Road ecology : science and solutions / Richard T.T. Forman ... [and others].

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Forman, Richard T. T.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Roads--Environmental aspects.

Roads.

Automobiles--Environmental aspects.

Automobiles.

Roadside ecology.

Physical Description:

xix, 481 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : Island Press, [2003]

Summary:

A central goal of transportation is the delivery of safe and efficient services with minimal environmental impact. In practice, though, human mobility has flourished while nature has suffered. Awareness of the environmental impacts of roads is increasing, yet information remains scarce for those interested in studying, understanding, or minimizing the ecological effects of roads and vehicles.

Road Ecology addresses that shortcoming by elevating previously localized and fragmented knowledge into a broad and inclusive framework for understanding and developing solutions. The book brings together fourteen leading ecologists and transportation experts to articulate state-of-the-science road ecology principles, and presents specific examples that demonstrate the application of those principles. Diverse theories, concepts, and models in the new field of road ecology are integrated to establish a coherent framework for transportation policy, planning, and projects. Topics examined include: foundations of road ecology, roads, vehicles, and transportation planning, vegetation and roadsides, wildlife populations and mitigation, water, sediment, and chemical flows, aquatic ecosystems, wind, noise, and atmospheric effects, road networks and landscape fragmentation

Road Ecology links ecological theories and concepts with transportation planning, engineering, and travel behavior. With more than 100 illustrations and examples from around the world, it is an indispensable and pioneering work for anyone involved with transportation, including practitioners and planners in state and province transportation departments, federal agencies, and nongovernmental organizations. The bookalso opens up an important new research frontier for ecologists.

Contents:

The Metric System in North America xix

Part I. Roads, Vehicles, and Ecology

Chapter 1. Foundations of Road Ecology 3

What Is Road Ecology? 7

Earth, Fill, and Soil 9

Introducing Ecological Concepts 12

The Roots and Emergence of Road Ecology 16

Chapter 2. Roads 25

History of the U.S. Road System 27

The Canadian Road System 33

Size, Growth, and Pattern of the U.S. Road Network 39

Roadsides, Bridges, and Other Engineering Structures 43

Chapter 3. Vehicles and Planning 49

Automobility and Its Challenges 50

Vehicle Size, Fuel, and Technology Trends 55

The Planning and Project Development Process 57

Transportation Planning and Air Quality Models 63

Project Development, the Environment, and NEPA 65

Part II. Vegetation and Wildlife

Chapter 4. Roadsides and Vegetation 75

Reading the Roadside 76

Vegetation 83

Plants 86

Roadside Habitats and Animals 95

Roadside Management 99

Chapter 5. Wildlife Populations 113

Wildlife Mortality on Roads 114

Factors Affecting Mortality 120

Changes in Amount and Quality of Habitat 123

Effects on Landscape Connectivity 129

Cumulative Effects and Road Density 134

Chapter 6. Mitigation for Wildlife 139

Mitigation for Mortality, Habitat Loss, and Reduced Habitat Quality 140

Types of Wildlife Underpasses and Overpasses 147

Factors Affecting the Use of Wildlife Passages 151

Wildlife Passages: Summary and Effectiveness 156

Mitigation Case Studies 165

Part III. Water, Chemicals, and Atmosphere

Chapter 7. Water and Sediment Flows 171

Erosion and Sediment Control 172

Reciprocal Effect of Road Systems and Water 177

A Conceptual Framework for Roads and Water Flow 180

Roads and Water on Hillsides and Flat Lands 185

Road Types, Land Use, and Water 195

Chapter 8. Chemicals along Roads 201

Sources of Chemical Pollutants 202

Chemicals and Their Dispersion 207

Types of Ecological Effects 211

Roadsalt 213

Best Management Practices for Pollutant Mitigation and Source Control 219

Chapter 9. Aquatic Ecosystems 225

Habitat Structure, Connectivity, and Roads 226

Lakes 230

Wetlands 238

Streams, Rivers, Bridges, and Culverts 244

Estuarine Salt Marshes 249

Chapter 10. Wind and Atmospheric Effects 253

Microclimate, Wind, and Windbreaks 254

Dust and Erosion 260

Snow and Snowbreaks 265

Vehicle Disturbance and Traffic Noise 270

Atmospheric Effects at Local, Regional, and Global Scales 279

Part IV. Road Systems and Further Perspectives

Chapter 11. Road Systems Linked with the Land 291

Network Theory for Road Ecology 294

Spatial Attributes of Road Networks 297

Changing Road Networks 302

Road System Effects on the Surrounding Land 306

Effects of Surrounding Land on Road Systems 316

Chapter 12. The Four Landscapes with Major Road Systems 319

Built Land and Road Systems 320

Forestry Land and Road Systems 333

Agricultural Land and Road Systems 341

Grazing Land, Arid Land, and Road Systems 346

Chapter 13. Roads and Vehicles in Natural Landscapes 351

Remote Land, Roads, and Vehicles 352

Parkland, Roads, and Vehicles 355

The Arctic and Its Roads and Vehicles 360

The Tropics and Its Roads and Vehicles 368

Chapter 14. Further Perspectives 375

Road Ecology and Sustainability 376

Toward Policy and Planning Solutions 379

An Array of Perspectives for Future Policy, Planning, and Projects 387

Whither Road Ecology? 397.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 401-458) and index.

ISBN:

1559639326

1559639334

OCLC:

50198885