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Road Barrier Effect
The barrier effect of roads and highways is a phenomenon usually associated with landscape ecology, referring to the barrier that linear infrastructure like roads or railways place on the movement of animals. Largely viewed as a negative process, the barrier effect has also been found to have several positive effects, particularly with smaller species. To reduce a road or railway's barrier effect, wildlife crossings are regarded as one of the best mitigation options, ideally in combination with wildlife fencing. The barrier effect is closely linked to habitat fragmentation and road ecology. Effects on wildlife Negative effects Roads Both existing roads and the construction of new highways act as barriers for many species, fragmenting the surrounding habitat to such a degree that connectivity, or the ability for an animal to travel to all areas of its home range, is made practically impossible. Generally, animals with a higher vagility, or ability to travel long distances, are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Landscape Ecology
Landscape ecology is the science of studying and improving relationships between ecological processes in the environment and particular ecosystems. This is done within a variety of landscape scales, development spatial patterns, and organizational levels of research and policy. Landscape ecology can be described as the science of "landscape diversity" as the synergetic result of biodiversity and geodiversity. As a highly interdisciplinary field in systems science, landscape ecology integrates biophysical and Analytic induction, analytical approaches with humanistic and holistic perspectives across the natural sciences and social sciences. Landscapes are spatially heterogeneous geographic areas characterized by diverse interacting patches or ecosystems, ranging from relatively natural terrestrial and aquatic systems such as forests, grasslands, and lakes to human-dominated environments including agricultural and urban settings. The most salient characteristics of landscape ecol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
