Linear infrastructure intrusions

Linear infrastructure intrusions into natural ecosystems are man-made linear infrastructure such as roads and highways, electric power lines, railway lines, canals, pipelines, firebreaks, and fences. These intrusions cause linear opening through the habitat or breakage in landscape connectivity due to infrastructure creation and maintenance, which is known to have multiple ecological effects in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.[1][2] These effects include habitat loss and fragmentation, spread of invasive alien species, desiccation, windthrow, fires, animal injury and mortality (e.g., roadkill), changes in animal behaviour, pollution, microclimate and vegetation changes,[3] loss of ecosystem services,[4] increased pressures from development, tourism, hunting, garbage disposal, and associated human disturbances.[5] These intrusions, considered crucial infrastructure for economic sectors such as transportation, power, and irrigation, may also have negative social impacts on indigenous and rural people through exposure to novel social and market pressures, loss of land and relocation, and iniquitous distribution of costs and benefits from infrastructure projects. The study of the ecological effects of linear infrastructure intrusions has spawning sub-fields of research such as road ecology and railroad ecology.

Electric power transmission lines, pipelines, and roads as linear infrastructure intrusions in natural areas

References

  1. ↑ Goosem, M. (1997) Internal fragmentation: The effects of roads, highways and powerline clearings on movements and mortality of rainforest vertebrates. In: Laurance, W.F. and Bierregaard Jr, R.O. (eds.) Tropical Forest Remnants. University of Chicago Press., Chicago, Illinois.
  2. ↑ Laurance, William F.; Goosem, Miriam; Laurance, Susan G.W. "Impacts of roads and linear clearings on tropical forests". Trends in Ecology & Evolution. 24 (12): 659–669. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2009.06.009.
  3. ↑ Pohlman, Catherine Louise (2006) Internal fragmentation in the rainforest: edge effects of highways, powerlines and watercourses on tropical rainforest understorey microclimate, vegetation structure and composition, physical disturbance and seedling regeneration. PhD thesis, James Cook University.
  4. ↑ Labarraque, Dorothée; Roussel, Sébastien; Tardieu, Léa (2015-06-19). "Exploring direct and indirect regulation ecosystem services loss caused by linear infrastructure construction". Revue d'économie politique (in French). 125 (2): 277–298. doi:10.3917/redp.252.0277. ISSN 0373-2630.
  5. ↑ Raman, T. R. Shankar (2011) Framing ecologically sound policy on linear intrusions affecting wildlife habitats: Background paper for the National Board for Wildlife, Ministry of Environment and Forest, India.
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