Runice posted on August 01, 2011 06:30
The old paradigm is that roads and highways, with their paved surfaces and loud whizzing traffic, are a conservationist's nightmare. They create noise, air and water pollution, destroy and fragment wild habitats, act as invasion routes for invasive species, are barriers to animal movement and each year are the cause of millions of animal deaths due to collision with vehicles. It's time to revise this paradigm since, in fact, road and highway areas not only often harbor important habitat, they can be designed and maintained to contribute to conservation goals.
Roadsides often are some of the last vestiges of undisturbed land. Because they were never plowed and cultivated, they often provide rare remnant habitats for rare native species. The southeastern sunflower (Helianthus schweinitzii), an almost 10 foot tall sunflower, has only 35 populations in North Carolina and South Carolina and most of them are along road rights-of-way. Similarly, another endangered species, the smooth coneflower (Echinacea laevigata) has been reduced to 24 populations, several of which are located on roadsides. In addition, uncommon birds such as loggerhead shrikes are often found along roads.
Even where roadsides don't harbor native remnants, they can still contribute to conservation goals. In the past, roadsides were most commonly planted in turf grass. Turf grass is not a great choice for roadsides because it requires mowing and herbiciding, is not drought resistant, and does not provide habitat for native species. On the other hand, native perennial plants are adapted to the local soils, heat and drought so they have more success than a turf grass. There is consequently little or no maintenance necessary with established native plantings. Therefore the time and cost of maintenance, as well as the reduction in pollution from the use of the fossil fuels for mowing, are all significantly reduced.
Planting native species along roadways can also help to provide habitat for native animal species. In addition, roadsides can supply movement corridors for many species of wildlife. Not to be ignored is the increased beautification of our roadsides, which will reflect the diversity of our country. While there are some limitations on what is appropriate to plant on roadsides (i.e. no trees within a certain distance from the road to limit collisions between cars and trees), the use of native plantings can be a mutually beneficial endeavor for the environment, those responsible for roadside maintenance, and drivers.
