A practical guide that explains how we can design roads that are
compatible with populations of small wildlife.
Few of us think twice about driving on roads. Yet the very presence of
roads and the act of driving on them can impact the ecological
infrastructure that supports an animal's daily life. What chance does a
turtle have of successfully laying its eggs when it needs to traverse a
busy highway? Is it realistic to expect small mammals to breed when an
interstate thoroughfare subdivides their population? These are the sorts
of challenges faced by small, often slow-moving, animals, challenges
that road engineers and ecologists are trying to address.
For countless small species, vehicles traveling at high speeds are
nothing less than missiles shooting across migration pathways. For too
many animals, the danger can lead to the loss of populations, in part
because they simply are not programmed to react to traffic. Salamanders
faced with a two-lane road between the forest and their aquatic breeding
site, for example, will typically cross that road regardless of the
congestion. The result can be hundreds of flattened animals in a single
night.
Roads and Ecological Infrastructure is the first book to focus on
reducing conflict between roads and small animals. Highlighting habitat
connections and the challenges and solutions from both transportation
and ecological perspectives, the volume covers various themes, including
animal behavior related to roads and design approaches to mitigate the
negative effects of roads on wildlife. The chapter authors--from
transportation experts to university researchers--each promote a goal of
realistic problem solving. Conceptual and practical, this book will
influence the next decade or more of road design in ecologically
sensitive areas and should prevent countless unnecessary wildlife
fatalities.
Published in association with The Wildlife Society.
