Monitoring the effectiveness of amphibian road crossing infrastructure is essential to ensure tunnels and drift fences are actually being used and providing the expected welfare benefits.
Amphibian tunnel monitoring provides the evidence needed to confirm that welfare benefits are actually being delivered. Poorly designed tunnels with inadequate dimensions, dry interiors, or gap-ridden drift fences may fail to prevent road mortality despite the investment in their installation. Camera monitoring that identifies low tunnel usage prompts investigation and remediation before another migration season passes without effective protection. Monitoring data also provides evidence for the effectiveness of well-designed tunnels that can be used to justify further investment at high-mortality sites elsewhere.