Abstract
This study investigates the ecological impacts of road construction by trapping rodents, invertebrates, and amphibians with wire-mesh traps and pitfalls along a road under construction on Kinmen island, Taiwan. The capture data show that the Brown country rat’s (Rattus losea) edge habitat is broader in woodland habitat next to farmland than it is in woodland next to the road. Similarly, most invertebrates captured were found within the woodland at an edge width of 15 m along the roadside and 35 m along the farmland. On the other hand, the Ornate rice frog (Microhyla ornate), which typically resides and forages in dim and humid environments, avoids edges. The edge effect results in this paper are applied in a model for determining ecologically critical road density. The estimation of edge width and critical road density obtained in this study can be applied during road planning and design to assess the potential effects of habitat conversion during road construction.
Highlights
A1,b2s,t4rIancstt.iTtuhtise sotufdEycionlvoegstyigatneds tEhearetcholSogciiceanl cimesp, aFcatscoufltryoaodf cSocnisetrnuccetiaondbyTtercahpnpoinlgogryo,deUnntsi,vienrvseirttyeborfatTesa,ratnud, amphibians with wire-mesh traps an4d6piVtfaanllsemalounisgeasrtora.,d5u1n0d1e4r cTonasrttruu,cEtiosntoonniaKinmen island, Taiwan
The width of edge effects of road construction on fauna and ecologically critical road density effect of edges on small mammals in Brazilian Atlantic forest habitat ranges from 120–160 m from the forest edge (Stevens, Husband 1998), but in tropic Queensland, the edge effects on small mammal communities can extend to 200–500 m (Laurance 1994)
We can not rule out the possibility that transects longer than 50 m, the opposite edge may affect the character or widths of road edge effects
Summary
A1,b2s,t4rIancstt.iTtuhtise sotufdEycionlvoegstyigatneds tEhearetcholSogciiceanl cimesp, aFcatscoufltryoaodf cSocnisetrnuccetiaondbyTtercahpnpoinlgogryo,deUnntsi,vienrvseirttyeborfatTesa,ratnud, amphibians with wire-mesh traps an4d6piVtfaanllsemalounisgeasrtora.,d5u1n0d1e4r cTonasrttruu,cEtiosntoonniaKinmen island, Taiwan. Road construction typically lasts only 1–2 years, it may generate greater disturbance than established roads, such as noise from heavy equipment, large quantities of earth moving, Few studies have been conducted with regards to the edge effect of roads under construction. Without these data, road designers and planners will not be able to devise mitigation measures and construction practices that minimize ecological impacts. This research tries to determine the ecological effects of road construction on rodents, invertebrates, amphibians and other species at varying edge widths, and to determine the relationship between edge area and road density within the broader region. With the application of these findings, transportation planners can use reliable evaluation methods to assess potential ecological impacts on species of interest
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