Spatial Extent of the Impact of Transported Road Materials on the Ecological Function of Forested Landscapes (Part 3)

The researchers are investigating the impact of different types of roads on the plant community structure and soil environment (chemical and biological) of nearby forests. The authors hypothesis is that de-icing salt and other road particles alter the soil environment and local plant diversity of surrounding forests, and that the extent of the impact decreases with greater distance from the road. Furthermore, this impact is likely to vary depending on road type and presence or absence of a swale to collect and redirect material flows. The authors are sampling plant community structure, soil chemistry, and soil biology of the roadside landscape for three road types (unpaved, paved 2-land, and highway) and two road profiles (swale, no swale) at six different distances from the road edge. The authors will also include additional variables such as traffic volume in the analysis. The sampling location, road edges, and all sampling points are precisely geo-referenced and mapped. At each sampling location, measurements of slope, aspect, elevation, road width, tree canopy gap width will be determined. This empirical data will be used to develop a methodology that can be used within transportation models to determine the total landscape impact based on alternative development scenarios and road density patterns.

• Record URL:
  http://www.uvm.edu/trc/university-transportation-center/utc-current-project-list/spatial-extent-of-the-impact-of-transported-road-materials-on-the-ecological-function-of-forested-landscapes/
• Supplemental Notes:
  • TRC Final Report #12-012 URL: http://www.uvm.edu/~transctr/research/trc_reports/UVM-TRC-12-012.pdf

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $12052.00
• Contract Numbers:

  DTRT06-G-0018

  026189

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  University Transportation Centers Program
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Troy, Austin

  Aultman-Hall, Lisa

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Vermont, Burlington

  Transportation Center, 210 Colchester Avenue
  Farrell Hall
  Burlington, VT  United States  05405
• Principal Investigators:

  Neher, Deborah

• Start Date: 20100101
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20120630
• Source Data: RiP Project 28545

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Deicing chemicals; Ecology; Environmental impacts; Forests; Plants; Road materials; Roads
• Uncontrolled Terms: Landscape ecology; Road ecology
• Subject Areas: Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; I15: Environment; I30: Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01566207
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: UVM Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: DTRT06-G-0018, 026189
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jun 12 2015 1:01AM