Assemblage Structure of Plant Communities Along the Road Corridor Rock and Scree Slopes – Planting versus Natural Recolonization

Road verges may perform an important function in the preservation of native floral diversity. This function may be enhanced or diminished according to the landscape treatment which is chosen. Since 2006 a new guideline document published by the National Roads Authority in Ireland has incorporated an ecological landscape design approach to such landscaping. This includes a move away from horticultural practices to one which advocates a more sustainable method. To test whether these guidelines were fulfilling their remit, sites were examined along a 300km primary route in the south of Ireland. By comparing pre- and post-guideline sites an assessment was made whether stable plant communities were developing and the nature of their species richness. There appeared to be little overall difference in the outcome of the developing plant communities, whichever treatment was used. This has important implications in terms of financial cost and the ultimate environmental sustainability of the landscape treatment used.

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• Summary URL:
  • https://icoet.net/links
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract used with permission from the International Conference on Ecology and Transportation, organized by the Center for Transportation and the Environment, Institute for Transportation Research and Education, North Carolina State University.
• Corporate Authors:

  North Carolina State University, Raleigh

  Center for Transportation and the Environment
  Raleigh, NC  United States  27695-8601
• Authors:
  • Thompson, Rosalyn
  • Dolan, Lisa
  • Emmerson, Mark
  • Dauber, Jens
  • Stout, Jane
  • Bourke, David
  • Whelan, Pádraig
• Conference:
  • 2011 International Conference on Ecology and Transportation (ICOET 2011)
  • Location: Seattle Washington, United States
  • Date: 2011-8-21 to 2011-8-25
• Publication Date: 2012

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 311-325
• Monograph Title: Proceedings of the 2011 International Conference on Ecology and Transportation (ICOET 2011)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Ecology; Highway corridors; Landscape design; Planting; Road shoulders; Roadside flora; Sustainable development
• Identifier Terms: National Roads Authority (Ireland)
• Geographic Terms: Ireland
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I15: Environment; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01558400
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 31 2015 8:53AM