Can linear transportation infrastructure verges constitute a habitat and/or a corridor for vascular plants in temperate ecosystems? A systematic review
Abstract Background Linear transportation infrastructures (roads, railways, oil and gas pipelines, powerlines and waterways) are recognized as important contributors to the fragmentation of species habitats. On the other hand, verges of linear transportation infrastructures (road and railway embankm...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-03-01
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Series: | Environmental Evidence |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-024-00328-3 |
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author | Hugo Mell Vinciane Fack Louise Percevault Sylvie Vanpeene Yves Bertheau Aurélie Coulon Frédérique Flamerie de Lachapelle Eric Guinard Arzhvaël Jeusset Eric Le Mitouard Dakis-Yaoba Ouédraogo Marianne Vargac Romain Sordello Yorick Reyjol Julien Touroult Sébastien Filoche Frédéric Hendoux |
author_facet | Hugo Mell Vinciane Fack Louise Percevault Sylvie Vanpeene Yves Bertheau Aurélie Coulon Frédérique Flamerie de Lachapelle Eric Guinard Arzhvaël Jeusset Eric Le Mitouard Dakis-Yaoba Ouédraogo Marianne Vargac Romain Sordello Yorick Reyjol Julien Touroult Sébastien Filoche Frédéric Hendoux |
author_sort | Hugo Mell |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Abstract Background Linear transportation infrastructures (roads, railways, oil and gas pipelines, powerlines and waterways) are recognized as important contributors to the fragmentation of species habitats. On the other hand, verges of linear transportation infrastructures (road and railway embankments, strips of grass under power lines or above buried pipelines, or waterway banks) form vast networks of continuous habitats. While the loss of natural habitats still poses a significant threat to biodiversity, verges can provide habitats or corridors in anthropogenic areas, although this potential for conservation remains controversial. The current paper is the first synthesis of evidence addressing this topic for vascular plants (except strictly aquatic species) in temperate ecosystems. We asked the following question: can linear transportation infrastructure verges constitute habitats and/or corridors for vascular plants in temperate ecosystems? Methods We conducted a systematic literature survey using two online bibliographic databases, three search engines, specialist websites, and by sending a call for literature to subject experts. We also integrated studies from a previous systematic review with an overlapping scope. We successively screened the articles for relevance on titles, abstracts and full texts using criteria detailed in an a priori protocol. We then used six specific questions to categorize the selected studies and critically assess them. These questions encompassed the potential of verges as habitats and corridors for vascular plants, and the effects of landscape and management on these potentialities. We created a database of the studies with low and medium risk of bias. We synthesized results for specific questions in narrative syntheses. Finally, studies about the habitat role of verges that met the criteria for a meta-analysis were used for quantitative syntheses. Review findings Our systematic literature survey yielded 101,524 search results. After critical appraisal, we included in our systematic review 294 articles that reported 316 studies. Most studies were conducted along road verges or waterway banks, with only a handful of studies involving powerlines, railways or pipelines. We were not able to draw conclusions on the role of verges as corridors for vascular plants as too few relevant studies were obtained. Regarding the habitat function of verges however, meta-analyses were conducted based on 205 cases from 47 primary studies that compared abundance and/or species richness in verges vs habitats away from transportation infrastructure for exotic, native or all species together. For non-highway road verges, both the abundance and richness of exotic species were higher on non-highway road verges, but we found no significant differences among species in general, or for native species specifically, which implies that alien species would often add but not subtract species. A wide variety of management practices were also represented in the evidence base. Overall, systematic impacts on species richness or abundance rarely emerged, but human interventions were seldom neutral and usually altered, at least temporarily, the balance between the native and exotic flora or among various functional groups. Conclusions We identified a major knowledge gap regarding the potential of linear transportation infrastructure verges as corridors for vascular plants. Thus, we call for more research on this particular topic, especially as the evidence synthesis underlined the potential of verges as habitat for exotic and invasive flora. |
first_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:10:11Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-37527dd332724f809f17d9f3b6596f97 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2047-2382 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:10:11Z |
publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
publisher | BMC |
record_format | Article |
series | Environmental Evidence |
spelling | doaj.art-37527dd332724f809f17d9f3b6596f972024-03-17T12:14:46ZengBMCEnvironmental Evidence2047-23822024-03-0113112710.1186/s13750-024-00328-3Can linear transportation infrastructure verges constitute a habitat and/or a corridor for vascular plants in temperate ecosystems? A systematic reviewHugo Mell0Vinciane Fack1Louise Percevault2Sylvie Vanpeene3Yves Bertheau4Aurélie Coulon5Frédérique Flamerie de Lachapelle6Eric Guinard7Arzhvaël Jeusset8Eric Le Mitouard9Dakis-Yaoba Ouédraogo10Marianne Vargac11Romain Sordello12Yorick Reyjol13Julien Touroult14Sébastien Filoche15Frédéric Hendoux16Conservatoire Botanique National du Bassin Parisien (CBNBP)-Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN)Conservatoire Botanique National du Bassin Parisien (CBNBP)-Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN)PatriNat, OFB-MNHN-CNRS-IRDInstitut National de Recherche Pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE Centre PACA)Centre d’Ecologie et de Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne UniversitéCentre d’Ecologie et de Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne UniversitéUniversity of BordeauxCentre d’études et d’Expertises sur les Risques, l’Environnement, la Mobilité et l’Aménagement (Cerema)PatriNat, OFB-MNHN-CNRS-IRDCentre d’études et d’Expertises sur les Risques, l’Environnement, la Mobilité et l’Aménagement (Cerema)PatriNat, OFB-MNHN-CNRS-IRDPatriNat, OFB-MNHN-CNRS-IRDPatriNat, OFB-MNHN-CNRS-IRDPatriNat, OFB-MNHN-CNRS-IRDPatriNat, OFB-MNHN-CNRS-IRDConservatoire Botanique National du Bassin Parisien (CBNBP)-Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN)Conservatoire Botanique National du Bassin Parisien (CBNBP)-Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN)Abstract Background Linear transportation infrastructures (roads, railways, oil and gas pipelines, powerlines and waterways) are recognized as important contributors to the fragmentation of species habitats. On the other hand, verges of linear transportation infrastructures (road and railway embankments, strips of grass under power lines or above buried pipelines, or waterway banks) form vast networks of continuous habitats. While the loss of natural habitats still poses a significant threat to biodiversity, verges can provide habitats or corridors in anthropogenic areas, although this potential for conservation remains controversial. The current paper is the first synthesis of evidence addressing this topic for vascular plants (except strictly aquatic species) in temperate ecosystems. We asked the following question: can linear transportation infrastructure verges constitute habitats and/or corridors for vascular plants in temperate ecosystems? Methods We conducted a systematic literature survey using two online bibliographic databases, three search engines, specialist websites, and by sending a call for literature to subject experts. We also integrated studies from a previous systematic review with an overlapping scope. We successively screened the articles for relevance on titles, abstracts and full texts using criteria detailed in an a priori protocol. We then used six specific questions to categorize the selected studies and critically assess them. These questions encompassed the potential of verges as habitats and corridors for vascular plants, and the effects of landscape and management on these potentialities. We created a database of the studies with low and medium risk of bias. We synthesized results for specific questions in narrative syntheses. Finally, studies about the habitat role of verges that met the criteria for a meta-analysis were used for quantitative syntheses. Review findings Our systematic literature survey yielded 101,524 search results. After critical appraisal, we included in our systematic review 294 articles that reported 316 studies. Most studies were conducted along road verges or waterway banks, with only a handful of studies involving powerlines, railways or pipelines. We were not able to draw conclusions on the role of verges as corridors for vascular plants as too few relevant studies were obtained. Regarding the habitat function of verges however, meta-analyses were conducted based on 205 cases from 47 primary studies that compared abundance and/or species richness in verges vs habitats away from transportation infrastructure for exotic, native or all species together. For non-highway road verges, both the abundance and richness of exotic species were higher on non-highway road verges, but we found no significant differences among species in general, or for native species specifically, which implies that alien species would often add but not subtract species. A wide variety of management practices were also represented in the evidence base. Overall, systematic impacts on species richness or abundance rarely emerged, but human interventions were seldom neutral and usually altered, at least temporarily, the balance between the native and exotic flora or among various functional groups. Conclusions We identified a major knowledge gap regarding the potential of linear transportation infrastructure verges as corridors for vascular plants. Thus, we call for more research on this particular topic, especially as the evidence synthesis underlined the potential of verges as habitat for exotic and invasive flora.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-024-00328-3Green infrastructureTracheophytesMovementRight of wayRoadsideWaterway bank |
spellingShingle | Hugo Mell Vinciane Fack Louise Percevault Sylvie Vanpeene Yves Bertheau Aurélie Coulon Frédérique Flamerie de Lachapelle Eric Guinard Arzhvaël Jeusset Eric Le Mitouard Dakis-Yaoba Ouédraogo Marianne Vargac Romain Sordello Yorick Reyjol Julien Touroult Sébastien Filoche Frédéric Hendoux Can linear transportation infrastructure verges constitute a habitat and/or a corridor for vascular plants in temperate ecosystems? A systematic review Environmental Evidence Green infrastructure Tracheophytes Movement Right of way Roadside Waterway bank |
title | Can linear transportation infrastructure verges constitute a habitat and/or a corridor for vascular plants in temperate ecosystems? A systematic review |
title_full | Can linear transportation infrastructure verges constitute a habitat and/or a corridor for vascular plants in temperate ecosystems? A systematic review |
title_fullStr | Can linear transportation infrastructure verges constitute a habitat and/or a corridor for vascular plants in temperate ecosystems? A systematic review |
title_full_unstemmed | Can linear transportation infrastructure verges constitute a habitat and/or a corridor for vascular plants in temperate ecosystems? A systematic review |
title_short | Can linear transportation infrastructure verges constitute a habitat and/or a corridor for vascular plants in temperate ecosystems? A systematic review |
title_sort | can linear transportation infrastructure verges constitute a habitat and or a corridor for vascular plants in temperate ecosystems a systematic review |
topic | Green infrastructure Tracheophytes Movement Right of way Roadside Waterway bank |
url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-024-00328-3 |
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