Research
Making scientific research accessible
Here you’ll find easy-to-read summaries of scientifically rigorous, evidence-based and peer-reviewed publications from around the world to help you better plan, build and manage ecologically sustainable linear infrastructure.
Research summaries are listed chronologically according to when they were published here. To find information on a specific topic, please use the SEARCH function and search by keywords, including topic, species, location and/or author.
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Roadkill: vehicle collisions may be threatening the survival of some mammal populations
Mammal roadkill can negatively affect wildlife populations but exactly how it does so remains unclear. This study reviewed globally published studies to examine how roadkill affects populations.
More study needed on the negative effects of roads on wildlife at the population level
A review of 1517 studies from around the world concludes that population-level studies are highly underrepresented and addressed road impacts on only 2% of threatened species. Most research was in developed nations, while developing countries are lagging behind.
From genes to populations: the multi-faceted impacts of road mortality on European hedgehogs and potential mitigation solutions
Hedgehogs are among the most common victims of roadkill across Europe and most European hedgehog species are in decline. We undertook a comprehensive literature review to identify the impacts of road mortality on the viability of European hedgehog populations, potential mitigation solutions, and remaining knowledge gaps.
Effects of road fencing on population persistence: Under what conditions will fences be beneficial?
We studied the trade-off between wildlife mortality on roads and the barrier effect of fences. We found that fences are more likely to be beneficial for wildlife populations the higher the inclination of the species to attempt to move across the road and the higher the probability of the species being killed on the road.
Roads Threaten Millions of Birds and Mammals in Europe Each Year
Around ~194 million birds and ~29 million mammals could be killed each year on European roads, and some species are particularly vulnerable to additional mortality even with low rates of roadkill.