Evaluating the Suitability of Roadway Corridors for Use by Monarch Butterflies

The objective of this research is to develop and validate a methodology for transportation practitioners to determine if roadway corridors are sources or sinks (beneficial or detrimental) to the monarch butterfly and how to maximize the beneficial aspects and minimize the detrimental impacts. The methodology should address a broad range of variables related to the project objective such as, but not limited to, the following: (1) Accounting for the differences and similarities between the eastern and western monarch butterfly populations, and migratory and non-migratory populations; (2) Analyzing mortality rates related to roadsides; (3) Considering traffic volume, speed, right-of- way width, and roadway width; (4) Assigning functional values for different roadside vegetation types; (5) Evaluating the effects of adjacent land use and habitat; (6) Considering roadway right-of-way maintenance practices (e.g., mowing, salt, burning, timing, pesticides); and (7) Considering environmental variables (e.g., climate, precipitation, elevation and aspect). While the methodology should be directly applicable to most situations, it should also outline decision-making processes and criteria that would assist transportation practitioners in identifying flexible solutions. Ultimately, the methodology should allow users to select and prioritize the most advantageous locations for butterfly habitat enhancement on a landscape scale (i.e., how large do habitat patches need to be and are there considerations of the amount of habitat adjacent to the roadways that would make selections of particular roadside locations more beneficial than others?).

Record URL:

Language

English

Project

Status: Active
Funding: $350000
Contract Numbers:
20-119
Sponsor Organizations:
National Cooperative Highway Research Program

Transportation Research Board
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

444 North Capitol Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001

Federal Highway Administration

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC United States 20590
Project Managers:
Rogers, William
Performing Organizations:
University of Minnesota, St. Paul

St. Paul, MN United States
Principal Investigators:
Oberhauser, Karen
Start Date: 20170313
Expected Completion Date: 20190913
Actual Completion Date: 0
Source Data: RiP Project 40856

Subject/Index Terms

TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Environmental impacts; Habitat (Ecology); Highway corridors; Highway maintenance; Insects; Native plants; Roadside flora
Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

Accession Number: 01599005
Record Type: Research project
Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
Contract Numbers: 20-119
Files: TRB, RiP
Created Date: May 12 2016 1:00AM