Organization
We have divided the book into two parts. The first aims at reviewing the main ideas
and methods related to the identification, monitoring, and mitigation of railway
impacts on biodiversity, with emphasis on wildlife mortality, barrier effects, biological invasions, and the effects of other railway environmental impacts such as
noise and chemical pollution. We begin by setting the scene (Chap. 1–Railway
Ecology), framing railways in their economic context, and providing several
examples of how railways can impact biodiversity. In Chap. 2 (Wildlife Mortality
on Railways), Sara Santos and her colleagues provide a comprehensive review of
mortality rates on railways, paying particular attention to the sources of bias when
estimating mortality rates. In Chap. 3 (Methods for Monitoring and Mitigating
Wildlife Mortality on Railways), Filipe Carvalho and his colleagues have further
developed the theme of wildlife mortality, focusing on monitoring and mitigation.
They discuss the application to railways of mitigation procedures routinely used in
road ecology, and provide an overview of wildlife crossing structures and their role
in reducing mortality and barrier effects. In Chap. 4 (Railways as Barriers for
Wildlife: Current Knowledge and Future Steps), Rafael Barrientos and Luís
Borda-de-Água examine the barrier effects of railways, reviewing the evidence and
providing an overview on procedures used to quantify barrier effects, with emphasis
on genetic methods and individual-based computer simulations. They then discuss
mitigation measures and their effectiveness, providing guidelines for monitoring
and mitigation. In Chap. 5 (Aliens on the Move: Transportation Networks and
Non-native Species), Fernando Ascensão and César Capinha examine the role of
railways in the spread of invasive species, showing that land transportation systems
have greatly contributed to species introductions with high economic and environmental costs. They discuss measures to decrease the risk of alien species
introductions, paying special attention to verges and associated vegetation corridors. In Chap. 6 (Railway Disturbances: Types, Effects on Wildlife and Mitigation
Measures), Silva Lucas and her colleagues look at biodiversity impacts caused by
railways due to noise, air, soil and water pollution, as well as soil erosion. They
conclude that impacts are species-specific, depending largely on species traits, and
that impacts can be minimized through improvements in the railway structure and
the implementation of mitigation measures.
The second part of the book provides a set of case studies from around the world
that illustrate the impacts of railways on wildlife and ways to reduce those impacts.
Reflecting the strong interest in the topic of wildlife mortality, four chapters focus
on the patterns of mortality resulting from collisions with trains and railway
structures, each of which suggests several mitigation measures to reduce such
mortality. In Chap. 7 (Bird Collisions in a Railway Crossing a Wetland of
International Importance − Sado Estuary, Portugal), Carlos Godinho and colleagues
examine the risk of aquatic bird mortality due to railway bridge crossing wetland
habitats, by combining data from surveys on carcasses and the observation of bird
movements. They have found that this bridge had a low risk for aquatic birds, as
Preface
ix
We have divided the book into two parts. The first aims at reviewing the main ideas
and methods related to the identification, monitoring, and mitigation of railway
impacts on biodiversity, with emphasis on wildlife mortality, barrier effects, biological invasions, and the effects of other railway environmental impacts such as
noise and chemical pollution. We begin by setting the scene (Chap. 1–Railway
Ecology), framing railways in their economic context, and providing several
examples of how railways can impact biodiversity. In Chap. 2 (Wildlife Mortality
on Railways), Sara Santos and her colleagues provide a comprehensive review of
mortality rates on railways, paying particular attention to the sources of bias when
estimating mortality rates. In Chap. 3 (Methods for Monitoring and Mitigating
Wildlife Mortality on Railways), Filipe Carvalho and his colleagues have further
developed the theme of wildlife mortality, focusing on monitoring and mitigation.
They discuss the application to railways of mitigation procedures routinely used in
road ecology, and provide an overview of wildlife crossing structures and their role
in reducing mortality and barrier effects. In Chap. 4 (Railways as Barriers for
Wildlife: Current Knowledge and Future Steps), Rafael Barrientos and Luís
Borda-de-Água examine the barrier effects of railways, reviewing the evidence and
providing an overview on procedures used to quantify barrier effects, with emphasis
on genetic methods and individual-based computer simulations. They then discuss
mitigation measures and their effectiveness, providing guidelines for monitoring
and mitigation. In Chap. 5 (Aliens on the Move: Transportation Networks and
Non-native Species), Fernando Ascensão and César Capinha examine the role of
railways in the spread of invasive species, showing that land transportation systems
have greatly contributed to species introductions with high economic and environmental costs. They discuss measures to decrease the risk of alien species
introductions, paying special attention to verges and associated vegetation corridors. In Chap. 6 (Railway Disturbances: Types, Effects on Wildlife and Mitigation
Measures), Silva Lucas and her colleagues look at biodiversity impacts caused by
railways due to noise, air, soil and water pollution, as well as soil erosion. They
conclude that impacts are species-specific, depending largely on species traits, and
that impacts can be minimized through improvements in the railway structure and
the implementation of mitigation measures.
The second part of the book provides a set of case studies from around the world
that illustrate the impacts of railways on wildlife and ways to reduce those impacts.
Reflecting the strong interest in the topic of wildlife mortality, four chapters focus
on the patterns of mortality resulting from collisions with trains and railway
structures, each of which suggests several mitigation measures to reduce such
mortality. In Chap. 7 (Bird Collisions in a Railway Crossing a Wetland of
International Importance − Sado Estuary, Portugal), Carlos Godinho and colleagues
examine the risk of aquatic bird mortality due to railway bridge crossing wetland
habitats, by combining data from surveys on carcasses and the observation of bird
movements. They have found that this bridge had a low risk for aquatic birds, as
Preface
ix