Daylight saving time can decrease the frequency of wildlife–vehicle collisions-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Daylight saving time can decrease the frequency of wildlife–vehicle collisions

Published:2016-11 Issue:11 Volume:12 Page:20160632
ISSN:1744-9561
Container-title:Biology Letters
language:en
Short-container-title:Biol. Lett.

Author:

Ellis William A.¹,FitzGibbon Sean I.¹,Barth Benjamin J.¹,Niehaus Amanda C.²,David Gwendolyn K.²,Taylor Brendan D.³,Matsushige Helena¹,Melzer Alistair⁴,Bercovitch Fred B.⁵,Carrick Frank⁶,Jones Darryl N.⁷,Dexter Cathryn⁷,Gillett Amber⁸,Predavec Martin⁹,Lunney Dan⁹,Wilson Robbie S.²^ORCID

Affiliation:

1. School of Agriculture and Food Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia

2. School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia

3. PO 73 New Brighton, New South Wales 2483, Australia

4. Koala Research Centre of Central Queensland, School of Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Queensland 4702, Australia

5. Primate Research Institute and Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama 484-8506, Japan

6. Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia

7. Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Queensland 4111, Australia

8. Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, Beerwah, Queensland 4519, Australia

9. Science Division, Office of Environment and Heritage NSW, P.O. Box 1967, Hurstville, New South Wales 2220, Australia

Abstract

Daylight saving time (DST) could reduce collisions with wildlife by changing the timing of commuter traffic relative to the behaviour of nocturnal animals. To test this idea, we tracked wild koalas ( Phascolarctos cinereus ) in southeast Queensland, where koalas have declined by 80% in the last 20 years, and compared their movements with traffic patterns along roads where they are often killed. Using a simple model, we found that DST could decrease collisions with koalas by 8% on weekdays and 11% at weekends, simply by shifting the timing of traffic relative to darkness. Wildlife conservation and road safety should become part of the debate on DST.

Funder

San Diego Zoo

Australian Research Council

Publisher

The Royal Society

Subject

General Agricultural and Biological Sciences,Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous)

Link

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsbl.2016.0632

Reference17 articles.

1. Does Daylight Saving Time Save Energy? Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Indiana

2. The impact of daylight saving time on sleep and related behaviours