Impact of road infrastructure on wildlife corridors in Hainan rainforests

Roads lead to habitat fragmentation, posing a major threat to biodiversity. This study aimed to refine environmental impact assessment (EIA) for road infrastructure in the Hainan tropical rainforest (Hainan Province − China − Asia) by focusing on the multi-scale impacts of different road types on wildlife corridors. Utilizing graph and circuit theories, the authors evaluated corridors for species with different dispersal capabilities (1 km, 5 km, 10 km, and 15 km). In the authors' results, highways significantly impacted connectivity, especially for long-distance dispersal species. Provincial roads reduced connectivity for species with 1–5 km dispersal. Complex changes were observed for species with 10–15 km dispersal at patch scale. High connectivity patches for species with a 1 km range were primarily within national parks, but overall connectivity between protected areas was insufficient. This research underscores the importance of strategic planning in optimizing protected corridors and offers suggestions to mitigate the negative impacts of road infrastructure on ecological connectivity.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2024.104539
• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361920924004966
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/13619209
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Xiong, Guoling
  • Yang, Fan
  • Wang, Tongli
  • 0000-0002-9967-6769
  • He, Rongxiao
  • Li, Lanxi
• Publication Date: 2025-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: 104539
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment
  • Volume: 139
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 1361-9209
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13619209

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Corridors; Forests; Habitat; Infrastructure; Wildlife crossings
• Geographic Terms: Hainan (China)
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01943427
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 27 2025 8:55AM