Effects of Road Networks on Bird Populations

• Published in: Conservation biology 2011-04, Vol.25 (2), p.241-249
• Main Authors: KOCIOLEK, A. V., CLEVENGER, A. P., ST. CLAIR, C. C., PROPPE, D. S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Aves; Aviculture; Biological and medical sciences; Bird nesting; bird populations; Bird songs; Birds; Birds - physiology; caminos; Conservation biology; Conservation of Natural Resources; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Ecosystem; Environmental conservation; Environmental Pollution; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Habitat conservation; iluminación en caminos; mortalidad en caminos; Mortality; Noise, Transportation; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; poblaciones de aves; Review; road mortality; Roads; roadway lighting; ruido de tráfico; Signal noise; surface transportation; traffic noise; transportación terrestre; Transportation; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
• ISSN: 0888-8892; 1523-1739
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01635.x

One potential contributor to the worldwide decline of bird populations is the increasing prevalence of roads, which have several negative effects on birds and other vertebrates. We synthesized the results of studies and reviews that explore the effects of roads on birds with an emphasis on paved roads. The well-known direct effects of roads on birds include habitat loss and fragmentation, vehicle-caused mortality, pollution, and poisoning. Nevertheless, indirect effects may exert a greater influence on bird populations. These effects include noise, artificial light, barriers to movement, and edges associated with roads. Moreover, indirect and direct effects may act synergistically to cause decreases in population density and species richness. Of the many effects of roads, it appears that road mortality and traffic noise may have the most substantial effects on birds relative to other effects and taxonomic groups. Potential measures for mitigating the detrimental effects of roads include noise-reduction strategies and changes to roadway lighting and vegetation and traffic flow. Road networks and traffic volumes are projected to increase in many countries around the world. Increasing habitat loss and fragmentation and predicted species distribution shifts due to climate change are likely to compound the overall effects of roads on birds. El incremento en la prevalencia de caminos, que han tenido varios efectos negativos sobre aves y otros vertebrados, es un potencial contribuyente a la declinación mundial de poblaciones de aves. Sintetizamos los resultados de estudios y revisiones que exploran los efectos de los caminos sobre las aves, con énfasis en caminos pavimentados. Los bien conocidos efectos directos de los caminos sobre las aves incluyen la pérdida y fragmentación de hábitat, mortalidad causada por vehículos y envenenamiento. Sin embargo, los efectos indirectos pueden ejercer una mayor influencia sobre poblaciones de aves. Estos efectos incluyen ruido, luz artificial, barreras al movimiento y bordes asociados con caminos. Más aun, los efectos indirectos y directos pueden actuar sinérgicamente para causar decrementos en la densidad poblacional y en la riqueza de especies. De los muchos efectos de los caminos, parece que la mortalidad y el ruido del tráfico tienen los efectos más significativos sobre las aves en relación con otros efectos y grupos taxonómicos. Las medidas potenciales para mitigar los efectos perjudiciales de los caminos incluyen estrat