Impact of Major Highways on the Wildlife Population in Kingston and Frontenac County

Abstract

Over the past five years, there has been an abundance of interest concerning the ecological effects of major Ontario highways on the habitats and ecosystems of many wildlife populations. The primary concern with multilane, high-traffic freeways is that they typically divide existing habitats into relatively isolated zones. Consequently, this separates individuals within a population from other members of the same population, and also excludes access to many natural resources. The majority of the resultant issues for wildlife fall under three main categories; the collision based mortalities of organisms and the consequences on local residents, the halting of gene flow amongst the wildlife populations, and the physical intrusion and/or noise pollution adversely affecting the quality of habitat for local species. Based on these concerning issues, it is crucial for a sustainable solution to be developed and implemented in appropriate areas within Kingston and the surrounding Frontenac County. Our approach involves an extensive literature review, which will assist us in observing similar problems around the globe, as well as various solutions that have been executed to fix these said problems. Furthermore, we will conduct a thorough investigation of local organizations’ existing studies to obtain relevant data and statistics which will assist us in determining the effects high-traffic freeways have on the surrounding ecological environment. It is through this research that we hope to present valid findings on the multilane highways impact to local ecosystems and landscapes, as well as produce possible planning options for intervention and suggest key areas for further examination.