Identification of Emerging Roadkill Hotspots on Korean Expressways Using Space-Time Cubes

Area of Science:

• Wildlife ecology
• Transportation safety
• Geospatial analysis

Background:

• Roadkill incidents on expressways pose risks to human safety and incur economic losses.
• Understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of wildlife-vehicle collisions is crucial for effective mitigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze roadkill data for four key wildlife species in Korea from 2004-2019.
• To identify spatiotemporal patterns and hotspots of wildlife-vehicle collisions using advanced analytical methods.
• To provide insights for developing targeted roadkill reduction measures.

Main Methods:

• Utilized roadkill data spanning 16 years for water deer, raccoon dogs, Korean hares, and wild boars.
• Applied optimized hotspot analysis and a space-time cube (STC) approach to identify spatiotemporal patterns.
• Compared emerging hotspot analysis with cumulative density-oriented methods for intuitive understanding.

Main Results:

• Water deer were the most frequent roadkill species, with hotspots concentrated in specific southern and western regions.
• Wild boar roadkill incidents showed a recent increase, with new hotspots emerging around the densely populated Gyeonggi-do metropolitan area.
• Significant temporal and spatial variations in roadkill patterns were observed across different species and regions.

Conclusions:

• Emerging hotspot analysis using STCs effectively reveals spatiotemporal trends in roadkill.
• The findings facilitate a clearer understanding of roadkill causes and aid in prioritizing mitigation efforts.
• Data-driven insights are essential for developing effective strategies to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions.