The West Coast is hopping up its efforts to help amphibians cross highways safely.
The region serves as an important habitat for Northern Red-legged Tree Frogs, a species at risk that pays the area back for its hospitality by distributing vital nutrients while migrating between wetlands and forests.
sa国际传媒淭hey are really key parts of the ecosystem,sa国际传媒� Dr. Barb Beasley, founding director of the Association of Wetland Stewards for Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds, told the Westerly News.
sa国际传媒淭hey move back and forth, so theysa国际传媒檙e like these little nutrient energy packets moving through the forest. Itsa国际传媒檚 a migratory animal that is taking nutrients across the landscape so, if we block them off or kill them off at roadways, then wesa国际传媒檙e interrupting that whole ecosystem process and thatsa国际传媒檚 not a good thing to do.sa国际传媒�
The Pacific Rim National Park Reserve recently installed three tunnels under the highway between Tofino and Ucluelet to help amphibians migrate across the landscape without getting run over by motorists.
Parks Canada spokesperson Nancy Hildebrand told the Westerly that the tunnels are 17 meters long with a hopping clearance of about 30cm and were constructed as part of the work being done to build a roughly 25 kilometre path through the Park Reserve.
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She said the preparation work to construct the path included identifying and protecting potentially impacted species, like Northwestern and Wandering Salamanders, Pacific Tree Frogs and Northern Red-legged Frogs.
sa国际传媒淪wan Lake Wetland is located approximately 500 metres from the road and is an essential breeding habitat for many species; notably the Northern Red-legged Frog, which is a species of concern. These crossings, which are similar to culverts, were installed ahead of the important migration period,sa国际传媒� she said.
sa国际传媒淭he crossings are equipped with directional fencing and a lock block wall, which stops amphibians from crossing the road and funnels them into the crossings. Soil and logs have been placed inside to provide natural cover and to help encourage amphibians to cross through.sa国际传媒�
She added that the decision to build the tunnels, as well as their locations, was largely guided by data collected by Beasley.
sa国际传媒淭he data shows that the frequency of road mortalities of amphibians in this area is very high compared to other locations in the Park Reserve. Dr. Beasley has worked closely with the project design engineers and construction crews to ensure that the culvert design and placement would encourage amphibians to make use of them,sa国际传媒� Hildebrand said.
The Association of Wetland Stewards installed a similar tunnel under the highway in 2011 and Beasley said the associationsa国际传媒檚 monitoring of that tunnel shows they are helping not just amphibians, but other creatures as well, like salamanders, mink, marten, ermine and even black bears.
Beasley added that the Park Reservesa国际传媒檚 three new tunnels will reduce road mortality and boost connectivity to different habitats on each side of the highway.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 been really heartbreaking to see hundreds to thousands of animals that would get killed on that stretch of highway every year so if we can do anything to minimize or reduce that amount of mortality, thatsa国际传媒檚 a good thing,sa国际传媒� she said.
The association recently wrapped up another project to help amphibian migration, working alongside the Central Westcoast Forest Society to create a path over Lost Shoe Bridge #1.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 a very eventful year for the red legged frogs here this year,sa国际传媒� Beasley said.
She explained that bridges built in B.C. are sa国际传媒渁rmouredsa国际传媒� with coarse angular rock material called riprap to limit erosion, which makes it difficult for frogs to cross as they often get stuck between jagged crevasses.
sa国际传媒淚t really does cause some issues for wildlife passage, especially if yousa国际传媒檙e a little frog and yousa国际传媒檙e trying to make your way through this riprap, itsa国际传媒檚 very challenging,sa国际传媒� she said.
The team covered the riprap with sand and rounded grovel to create a path for frogs so that they can cross without getting stuck.
Beasley said the project was made possible by funding from the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation and support from the Ministry of Transportation.
While the new migration boosters will be a boon to frog populations, Beasley cautioned that the species faces a tough road ahead due to a variety of factors, including logging and climate change. She suggested a breeding area east of Swan Lake was logged in 2016, which coincided with a dramatic drop in the Red-legged Tree Frog population.
sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檙e getting killed by cars on the highway, but theysa国际传媒檙e also losing habitat because of logging thatsa国际传媒檚 happening around them,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 not just one thing, itsa国际传媒檚 a whole suite of issues or factors that cause declines in populations. By addressing the roadkill issue, we are helping to bolster the chances of the population surviving all of these other potential detrimental effects around them.sa国际传媒�
She added climate change has brought dangerously colder and dryer winters to the West Coastsa国际传媒檚 amphibians, as well as more severe droughts during the summer, putting local amphibians in peril.
sa国际传媒淚f it werensa国际传媒檛 for all the good people that are working to try and address the threats that these species experience, they would be toast. They would decline and it would be very perilous for them. And, I think, the perils are not going away, so theresa国际传媒檚 a need for continued vigilance and trying to restore habitats, habitat connectivity and protect habitats,sa国际传媒� she said.
sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檙e a huge component of the food web because theysa国际传媒檙e predators of small invertebrates living in the soil, so they have an influence over how soil is decomposed and theysa国际传媒檙e also prey items for all these other things like birds and mammals like the mink and the martin and ermine. Theysa国际传媒檙e the basis of how the world works out here. If we donsa国际传媒檛 have all of these animals as a part of our ecosystem, the ecosystem is going to not produce all the things that we benefit fromsa国际传媒heysa国际传媒檙e part of a big picture. Hishuk ish tsawalk. Everything is connected, everything is one.
Anyone wanting to support the associationsa国际传媒檚 efforts is encouraged to reach out through its Association of Wetland Stewards for Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds Facebook page or emailing wetlandstewards@gmail.com.
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
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