Side Events
Innovative techniques to mitigate transportation infrastructure impact on large carnivores
LIFE SAFE CROSSING workshop - Side event at the IENE 2020 Conference
TUESDAY January 12th
The LIFE SAFE CROSSING project aims to implement actions that reduce the impact of transportation infrastructure on priority large carnivore species (Brown bear, Wolf and Iberian lynx) in Greece, Italy, Romania and Spain. To mitigate the effects of road mortality and the barrier effect threatening large carnivore populations, the project will rely on experience gained in a previous LIFE project during which an innovative Animal-Vehicle Collisions Prevention System was successfully developed. Methods to identify locations where mitigation measures would be more cost effective, increasing road permeability by adapting crossings for wildlife use and techniques to raise drivers’ awareness are also part of the project. In this framework, the goal of the workshop is to share information and exchange knowledge with organisations working on the topic of large carnivores and transportation. The main expected output is the production of recommendations to increase the effectiveness of the actions planned in the project and to create a networking platform that can contribute to replicate the actions in other study areas in which the long-term conservation of large carnivore populations should be guaranteed.
Replicating Ecological Solutions in Linear Infrastructure Networks
LIFE LINES Final Seminar
WEDNESDAY January 13th
Most of the Linear Infrastructures networks worldwide were built prior to the dissemination and mandatory implementation of Environmental Impact Assessment policies. Therefore, many of these infrastructures are not prepared to couple with biodiversity conservation issues and need to be adapted. Very often simple and inexpensive solutions can be used to increase environmental performance of old infrastructures. We will discuss successes and failures of actions/ adaptations often implemented to reduce the ecological impacts of Linear Infrastructures and strategies to promote a widespread dissemination of solutions which proved to be successful. We will use the experience of the LIFE LINES project (LIFE14 NAT/PT/001081) to contribute to this discussion. The project aims to essay, evaluate and disseminate practices directed at mitigation of negative effects from transport/energy infrastructures on biodiversity. Simultaneously, it contributes to the creation of a demonstrative Green Infrastructure based in habitat corridors and stepping-stones that increase connectivity and improve conservation of local/ regional biodiversity. Its target area is one of the main transport/ energy corridors linking Portugal to Spain. Through this seminar, we will also gather inputs from shared experiences and networking to use in the Post-LIFE Communication and Conservation Plan.
10:30 - 12:00
António Mira - MED / Conservation Biology Lab, Department of Biology, Universidade de Évora Seminar Openning
Nuno M. Pedroso - MED, Universidade de Évora Linear Infrastructure Networks with Ecological Solutions
Graça Garcia - Infraestruturas de Portugal IP’s participation in LIFE LINES: Reducing fauna roadkills and defragmenting habitats
João Paulo Silva - CIBIO-InBIO – Universidade do Porto Bustards and power lines in Portugal: an overview of research done so far and its implications on impact assessment, mitigation and planning
Lorenzo Quaglietta - CIBIO-InBIO – Universidade do Porto / Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa Predicting wildlife-vehicle collisions using movement simulation models with the novel software SiMRiv
Isabel Lico - Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente LIFE, Biodiversity and Infrastructures
Marta Mattioli - Marca Associação de Desenvolvimento Local Implementation of volunteer environmental programs
13:30 - 15:00
Eduardo Ferreira - MED / Conservation Biology Lab, Department of Biology, Universidade de Évora Assessing behaviour states in a forest carnivore in a road-dominated landscape with hidden Markov models
Tiago Pinto - MED / Conservation Biology Lab, Department of Biology, Universidade de Évora Effectiveness of amphibian mitigation measures to reduce roadkills in low traffic roads
Rui Lourenço - MED / Laboratório de Ornitologia, Universidade de Évora Road effects on Tawny owls (Strix aluco): patterns in road-kills, abundance, population trend, and movements
Rita Alcazar - Liga para a Protecção da Natureza / Centro de Educação Ambiental do Vale Gonçalinho Minimization of electrocution risk in priority areas for the Iberian Imperial Eagle (Aquila adalberti)
Julieta Costa - Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves Protocols Avifauna – Joint efforts to mitigate bird mortality in powerlines
Mariana P. Fernandes - MED / Department of Biology, Universidade de Évora Can power lines poles bases be used as habitat promotion?