Table_4_Status of Road Ecology Research in Africa: Do We Understand the Impacts of Roads, and How to Successfully Mitigate Them?.docx

Across Africa, transport infrastructure, including roads, is being built in over 30 planned development corridors that are likely to have major impacts on remaining natural habitats and associated biodiversity. Linked to this is the projected increase in human population size, which is predicted to grow by 1.3 billion people by 2050. Road ecology is the study of the ecological effects (both positive and negative) of roads and traffic but is perceived to be under-researched in Africa. In this context, we undertook a systematic review of road ecology research in Africa to understand the geographic and taxonomic scope of work undertaken to date, as well as recommendations for reducing the impacts of roads. We discovered 210 road ecology publications from Africa (published between 1954 and 2016), with most publications from the more affluent and politically stable regions (e.g., southern and East Africa). We found more publications than expected, with relevant research concealed within studies whose primary focus was on other topics. Most publications (1) focused on single species, and in particular on mammals (where chimpanzees and forest elephants were most studied); (2) were from southern Africa; and 3) were conducted in the grassland and savannah biome and the tropical and subtropical forest biome. Most publications examined the direct impacts of roads, in particular wildlife-vehicle collisions. Only one-third of the publications provided some form of recommendation for intervention to reduce or mitigate the impacts of roads, based on evidence from the publication. Most recommended interventions related to ecosystem or natural process recreation, as well as site and area stewardship. Gaps and future directions for research include rigorous testing of measures to mitigate the impacts of roads, inclusion of traffic monitoring in studies, understanding the impacts of upgrading roads, and exploring livelihood, economic and moral incentives and education and training as potential interventions for reducing the impacts of roads. Our review has highlighted the need for accelerating the study of the impacts of roads on natural habitats and biodiversity, in light of planned large-scale infrastructure development, and especially the study of appropriate mitigation measures that can be rigorously assessed and implemented before and during construction and upgrading of roads in Africa.

在非洲全境，逾30条规划中的开发走廊正推进包括道路在内的交通基础设施建设工作，此举或对现存自然栖息地及其关联的生物多样性造成重大影响。与此相伴的是，据预测至2050年非洲人口将增长13亿。道路生态学（Road ecology）是研究道路与交通所产生的正负生态效应的学科，但目前学界普遍认为非洲地区对该领域的研究尚显不足。在此背景下，本研究对非洲道路生态学相关研究开展了系统性综述，旨在厘清当前研究的地理与分类学范畴，并梳理道路影响消减相关的研究建议。本次综述共收录1954年至2016年间发表的210篇非洲道路生态学相关学术文献，其中多数文献出自经济较发达、政治环境稳定的地区，例如南部非洲与东非。实际收录的文献数量超出预期，且不少相关研究均隐藏于以其他主题为核心的研究之中。多数文献(1) 聚焦单一物种，尤以哺乳类为甚（其中研究最多的物种为黑猩猩与森林象）；(2) 来自南部非洲地区；(3) 研究区域覆盖草原与稀树草原生物群系，以及热带与亚热带森林生物群系。多数文献探讨了道路的直接生态影响，尤以野生动物与车辆碰撞问题为核心。仅三分之一的文献基于自身研究证据，提出了用于消减或缓解道路影响的干预措施相关建议。多数提出的干预措施均与生态系统或自然过程修复、以及场地与区域管护相关。当前研究存在的不足与未来研究方向包括：对道路影响缓解措施开展严格的效果验证、在研究中纳入交通监测环节、厘清道路升级改造带来的生态影响，以及探索将生计、经济与道德激励，以及教育培训作为消减道路影响的潜在干预手段。本次综述凸显了在非洲大规模规划基础设施建设的背景下，亟需加快开展道路对自然栖息地与生物多样性影响的相关研究，尤其需要针对非洲道路建设及升级改造的全周期，探索可被严格评估与落地的适宜性缓解措施。