The study was performed on a causeway along New York State Highway 68, Upper and Lower Lakes Wildlife Management Area in St. Lawrence County.  A causeway is any road bordered on both sides by a wetland.  The section of highway used in this study was paved and frequently used by motorists.  The vegetation consisted primarily of grasses but also included Queen Anne’s lace, poison ivy, and other short plants.

           The fences were built approximately halfway between the shoulder of the road and the edge of the marsh.  There were two different types of fence tested in this study, a metal fence and a wooden fence.  The metal fence consisted of a five centimeter by ten centimeter gauge wire mesh.  The bottom of the fence was also covered with a wire mesh with a smaller gauge.  The wooden fence was built by nailing three boards horizontally to wooden support posts.  A small gauge wire mesh was then used to cover the gaps between the boards.  Both fences were about 0.5 meters high and were designed as barriers to prevent reptiles and amphibians off the highway.

            The study was conducted during the month of July 2006.  The locations tested in the study were grouped into three main categories: the wooden fence, the metal fence, and along the road.  The road was spilt into two more areas, one across from the wooden fence and one across from the metal fence.  These four areas were named “wood fence,” “wood road,” “metal fence,” and “metal road” respectively.

The metal fence tested in the study.

The wooden fence tested in the study.