Road ecology

Road ecology studies how roads interact with ecosystems, including their effects on wildlife, habitats, water, and ecological processes, and how those effects can be reduced.

Roadkill: Animal deaths caused by collisions with vehicles on roads. Vehicle collisions are the most visible direct source of wildlife mortality associated with roads.
Wildlife crossing: A structure or designated route that allows animals to cross a road more safely. Crossings reconnect habitats and reduce collisions when placed and designed for local species.
Landscape ecology: The study of ecological patterns and processes across spatially heterogeneous landscapes. Road ecology applies landscape-scale ideas to transport networks and their surroundings.
Banff National Park wildlife crossings: A system of wildlife overpasses and underpasses along the Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park. Monitoring there documents extensive wildlife use of crossings and reduced animal-vehicle collisions.
Cumulative effects assessment: The evaluation of environmental effects produced by multiple actions over time and across a region. Many small roads can collectively reshape habitat and movement beyond the footprint of any one project.
Habitat fragmentation: The division of continuous habitat into smaller, more isolated patches. Roads can split habitat and restrict movement between otherwise connected patches.
Wildlife overpass: A vegetated bridge built over a road to provide a crossing route for wildlife. Overpasses help large and small animals move across roads while avoiding traffic.
Ecological connectivity: The degree to which a landscape enables organisms and ecological processes to move among areas. Connectivity provides a way to assess how roads interrupt movement across habitats.
Florida panther: A population of endangered pumas surviving in southern Florida. Road mortality has been a major conservation concern for this isolated population.
Road ecology monitoring: The systematic measurement of ecological conditions and impacts associated with roads. Long-term monitoring tests whether mitigation works and detects delayed or shifting effects.

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