On the Diversity of Erosion Control Products: Implications for Snake Entanglement

Abstract

After a road construction project, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) mandates that erosion control products (ECPs) are installed to prevent soil loss and promote plant growth. However, their presence on the landscape pose negative consequences to wildlife via entanglement. TxDOT provides an Approved Products List (APL) of ECPs meeting soil erosion prevention and plant growth standards. In Texas, multiple types of ECPs are produced with a range of materials and attributes to decrease the erosion potential on multiple soil types and slopes. Certain attributes are more likely to lead to snake entanglement (Ebert et al. 2019 Wildl. Soc. Bull.; Fig. 1A & B). The purpose of this study was to quantify the diversity of traits of the erosion control products to determine which products pose the least risk of snake entanglement to limit this additional source of mortality