Synopses & Reviews
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 book also opens up an important new research frontier for ecologists.
Review
"…this volume focuses on bringing together information from disparate fields into a coherent framework, accessible to transportation planners as well as ecologists."
Review
"How many contributors does it take to provide the best thinking and research about how our road systems and our natural environment can coexist? In the case of Road Ecology: Science and Solutions…the answer is 14…. For any planner who deals with natural areas, this book offers a thoughtful and thought-provoking introduction to an unjustifiably neglected field."
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 401-458) and index.
Synopsis
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.
About the Author
Richard T. T. Forman is the PAES Professor of Landscape Ecology at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design School; among his books is the award-winning Land Mosaics (Cambridge University Press, 1995).
Daniel Sperling is Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science and Policy, and founding director of the Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California-Davis.
Adjunct Associate Professor of Landscape Ecology, Harvard University, Graduate School of Design
The twelve co-authors are: John A. Bissonette (Utah State University); Anthony P. Clevenger (Banff National Park); Carol D. Cutshall (Wisconsin Department of Transportation); Virginia H. Dale (Oak Ridge National Laboratory); Lenore Fahrig (Carleton University); Robert France (Harvard University); Charles R. Goldman (University of California-Davis); Kevin Heanue (formerly U. S. Federal Highway Administration); Julia A. Jones (Oregon State University); Frederick J. Swanson (USDA Forest Service); Thomas Turrentine (University of California-Davis); and Thomas C. Winter (U. S. Geological Survey).
Table of Contents
Foreword \ Thomas B. Deen
Preface
Acknowledgments
The Metric System in North America
PART I. Roads Vehicles and Ecology
Chapter 1. Foundations of Road Ecology
Chapter 2. Roads
Chapter 3. Vehicles and Planning
PART II. Vegetation and Wildlife
Chapter 4. Roadsides and Vegetation
Chapter 5. Wildlife Populations
Chapter 6. Mitigation for Wildlife
PART III. Water, Chemicals and Atmosphere
Chapter 7. Water and Sediment Flows
Chapter 8. Chemicals along Roads
Chapter 9. Aquatic Ecosystems
Chapter 10. Wind and Atmospheric Effects
PART IV. Road Systems and Further Perspectives
Chapter 11. Road Systems Linked with the Land
Chapter 12. The Four Landscapes with Major
Chapter 13. Roads and Vehicles in Natural Landscapes
Chapter 14. Further Perspectives
Bibliography
About the Authors
Index