Video from portions of a Road Ecology workshop held at the MSU Western Transportation Institute in March 2007 is now available on-line for professional development. The workshop was hosted by American Wildlands, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative to share the latest in highway mitigation science, the successes of public-private partnerships, and recent innovations in road ecology. Supporters of the workshop included: BMW-USA, Defenders of Wildlife, Henry P. Kendall Foundation, Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project, Turner Foundation, Western Transportation Institute, and the Wilburforce Foundation.
Workshop content will be of interest to practicing transportation professionals, land resource managers, conservation groups, students, and the general public. Registration is required but the course is offered free of charge. Viewers interested in receiving continuing education units (CEUs) may sign up to do so. Total course length is 112 minutes. Enrollees may earn 0.2 CEUs (a $25 charge is required for CEUs and may be paid during course registration).
Workshop Introduction
Dr. Richard Forman, Harvard University
(6 minutes)
Dr. Richard Forman, Professor of Advanced Environmental Studies in Landscape Ecology at Harvard University, provides an introduction to workshop participants. In his view, the creation of the road system prior to the rise of modern ecology in the United States has created big issues that researchers, ecologists, and transportation professionals are only now beginning to deal with in any organized and collaborative way. Research institutes like WTI are at the forefront of these efforts. Dr. Forman is the lead author of Road Ecology: Science and Solutions. His primary scholarly interests are landscape and regional ecology, road ecology, land-use planning, and linking science with spatial pattern to mesh nature and people. He also studies land transformation, patch-corridor-matrix theory, and the ecology of urban regions.
Basic Concepts of Road Ecology
Dr. Dan Smith, Western Transportation Institute
(5 minutes)
Dr. Dan Smith, Research Ecologist at the Western Transportation Institute, provides a basic introduction to the study of Road Ecology, including definitions, scale, and an overview of related research areas.
Mitigation of Barrier Effects and Landscape Fragmentation by Roads
Dr. Tony Clevenger, Western Transportation Institute
(34 minutes)
Dr. Tony Clevenger, Research Scientist at the Western Transportation Institute, provides an array of information on wildlife crossing structures, including: current practice related to planning and locating structures, design and land management considerations, design types for target species, fencing design, and adaptation of existing highway structures for wildlife passage. The presentation includes methodologies for monitoring the effectiveness of wildlife crossing structures. Opportunities for public-private partnerships are also discussed.
Modifying Motorist Behavior Near Wildlife and Modifying Wildlife Behavior Near Roadways
Dr. Marcel Huijser, Western Transportation Institute
(34 minutes)
Dr. Marcel Huijser, Senior Research Ecologist at the Western Transportation Institute, discusses recent research on wildlife-vehicle collision reduction methods. Information includes current and historical crash data as well as issues related to data collection and interpretation. The presentation outlines the variety of mitigation measures that have been implemented and which mitigation measures have been deemed promising by an expert panel. Cost-benefit analysis for various mitigation measures is also provided.
Engineering Considerations for Fish Passage
Dr. Matt Blank, Western Transportation Institute
(33 minutes)
Dr. Matt Blank, Research Engineer at the Western Transportation Institute, discusses issues related to fish passage through culverts. The presentation provides an overview of the fish passage problem, an introduction to culvert basics, and a discussion of the physical and biological factors that create barriers for fish movement beneath roads. He additionally details several engineering design methods for new culverts that are proving successful in reducing impediments to fish passage as well as retrofit options for existing culverts.