(Ecological impact assessment of transportation infrastructures (A case study

چکیده مقاله

Transportation infrastructures, and above all road networks, are highly blamed for the decrease in both the quantity and the quality of natural habitats. Especially when road constructions happen in biosphere reserves that include a collection of unique fauna and flora, we must quantify the ecological impact of road alternatives to choose the best option with the minimal impact. In this paper, we used Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) tool with the aid of geographic information system to evaluate this issue in a comprehensible manner. In brief, this study discusses preparing the update maps of fauna and flora, intersects these layers with the road layer using GIS, selects the best buffer, and finally calculates habitat fragmentation and ecosystem loss. It is found that according to the vegetation and wildlife maps, ecosystem loss and fragmentation score of a new constructed road is more than the existing one. Moreover, on the basis of the assessment results, it is recommended that the study of road effects on the biological diversity and ecological processes before construction in developing countries is essentially required

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