The Journal is published by the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic in cooperation with the Cave Administration of the Czech Republic, the Krkonoše Mts. National Park Administration, the Bohemian Forest Mts. National Park Administration, the Podyjí National Park Administration and the The Bohemian Switzerland National Park Administration. It has been published since 1946.
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Nature Conservation 2/2012 — 23. 8. 2012 — Nature and Landscape Management — Print article in pdf
Hlaváč V.: Do We Really Need „Bridges for Brown Bears“ Hlaváč V.: Do We Really Need „Bridges for Bro
Habitat fragmentation and consequent loss of the landscape connectivity by transport infrastructure, particularly by highways, threaten many wild animal species. Transport infrastructure permeability for fauna can be provided by either underpass tunnels under highways, or by special wildlife overpasses (ecoductes) above highways.
The above facilities are technologically demanding and exacting and also quite expensive. Thus, their building can be properly well-founded. Up-to-date experience from the Czech Republic shows that some of them were built at sites where they cannot fulfil their purpose. For example, four overpasses on the Prague Ring Road were built in areas with low ecological values, at the sites where important wildlife dispersal and movement shall not be expected. In some cases, the overpass had been properly located, but further building in its vicinity totally reduced its functioning. Similar cases raised discussions and finally, they can result in general refusal of such wildlife crossings even under conditions where they are definitely needed. In addition, after finishing building of wildlife overpasses, their effectiveness is not assessed and verified in the field. In many countries, monitoring the implemented measures is a standard part within the whole planning and permitting process. The feedback information can reveal mistakes and shortcomings, being a background for more effective developing of new buildings. Outputs of the Czech Council for Research, Development and Innovations project VaV-SP/2d4/36/08 “Assessment of Migratory Permeability of the Landscape for Large Mammals and Proposal of Protective and Optimising Measures” are an important step for improving requirements for highway permeability in the Czech Republic. Maps of from a point of view of large mammal dispersal and migration important areas and of long-distance migration corridors identify sites where the most important collisions with transport infrastructure can occur. Moreover, the framework consensus on conceptual approach to habitat fragmentation caused by transport should be reached between the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Transport.