Bats avoid the area near freeways, suggesting our roads impact wildlife more than we thought

Bats avoid being within several hundred metres of freeways, much further than the typical width of the roadside verges, suggesting we may be underestimating the amount of habitat lost or degraded due to roads for vulnerable wildlife, according to Australian research. Pollution, light, noise, and vibrations from roads often extend into the surrounding area creating a ‘road-effect zone’ which may be unsuitable for wildlife, resulting in indirect habitat loss. The researchers found that the activity of 7 out of 10 insect-eating bat species decreased near the freeway. They found the overall road-effect zone for bats was 307m, but for some species it extended to almost 900m. They say future environmental impact assessments should account for the road-effect zone for sensitive wildlife, in order to best plan and mitigate the impact of roads on the environment.