................................................................................................................................ iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... viii LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................... xii SOUTH OKANAGAN AMPHIBIAN RELATIONSHIPS WITH ROADS & MITIGATION STRUCTURES: FOCUS & LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................. 1 THESIS GOALS ............................................................................................................................. 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................... 6 Incorporating wildlife land use in roadway infrastructure .................................................. 6 Amphibian migrations ........................................................................................................ 7 Road surveys as a measure of amphibian occurrence and distribution .............................. 9 Amphibian receptivity to ecopassage structure features ................................................... 10 Light permeability in ecopassage structures ..................................................................... 11 Temperature variance through culvert underpass aperture diameter ................................ 12 Substrate requirements for moisture retention and refuge within ecopassages ................ 12 Drift fencing composition and effectiveness .................................................................... 13 Monitoring ecopassage use ............................................................................................... 14 Recognition of road impacted amphibians ....................................................................... 15 Threats to south Okanagan amphibians ............................................................................ 15 Focal amphibian species in the South Okanagan Valley .................................................. 17 South Okanagan & general survey section description .................................................... 19 Osoyoos Passing Lanes site description ........................................................................... 20 Osoyoos Passing Lanes Project Background & Environmental Impact Assessments ..... 21 LITERATURE CITED ................................................................................................................. 24