a barrier to ungulate movement that prevent the long-distance movements required
to find food during the harsh winters of Mongolia.
The final four chapters describe novel approaches to reduce and mitigate the
biodiversity impacts of railways and also some positive impacts of railways on
biodiversity. In Chap. 15 (Railway Ecology − Experiences and Examples in the
Czech Republic), Keken and Kušta provide an overview of the impacts and management policies of railways in the Czech Republic. They describe the current
Czech railway network and the plans for future expansion, discussing several
management options for preventing accidents with animals and mitigating other
environmental impacts. In Chap. 16 (Ecological Roles of Railway Verges in
Anthropogenic Landscapes: a Synthesis of Five Case Studies in Northern France),
Vandevelde and Penone focus on railway verges and their potential positive
impacts on the environment. They show that verges may provide habitats for grass
plants, bats, and orthopteran, as well as functional connectivity to plants, thereby
counteracting some of the negative effects of large-scale urbanization. In Chap. 17
(Wildlife Deterrent Methods for Railways – an Experimental Study), Seiler and
Olsson discuss management options for reducing ungulate collisions with trains in
Sweden. They review trends in ungulate collisions with trains since 1970 and their
economic costs, and then introduce and discuss a new crosswalk design with a
deterrent system, where animals are encouraged to leave the railway shortly before
trains arrive. Finally, in Chap. 18 (Commerce and Conservation in the Crown of the
Continent), Waller describes how a partnership between a railway company, the
government and public stakeholders allowed the recovery of the grizzly bear (Ursus
arctos) in Glacier National Park in the U.S. They describe the mortality problem
that resulted from grizzly bears feeding on grain spilled from derailed cars and
becoming habituated to the presence of trains, and how this was dealt with through
the partnership of a range of stakeholders.
In the final Chap. 19, we wrap up the key messages of the book. We briefly
consider the future of railway ecology and give several recommendations on how to
mitigate their impacts on the environment.
We hope this book inspires scientists and practitioners to develop approaches to
make railways increasingly biodiversity-friendly. But we would also like to dedicate this book to those working for railway companies that have done their best to
ameliorate the impacts of railways on the environment and made railways one
of the most sustainable modes of transportation.
Lisboa, Portugal
Luís Borda-de-Água
Lisboa, Portugal
Rafael Barrientos
Lisboa, Portugal
Pedro Beja
Halle, Germany
Henrique M. Pereira
Preface
xi
to find food during the harsh winters of Mongolia.
The final four chapters describe novel approaches to reduce and mitigate the
biodiversity impacts of railways and also some positive impacts of railways on
biodiversity. In Chap. 15 (Railway Ecology − Experiences and Examples in the
Czech Republic), Keken and Kušta provide an overview of the impacts and management policies of railways in the Czech Republic. They describe the current
Czech railway network and the plans for future expansion, discussing several
management options for preventing accidents with animals and mitigating other
environmental impacts. In Chap. 16 (Ecological Roles of Railway Verges in
Anthropogenic Landscapes: a Synthesis of Five Case Studies in Northern France),
Vandevelde and Penone focus on railway verges and their potential positive
impacts on the environment. They show that verges may provide habitats for grass
plants, bats, and orthopteran, as well as functional connectivity to plants, thereby
counteracting some of the negative effects of large-scale urbanization. In Chap. 17
(Wildlife Deterrent Methods for Railways – an Experimental Study), Seiler and
Olsson discuss management options for reducing ungulate collisions with trains in
Sweden. They review trends in ungulate collisions with trains since 1970 and their
economic costs, and then introduce and discuss a new crosswalk design with a
deterrent system, where animals are encouraged to leave the railway shortly before
trains arrive. Finally, in Chap. 18 (Commerce and Conservation in the Crown of the
Continent), Waller describes how a partnership between a railway company, the
government and public stakeholders allowed the recovery of the grizzly bear (Ursus
arctos) in Glacier National Park in the U.S. They describe the mortality problem
that resulted from grizzly bears feeding on grain spilled from derailed cars and
becoming habituated to the presence of trains, and how this was dealt with through
the partnership of a range of stakeholders.
In the final Chap. 19, we wrap up the key messages of the book. We briefly
consider the future of railway ecology and give several recommendations on how to
mitigate their impacts on the environment.
We hope this book inspires scientists and practitioners to develop approaches to
make railways increasingly biodiversity-friendly. But we would also like to dedicate this book to those working for railway companies that have done their best to
ameliorate the impacts of railways on the environment and made railways one
of the most sustainable modes of transportation.
Lisboa, Portugal
Luís Borda-de-Água
Lisboa, Portugal
Rafael Barrientos
Lisboa, Portugal
Pedro Beja
Halle, Germany
Henrique M. Pereira
Preface
xi