scape” at high-resolution around California state highways and I-5 in Oregon and Washington. The researchers will use 1/10 mile post-miles as the sources of traffic noise and light and model propagation of both across adjacent landscapes out to at least 1 kilometer. The researchers will validate the models in the field using transects of noise and light measurements. The outputs will be digital (raster) maps that show the high and low impact areas. The researchers will share these data through a data portal being supported through a separate grant from the Wildlife Conservation Network. Although the focus is on wildlife impacts, there would be secondary benefits for planners in communities. The researchers will share the method developed through publications and conference presentations.
