Road Ecology in Oceania
摘要
The study of road ecology in Oceania is commonly associated with Australia; however, this chapter shows that the identification and mitigation of environmental effects caused by roads have been developing all over the region, most notably in New Zealand. Overwhelmingly, research and management decisions on road impacts on rare or threatened species are driven by conservation concerns. Thus, mitigation efforts usually center on legislative mandates or single-species-based solutions, with few multispecies, ecosystem-level approaches like forested overpasses being adopted. This has generated research that delves into the assessment of the effectiveness of wildlife crossing structures, while ignoring the wider implications on the population and ecosystem, information that could be useful for management. Another consequence has seen mitigation coinciding with new infrastructure developments, rather than being completed in locations of greatest environmental or conservation concern. Lessons learned from early research will be important for those areas under development pressure in the more remote parts of the region, including Papua New Guinea and some of the Pacific Islands. Road ecology in Oceania needs a more coordinated approach to look beyond assessing the use of wildlife crossing structures, to foster research and programs that operate beyond road project timeframes. Using the knowledge gained, we can ensure that future road projects in the region are as ecologically sustainable as possible. Research leadership, emerging technology, and creating a coordinated approach for knowledge-sharing will be vital to road ecology in the region in the future.