“Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet” by Ben Goldfarb

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Rating: 5/5 Stars

A fascinating and readable book about how the ecology of roads (and cars) is changing the face of the earth. With millions of kilometres of roads on the face of the earth, it is no wonder they are changing how animals behave and move about (or don’t) when faced with a road. But it’s not just animals: in the last chapter, the author shows how roads have been used to enforce racial segregation in the USA.

The first part of the book deals with how roads can kill animals. The most obvious is ending up as roadkill. But roads (and cars) also cut across migration paths, forcing animals to either starve (by staying where they are on one side of the road) or risk being killed trying to cross. Roads also cut across the territories of animals like the mountain lion in California, isolating them and causing in-breeding. Roads are especially deadly to amphibians and reptiles who bask on roads to get warm and whose natural instinct is to stay still instead of running from danger.

The second part looks at other effects roads have on the environment. The US Forest Service maintains roads in wild areas for access and safety. But these roads affect wildlife, and there is now a movement to restrict roads or to remove them. Noise pollution from roads also have an effect, with wildlife either having to call louder to be heard, or by failing to hear predators due to the covering noise. Road verges are a controversial topic, for they often have high levels of road pollution, yet may offer a refuge for animals driven off land beside the verges due to development. The story of the Monarch butterfly is a case in point, with milkweed being planted on road verges to help they survive; but doing so may kill them in the long term. Road kill also attracts scavengers like vultures, which can help them thrive, if the road doesn’t kill them. Beside the land and air, roads can also affect water life. Roads cross streams and rivers using culverts, with can block the migrating path of salmon and other water life, and cause pollution in run-offs.

The third part looks at what can be done to mitigate the effect of roads. One change has been the building of wildlife crossings to help animals cross roads. But these usually work only when the crossings have been properly designed for them. People who help rehabilitate wildlife struck by vehicles also have a role, but an unappreciated one, which could lead to stress and even suicide among them. Instead of discarding roadkill, it can be collected to aid in research to learn about the condition of animals when they are killed. New road building could also be done with the needs of animals in mind, instead of adding them to roads afterwards. Finally, roads could also be removed or redeveloped, especially in areas where roads have historically been used to demolish or obstruct communities as a form of racial segregation.

Book read from 2024/02/22 to 2024/02/28