Quantifying the effects of road width on roadside vegetation and soil conditions in forests

Abstract

Context The majority of ecological studies of roads have focused on their deleterious effects, and these preconceptions have hampered a full evaluation of the ecological functions of roads. As an integrated indicator, road width represents comprehensive effects, including anthropogenic and natural disturbances. Objectives We try to explore the different effects produced by various road widths by considering changes in forest vegetation and soil. Methods We selected six study forests spanning from Shandong Province in the north to Guangdong Province in the south of China, and we assessed the influences of wide and narrow roads on plant species diversity, biomass, and soil properties along transects running from the forest edges and adjacent forest interior. We used a ''shape-dependent model'' to explain the factors that determine the magnitude of road effects on forests. Results Three variables measured in this study changed significantly with increasing distance from the road to the forest interior along wide roads: tree biomass, herbaceous plant biomass, and soil pH. However, no measurable biological or environmental effects were found from narrow roads. The different shapes of glades in a forest may be one reason for the various effects caused by roads of different widths. Conclusions Forest roads of different widths may have quite different ecological effects. While wider roads with large glades tend to have substantial negative impacts, small-enough roads may cause little disturbance to the forest. This suggests that not all forest roads should be perceived as the same, and narrow roads may be compatible with forest conservation.

The Effect of Informal Tourist Trails on the Abiotic Conditions and Floristic Composition of Deciduous Forest Undergrowth in an Urban Area

“…The higher species richness in the forest edge than in the forest interior has been repeatedly observed in temperate [51,52] and tropical forests [53,54], while in the boreal forest this trend is rather weak [55]. Moreover, the decrease in plant richness from forest edge to interior was also observed along narrow roads in various types of forests in eastern China [46].…”

“…Additionally, it is worth mentioning that Ellenberg's indicator values of nitrogen were significantly higher in coniferous forest interior than in forest edge stands in Lithuania [39]. Interesting results were also provided by Zhou et al [46], who studied the effect of road width on roadside vegetation and soil conditions in forests in eastern China. The authors evidenced that the soil moisture increased from forest edges to the forest interiors along both wide and narrow roads, without significant differences.…”

Forest Roads from the Perspective of Managerial Accounting—Empirical Evidence from Austria

“…The economic appraisal of an investment in a forest road is a complex process that should consider all costs and benefits, whether economic, social, environmental, or financial [58]. Costs and benefits in this context may comprise effects that can hardly be expressed in monetary values, such as strain damages along the forest boundary, influences on the ground water balance and sediment dispersion to streams [19], reduction of productive forest land [59], influences of the annual increment, increasing risk for windthrows along forest roads, provision of food for wildlife, better accessibility for recreation seekers and rescue services [24,30], obligation to ensure road safety, problems of acceptance by local communities [60], influences on biodiversity [13,26], and risk of forest disease [61]. This complexity may lead to prohibitively high transaction costs caused by stakeholder discussion, contact with authorities, required expert reports, and other factors.…”

Reference site selection protocols for mine site ecosystem restoration

“…Assessable sites were those that could be reached safely and without the risk of heat‐related illnesses that are a significant factor when working in the tropics during the wet season. Given that road effects from tracks and trails are negligible (Zhou et al 2020) and that ground access to our sites was only granted by unsealed tracks, the potential bias introduced by securing site accessibility was considered inconsequential.…”