Field Methods To Evaluate The Impacts Of Roads On Wildlife

Keywords

Analysis; Data collection; Methods; Monitoring; Research; Survey techniques

Abstract

Our understanding of the ecological impacts of roads and traffic, and indeed other linear infrastructure such as railways and utility easements, has burgeoned in the past two decades. These ecological effects are numerous and diverse and can extend for many kilometres beyond the road itself. The suite of survey techniques and study designs to quantify these effects is broad, and there are a number of important steps or key points to help ensure the results of surveys are reliable, collected in a cost-efficient manner, explanatory and inform management. 1 Formulating and articulating the research and monitoring questions is essential to designing relevant field surveys. 2 Locate and use existing studies and data whenever possible. 3 Study parameters are influenced by a number of interrelated and potentially competing demands. 4 Local- and landscape-level data are typically both necessary to comprehensively evaluate road impacts on wildlife. 5 There are many survey techniques available, and each has inherent biases, strengths and weaknesses. 6 Ensure high standards for the collection, management, analysis and reporting of data. 7 Several housekeeping issues are important for a successful study including personnel and resource management, funding and budgets, obtaining the necessary permits and legal obligations. Despite increased knowledge, there are still many ecosystems and species for which we know little about their specific or general responses to roads and/or mitigation measures. Hence, there remains an urgent need for high-quality studies that tackle relevant questions and knowledge gaps. Making use of existing data and identifying the best and most appropriate methods for the collection of new data are essential to this endeavour.

Publication Date

1-1-2015

Publication Title

Handbook of Road Ecology

Number of Pages

82-95

Document Type

Article; Book Chapter

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118568170.ch11

Socpus ID

84977124748 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84977124748

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