Theory 97/Urban & Built Environment/Wildlife movement
Roadkill Is Traffic Against Continuity
The claim
Wildlife roadkill is set by the ratio of traffic volume to habitat continuity, so a busy road through continuous habitat kills more than the same road through fragmented habitat.
01Mechanism
Animals cross when habitat demands it; the ratio determines crossing attempts relative to the chance of being hit.
02Prediction
Roadkill should track the ratio.
03Refutation
Roadkill tracking traffic alone would remove continuity.