Environmental assessment and restoration

Paso Superior Especifico Leon

Specific fauna overpass across the A-66 motorway, Benavente-León.

This group has been working since the 1990s on research concerned with ecosystem management, conservation and restoration. It has produced pioneering projects and publications about applied vertebrate ecology, environmental impact assessment and corrective measures. In recent years, the group has studied the effectiveness of wildlife crossings in motorways for the prevention of vertebrate population fragmentation and the effects of this infrastructure on populations of small-mammals, lagomorphs, carnivores and birds of prey living in the surrounding areas.

Other projects have focused on animal-vehicle collisions, and we are currently assessing bird collisions with high-speed trains and the effectiveness of new screen designs to protect them.

On the basis of this experience, we have collaborated to draft technical manuals for environmental impact assessment, strategic environmental assessment and official prescriptions for the mitigation of impacts on wildlife. In addition to projects funded by open calls, this group also does research contracted by public administrations and the private sector, often in collaboration with their own R&D departments.

Some relevant projects:

REMEDINAL-3: Restauración y conservación de los ecosistemas madrileños: Respuesta frente al cambio global”. Comunidad de Madrid. Programa de Actividades Grupos de Investigación Consolidados. (S-2013/MAE-2719). 2014-2018

LIFE IMPACTO CERO: Development and demonstration of an anti-bird strike tubular screen for High Speed Rail lines”. LIFE 12 BIO/ES/000660. Programa LIFE+, Comisión Europea. 2013-19

“Estudio, evaluación, propuesta de alternativas de solución y capacitación en pasos de fauna asociado a cruces naturales de fauna en el área de la Compañía Minera Doña Inés de Collahuasi SCM.” AMBIOS Ltda – Compañía Minera Doña Inés de Collahuasi (Chile). 2013-2014

“Accidentalidad de aves en un tramo de línea de ferrocarril de alta velocidad.” CEDEX (Centro de Estudios y Experimentación, Ministerio de Fomento). 2012-13.

“Proyecto CENIT-OASIS, A.I.E.: Operación de Autopistas Seguras, Inteligentes y Sostenibles. Interacción de la autopista con los ecosistemas”. 4ª Convocatoria del Programa CENIT, Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial (CDTI), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (CENIT-2008 1016). 2008-2012.

Diagnóstico de los efectos sinérgicos producidos por 15 parques eólicos e infraestructuras eléctricas asociadas en el sureste de la provincia de Soria sobre las poblaciones de alondra ricotí (Chersophilus duponti). VGV 2010-2011