S3E29: Barbed Wire and Border Walls: The Unseen Cost of Fragmented Habitats

90 Miles from Needles: the Desert Protection Podcast

About the Guest:
Ben Goldfarb is an award-winning environmental journalist and prolific author known for his focus on the intersection of human activity and wildlife. His works, including Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet, explore groundbreaking ecological concepts and have been recognized by outlets such as the New York Times. Goldfarb's influential book Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter has received critical acclaim for its insightful examination of the ecological significance of beavers. He currently resides in Colorado.

Episode Summary: In this episode of 90 Miles from Needles, host Chris Clarke engages in a thought-provoking dialogue with environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb. The focus is on the nuanced field of road ecology and its implications on desert ecosystems. Clarke and Goldfarb delve into the effects of roads on wildlife, touching on staggering statistics like the million animals killed by cars daily in the U.S. alone. They explore how roadkill, highways, and infrastructures challenge species such as desert tortoises and pronghorns in arid regions, combining environmental insight with ground-level observations. As the conversation unfolds, Goldfarb expands on the transformative role of road ecology—a growing scientific discipline that examines the relationship between transportation infrastructures and ecological systems. He highlights pressing issues including hydrological impacts, wildlife mobility, and innovative solutions like wildlife crossings to promote ecological connectivity. Clarke and Goldfarb also explore technologies, policies, and community efforts aimed at mitigating the adverse impacts of roads on the environment, weaving in discussions on living sustainability in desert habitats.

Key Takeaways

Road Ecology Definition: Road ecology is a dynamic scientific field focusing on how transportation infrastructure affects the environment, with extended applications from mitigating roadkill to supporting wildlife crossings. Impact on Desert Ecosystems: Roads in desert landscapes alter wildlife movement and hydrology, posing severe threats to species needing extensive ranges like the desert tortoise and pronghorn.

Wildlife Crossings: Successful wildlife crossings such as the Liberty Canyon project are vital in reducing road mortality and ensuring wildlife connectivity, especially in regions with high biodiversity.

Human Infrastructure Influence: The conversation highlights how human infrastructure can drive either positive ecological developments as in beaver habitats or embody detrimental impacts like excessive road development.

Beavers in Arid Lands: Goldfarb emphasizes that beavers once played a crucial role in maintaining riparian ecosystems in deserts, underlining the potential for ecosystem restoration.

Notable Quotes

"Road ecology is this relatively small but fast-growing field of science that looks at all of the different connections between roads and nature." – Ben Goldfarb "Beavers are sort of integral to those systems… the amount of lush flourishing in desert landscapes is incredible." – Ben Goldfarb

"Every ecological impact stems from a road to some extent. Roads are the root of all evil." – Ben Goldfarb

"We happen to do it in a way that is incredibly detrimental to biodiversity." – Ben Goldfarb

"In some ways, we and beavers are these weird mirror images of each other." – Ben Goldfarb

Resources

Ben Goldfarb's Book: Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet Ben Goldfarb's Book: Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter

Don’t miss out on this enlightening episode as Ben Goldfarb shares his invaluable insights into road ecology and its profound impact on desert ecosystems. Follow 90 Miles from Needles for more episodes that delve into pressing environmental issues and explore sustainable solutions.

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