Technological Methods in Road Ecology.

Abstract

Assessing the environmental impacts of roads and evaluating whether road mitigation measurements are effective requires data on habitats, vegetation, animal distribution, and behavior at different spatial and temporal scales. Several technological advances facilitate data collection and analysis, with the potential of reducing costs and increasing data quality in comparison with traditional methods. Animal-borne technologies such as radio and satellite transmitters help obtain animals’ locations to better understand how roads affect their movements; camera traps and acoustic sensors allow monitoring wildlife around roads and studying how animals use wildlife passes. Satellites and drones can contribute to monitoring how vegetation and hydrological processes are affected by road construction projects. Mobile apps allow citizens to contribute to road ecology research by uploading roadkill records that help identify mortality hotspots where mitigation measurements can be effectively applied. The recent advances in artificial intelligence, connectivity, and edge computing, together with the development of wireless sensor networks and Internet of Things, are opening new possibilities for collecting massive data in nearly real time that can be applied to reduce the impact of roads on biodiversity in a more efficient way.