Wildlife Passes Combined with Funnelling Fencing
This approach should be considered only in those railway sections previously
identified with landscape analysis studies to be particularly suitable to maintain
connectivity, since their construction is expensive. The option of elevating the
railway on pile-supported structures is usually more feasible than it is for similar
highway segments (De Santo and Smith 1993). Demanding species, such as large
animals, prefer to cross under bridges rather than through underpasses (Rodríguez
et al. 1996; Baofa et al. 2006; Yang and Xia 2008) but, on the other hand, bridges
can represent a risk for flying species as they tend to cross above them (Tremblay
and St. Clair 2009). Thus, bridges should be flanked by pole barriers to ensure safe
passage well above moving traffic (Zuberogoitia et al. 2015). Finally, functional
connectivity should be evaluated with molecular methods and BACI designs
implemented to know the effectiveness of mitigation measures (Balkenhol and
Waits 2009; Corlatti et al. 2009; Clevenger and Sawaya 2010; Simmons et al. 2010;
Soanes et al. 2013).
Identify Landscape Features Enhancing Connectivity
The identification of those features that enhance landscape connectivity and their
adoption when designing and operating railways should be promoted. For instance,
as mowed railway rights-of-way have been found to restore population connectivity
the for New England cottontail, an early successional habitat specialist of conservation concern, a management recommendation to reduce the isolation of their
populations is not to allow vegetation development beyond shrub stratum
(Fenderson et al. 2014).
Monitoring of WTCs to Identify Hotspots
A periodic schema should be implemented to monitor the railway line to identify
sections with high collision rates, i.e., hotspots, and simulation models should be
built to forecast WTCs (Gundersen and Andreassen 1998). In identified hotspots,
anti-collision measures, such as warning signals (Babińska-Werka et al. 2015; see
also Chap. 17) or pole barriers, (Zuberogoitia et al. 2015) should be placed. Their
effectiveness should be monitored with BACI designs.
58
R. Barrientos and L. Borda-de-Água
This approach should be considered only in those railway sections previously
identified with landscape analysis studies to be particularly suitable to maintain
connectivity, since their construction is expensive. The option of elevating the
railway on pile-supported structures is usually more feasible than it is for similar
highway segments (De Santo and Smith 1993). Demanding species, such as large
animals, prefer to cross under bridges rather than through underpasses (Rodríguez
et al. 1996; Baofa et al. 2006; Yang and Xia 2008) but, on the other hand, bridges
can represent a risk for flying species as they tend to cross above them (Tremblay
and St. Clair 2009). Thus, bridges should be flanked by pole barriers to ensure safe
passage well above moving traffic (Zuberogoitia et al. 2015). Finally, functional
connectivity should be evaluated with molecular methods and BACI designs
implemented to know the effectiveness of mitigation measures (Balkenhol and
Waits 2009; Corlatti et al. 2009; Clevenger and Sawaya 2010; Simmons et al. 2010;
Soanes et al. 2013).
Identify Landscape Features Enhancing Connectivity
The identification of those features that enhance landscape connectivity and their
adoption when designing and operating railways should be promoted. For instance,
as mowed railway rights-of-way have been found to restore population connectivity
the for New England cottontail, an early successional habitat specialist of conservation concern, a management recommendation to reduce the isolation of their
populations is not to allow vegetation development beyond shrub stratum
(Fenderson et al. 2014).
Monitoring of WTCs to Identify Hotspots
A periodic schema should be implemented to monitor the railway line to identify
sections with high collision rates, i.e., hotspots, and simulation models should be
built to forecast WTCs (Gundersen and Andreassen 1998). In identified hotspots,
anti-collision measures, such as warning signals (Babińska-Werka et al. 2015; see
also Chap. 17) or pole barriers, (Zuberogoitia et al. 2015) should be placed. Their
effectiveness should be monitored with BACI designs.
58
R. Barrientos and L. Borda-de-Água