Data from: Roads as dynamic stressors: Physiological response of mule deer to roads differs during range residency and migration
Data files
Jun 25, 2026 version files 11.65 MB
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Q1_Data_Cross_NoCross.csv
10.40 MB
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Q2_Crossing.csv
1.24 MB
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Q3_Responsiveness.csv
3.70 KB
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README.md
3 KB
Abstract
We examined if mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) exhibited acute stress responses to road crossings, identified the road features and contexts associated with the size of response, and determined factors that influence the response through repeated exposures over time. Data used in the analysis were separated into three datasets associated with each question addressed in the study. Data were collected between November 2021 and March 2024 at three locations within Utah, USA. Location data for wildlife have been removed to protect sensitive wildlife location information, all raw spatial coordinates have been removed. Comparative Road Crossing: All data for step lengths derived from locations that include crossing (1) and non-crossing (0) events for individual mule deer (MuleID). Explicit Road Crossing: Crossing-only data associated with scaled covariates to identify the mangitude of change in heart rate parameters. Responsiveness: Individual slope coefficients for identifying habituation or sensitization to road crossings based on the heart rate spike through time. Legal and Ethical Considerations: All work, including capture and handling, were approved by approrpiate institutional animal care and use committees and followed professional guidelines.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.02v6wwqgk
Description of the data and file structure
See manuscript for details of the study and its methodology.
File: Q1_Data_Cross_NoCross.csv
Variables:
- MuleID: Identifier of unique animal used in the analysis. Similar across all datasets.
- Time: start time (MST) of the step length.
- TimeDST: finish time (MST) of the step length.
- population: Study site where the individual is located.
- meanHR: Mean heart rate during the step length.
- log_spike: log-transformed heart rate spike. largest spike between two-minute heart rate recordings.
- move_kmhr: movement rate along the step length.
- Period: Range residency period (summer or winter) or migration for an individual. See manuscript text for details on determination.
- month: numeric month.
- crossing: binary response. 0 = no cross, 1 = road cross.
File: Q2_Crossing.csv
Variables:
- MuleID: Identifier of unique animal used in the analysis. Similar across all datasets.
- Time: time of crossing step (date and hour)
- log_spike: largest heart rate spike (log-transformed) along step length.
- meanHR: mean heart rate during the step length.
- scaled_builddensity: building density around road segment crossed (scaled).
- scaled_spd_lmt: speed limit at road crossed segement (scaled)
- scaled_traffic_volume: HMD derived traffic volume at the road segment where deer crossed (scaled).
- scaled_sun_altitude: sun altitude during time of crossing (scaled).
- scaled_forest: forst cover along the step length during a road crossing (scaled)
- scaled_move_kmhr: movement rate during road crossing (scaled)
- scaled_tavg: average temperature during road crossing (scaled)
- scaled_biomass: biomass along step length during road crossing (scaled)
- scaled_last_cross: time since the last crossing (scaled)
- Period: Range residency period (summer or winter) or migration for an individual. See manuscript text for details on determination.
- J.date: Julian date.
File: Q3_Responsiveness.csv
Variables:
- MuleID: Identifier of unique animal used in the analysis. Similar across all datasets
- mean_slope: bootstrapped slope coefficient based on heart rate spike through time.
- ci_lower: lower bound of the bootstrapped estimate
- ci_upper: upper bound of the bootstrapped estimate
- significant: whether the estimate +/- lower or upper bounds cross 0
- population: Study site where the individual is located.
- freq: frequency of road crossing
- prop_40mph: proportion of roads crossed with speed limits greater than 40mph
- prop_traffic: proportion of roads crossed with traffic
- road density: road density in home range (95 % MCP) of individual mule deer.
- mean_BCS: average body condition score for individuals
- prop_winter: proportion of roads crossed during winter
- building_density