The Effects of Roads on Wildlife Movement
摘要
Road ecology research over the last several decades has increased our understanding of how wildlife move in response to roads. This chapter organizes this research into five categories to discuss road effects on wildlife movement: (1) the characteristics of roadways such as substrate, light, and noise, (2) road traffic volume and speed, (3) road verges and roadways as avenues for movement, (4) landscape characteristics leading up to roads, and (5) road density and road visibility. Though much has been learned, more research is needed to understand the pervasive population-level impacts of roads on movement, such as foraging, nutrition, recruitment, breeding, and genetic exchange. Gaining a deeper understanding of how roads affect wildlife movement will aid not only in the conservation and management of species but also in future construction of roads and implementation of road mitigation measures.