Wildlife & Traffic
A European Handbook for Identifying Conflicts and Designing Solutions
Contents
- 10.1 Introduction
- 10.2 Developing an adaptive ecological asset maintenance plan
- 10.3. Maintenance requirements for ecological asset and wildlife management
- 10.4 Maintenance tasks sheets
- Maintenance of fencing: meshes and poles
- Maintenance of fencing: escape devices
- Maintenance of cattle grids
- Maintenance of screens installed to reduce disturbances
- Maintenance of amphibian/small fauna fences
- Maintenance of ecoducts, wildlife and multiuse overpasses
- Maintenance of viaducts, wildlife and multiuse underpasses
- Maintenance of modified culverts
- Maintenance of amphibian tunnels
- Maintenance of wildlife awareness signs
- Maintenance of signs activated by Animal Detection Systems (ADS)
- Management of vegetation
- Management of habitats for pollinators and other small fauna
- Control of Invasive Alien Species (IAS)
- Management of verges to reduce forest fire risk in sensitive areas
- Management of retention ponds to wildlife
- Management of road killed animals
- Management of Animal-Vehicle Collisions (AVC) data
- 10.5 References
- Appendix 1
- Appendix 2
Maintenance of modified culverts

INSPECTION TASKS
To check
- Dry ledges where they exist are in good condition.
- Appropriate drainage is provided to prevent permanent flooding or pooling while allowing the primary hydraulic function.
- In culverts adapted to allow the passage of fish, ensure the connectivity is maintained for the use of aquatic organisms.
- No human misuse of the structure is found.
- Fences are well-anchored to wildlife crossing entrances.
- Fences are appropriately fixed to the ground.
- Vegetation height, composition and patch design is consistent with the standards.
- No Invasive Alien Species are found.
- No debris or other objects pose obstacles or prevent the appropriate use of the wildlife crossing.

SPECIFIC MAINTENANCE TASKS
To do
- Structural features and uses
- Maintain or restore entrance areas to ensure these are free of obstacles to fauna movements and appropriately connected with the surrounding habitats.
- If the structure is flooded for long periods, install dry ledges at both sides of the culvert to increase it’s use by fauna.
- Maintain dry ledges appropriate state, clear of obstacles.
- Substitute wooden ledges for concrete ones, if needed, to increase durability.
- Remove rocks and sand that could impede wildlife crossing or reduce the hydraulic capacity.
- Fences and screens > see Sheet 1
- Replace broken or deformed meshes and any damage on screens.
- Reinforce the anchorage of the mesh to the ground and poles when needed. If a reinforced mesh is present, ensure it is well attached to the lower part of the fence.
- Modify any element of the drainage system close to the fauna passage to prevent animals having access to the road (e.g. junctions of fences with perimeter drains).
- Vegetation > see Sheet 12
- Undertake mowing, pruning and other vegetation management according to standards provided.
- Remove vegetation debris that could obstruct the passage or reduce its hydraulic capacity.
- Remove any Invasive Alien Species found.

SCHEDULE
- Minimum: Once a year, just before periods of increased movements or migration periods.
- Mowing and pruning vegetation should be scheduled according to local conditions.
- Additional inspections should be planned following floods, strong winds, snow or other adverse weather events.
Maintenance of ecological assets on transport linear infrastructure