# Designing wildlife crossing structures for ungulates in a desert landscape: A case study in China

## TL;DR

This study presents a practical approach for designing wildlife crossing structures in desert landscapes, using expert surveys and hotspot analysis to support ungulate conservation along a new Chinese expressway.

## Contribution

It introduces a method combining field surveys and hotspot analysis for designing effective wildlife crossing structures in desert environments.

## Key findings

- Identified main ungulate species: ibex, argali sheep, goitered gazelle.
- Proposed 16 underpass WCSs with minimum dimensions of 12m width and 3.5m height.
- Average distance between hotspots and WCSs is approximately 341 meters.

## Abstract

This paper reports on the design of wildlife crossing structures (WCSs) along a new expressway in China, which exemplifies the country's increasing efforts on wildlife protection in infrastructure projects. The expert knowledge and field surveys were used to determine the target species in the study area and the quantity, locations, size, and type of the WCSs. The results on relative abundance index and encounter rate showed that the ibex (\textit{Capra ibex}), argali sheep (Ovis ammon), and goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) are the main ungulates in the study area. Among them, the goitered gazelle is the most widely distributed species. WCSs were proposed based on the estimated crossing hotspots. The mean deviation distance between those hotspots and their nearest proposed WCSs is around 341m. In addition, those 16 proposed underpass WCSs have a width of no less than 12m and height of no lower than 3.5m, which is believed to be sufficient for ungulates in the area. Given the limited availability of high-resolution movement data and wildlife-vehicle collision data during road's early design stage, the approach demonstrated in this paper facilitates practical spatial planning and provides insights into designing WCSs in a desert landscape.