Assessing and Managing Ecological Impacts of Paved Roads
Lance Gunderson
- Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Studies, Emory University
During the 20th century, the US built a system of over 4 million miles of paved roads. Roads impact air and water quality, alter habitats, increase wildlife mortality and the dispersal and migration of plants and animals. An increasing awareness of environmental issues, regulatory changes, and new solutions has led the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council to address the ecological impacts of roads. Better understanding of road ecology and improved methods of integrating that understanding into all aspects of road development are critical.