冀北坝上地区营造樟子松人工林对植被群落特征与土壤理化性质的影响

为明确在冀北坝上地区营造樟子松人工林对植被群落特征与土壤理化性质的影响,本研究将冀北坝上地区划分为坝西、坝中、坝东3个区域,以樟子松人工林为研究对象,以天然草地为对照,分析同一植被类型不同区域以及同一区域不同植被类型间植被物种组成、物种多样性和土壤理化性质的差异。结果表明：(1)营造樟子松人工林后,坝西植被物种数量明显增加,喜阴植物重要值和增加,Margalef丰富度指数(D_M)显著增大,Pielou均匀度指数(J_sw)显著减小;坝中植被物种数量几乎不变,喜阴植物重要值增加,Simpson指数(D_S)和Shannon-Wiener指数(H′)以及Pielou均匀度指数(J_sw)均显著减小;坝东植被物种数量明显减少,喜阴植物重要值和几乎不变,物种多样性与均匀度指数变化不显著。(2)坝西土壤容重显著减小,大团聚体含量和非毛管孔隙度显著增加;坝东土壤毛管孔隙度均显著减小,土壤容重均显著增加。(3)坝西和坝中土壤的酸碱性显著减小至中性,坝中土壤全氮含量、坝东土壤全氮和碱解氮含量显著减小。综上所述,在冀北坝上...     

唐山城市绿地土壤肥力特征分析与评价

对唐山城市绿地进行分类并采集各类型绿地的表层土壤，测定水解氮、有效磷、速效钾、pH值、土壤容重、孔隙度、有机质、电导率、含水量，根据取得的数据分析唐山市绿地土壤的肥力特征，得到不同类型的唐山市绿地土壤肥力排名情况，应用内梅罗综合指数法对各指标进行评价排序。结果表明，唐山市绿地土壤水解氮和速效钾含量极低，有效磷含量偏低；土壤容重均值为1.49g/cm3，电导率平均值为0.22d S/m，孔隙度平均值为45.55，整体土壤处于较紧实状态；pH值为5.6～6.7，属于中性偏酸性土壤。土壤容重与孔隙度呈极显著负相关；速效钾、有效磷和水解性氮呈极显著正相关,与之情况相同的还有有机质与含水量值，也呈现极显著正相关。应用内梅罗综合指数法计算得出的结果，唐山市绿地土壤肥力水平排序为：综合公园绿地>公共设施绿地>街旁绿地>道路绿地>其他绿地，土壤综合肥力指数为0.44～0.85，土壤肥力整体属于贫瘠水平。     

交通岛绿地和侧绿带对绿地土壤重金属分布的影响

以重庆市4个典型道路交通岛绿地和3个侧绿带为研究对象,分别采集距离道路边沿一定梯度的表层土壤样品,测定样品的Pb、Cd、Cr、Mn、Hg、As、Cu、Zn、Fe的含量,研究2种道路绿地类型绿地土壤重金属含量分布的差异,探索道路绿地的防护效应。结果表明:随着距道路距离的增加,绿地土壤重金属的综合污染指数总体呈下降趋势。按照线性方程估算,交通岛型绿地距道路距离为80m、道路侧绿带为50m时土壤重金属综合污染指数接近1。调查区域交通岛绿地土壤重金属综合污染指数和距道路的距离呈中等相关性,道路侧绿带土壤重金属综合污染指数和距道路的距离呈强相关性,而2种绿地的土壤重金属综合污染指数和距道路的距离总体呈弱相关性,这可能与2种绿地的防护效应存在差异有关。     

塞罕坝不同植被类型地表土壤动物群落特征

为了解塞罕坝地区不同植被地表土壤动物群落特征,分别以白桦林、阔叶混交林、落叶松林、针阔混交林、云杉林、草甸为研究对象,于2017年7月采用陷阱法采集不同植被土壤动物并对其群落组成、结构及多样性进行分析。结果显示,6种植被样地中共获得土壤动物8 351头,隶属5纲19目96科186种,优势类群为盲蛛目、弹尾目、膜翅目、鞘翅目和双翅目。白桦林、落叶松林、阔叶混交林和针阔混交林土壤动物类群数均显著高于草甸和云杉林;落叶松林土壤动物个体数显著高于其他林分。各植被类型之间土壤动物Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和均匀度指数无显著差异。主成分分析和相关分析显示不同植被地表土壤动物的空间分布差异显著,且土壤动物个体数与林分内凋落物生物量、厚度、全氮、全磷、全碳含量及土壤容重呈极显著正相关。可见,塞罕坝地区不同植被类地表土壤动物群落组成和分布存在一定差异,地表环境因子是影响其组成的重要因素。     

白刺沙堆周围土壤理化性状的空间分布特征

为了探讨沙堆灌丛植被"肥岛"效应影响下土壤养分的空间分布特征,以宁夏东部荒漠灌丛白刺为研究对象,对沙堆不同生境,不同土层的pH、全盐和碳氮磷含量及其比值进行了研究。结果表明:白刺沙堆土壤pH和全盐均随土层的加深而升高,相对于pH,全盐的升高更为显著(P0.05),有机碳(SOC)、全氮(TN)和全磷(TP)随土壤深度的增加总体上呈逐渐降低的趋势,在土壤表层(0~40cm),3种生境下土壤养分含量为冠下冠缘灌丛间地,TP相对于SOC和TN在不同生境、不同土层间变化不显著(P0.05);在表层土壤(0~20cm)处,沙堆冠下土壤的碳氮比(C/N)、碳磷比(C/P)和氮磷比(N/P)呈极显著增加趋势;离植株不同距离的3种生境下,白刺沙堆土壤的C/N、C/P和N/P几乎无明显的规律性,经方差分析可知,土层对SOC和TN影响显著(P0.05),对TP无影响(P0.05),距离仅对SOC有显著影响,而距离与土层的交互作用对三者均有显著影响(P0.05)。白刺沙堆土壤pH和全盐对C/N、C/P、N/P的贡献为正,SOC、TN和TP对C/N的贡献均为负。     

洛阳市洛龙区道路绿地调查与景观评价

基于随机取样方法和单因素方差的试验设计,对洛阳市洛龙区5条主要道路绿地进行样带调查,并依据AHP(层次分析法)开展景观评价,结果表明:植物景观的效果由好到差的顺序依次为牡丹大道(7.18)>关林路(6.55)>龙门大道(6.54)>开元大道(6.50)>龙鳞路(6.01);道路绿地的物种多样性指数、植物观赏特性多样性指数都与AHP得分显著正相关。丰富道路绿地物种数量,增加观花、观叶、观果植物的种类,可以显著提高道路绿地的景观效果。     

不同规格复羽叶栾树透光率的比较分析

为了明确复羽叶栾树树下光强的变化规律,采用AccuPAR(LP-80)植物冠层分析仪,测定了不同规格的复羽叶栾树树下透光率及叶面积指数的日变化,分析了复羽叶栾树冠幅、胸径、树高之间的相互关系、叶面积指数与透光率之间的关系以及复羽叶栾树对光强的影响。结果表明:复羽叶栾树的胸径与冠幅、树高具有极显著正相关关系(P0.01),冠幅与树高之间呈显著正相关(P0.05)。晴天和阴天复羽叶栾树树下透光率的日变化明显不同,晴天冠层内透光率的日变化曲线大致呈"V"字型,表现为早晚高,午间低;阴天冠层内透光率的日变化曲线大致呈"M"字型,早晚和午间均较低,期间出现高峰值。叶面积指数与透光率的变化有极强的规律性,不同规格复羽叶栾树不同距离的透光率随着叶面积指数的增加呈现负幂指数下降的趋势。提出了复羽叶栾树植物配置的建议:复羽叶栾树能充分利用强光进行光合作用,因此,适合种植于光照强度较强的区域或者处于植物群落的上层;采用复层结构进行植物配置时,依据不同规格复羽叶栾树冠层内光照强度的变化规律,可在胸径8～24cm的树下和胸径24cm的树的树冠边缘1～2m处配置阳生植物,如小蜡、红花檵木、海桐、大叶黄杨、杜鹃等,距树冠边缘3m及以上范围内栽植喜光并耐荫的植物更佳,如小檗、中华蚊母、十大功劳等。     

宝天公路沿线土壤质量及植物物种多样性

选取宝天高速公路沿线天然林、次生林、人工林各7个样地采集土样和调查植被,研究了不同土地利用方式下森林土壤环境质量和群落植物的多样性,探讨了土壤性质及地形条件等生境因子对植物多样性的影响。结果表明:与甘肃小陇山天然林相比,宝天高速公路沿线森林土壤有机质、含水量、速效氮和速效磷平均含量分别下降了47.34%、56.08%、82.38%、36.27%;而土壤pH和速效钾含量分别增加了16.48%和47.14%。参照全国土壤养分分级标准,研究区土壤有机质、速效磷和速效钾的含量处于中上水平,而速效氮较缺乏。内梅罗指数表明,土壤综合肥力系数表现为对照组(2.09)天然林(1.50)次生林(1.30)人工林(1.12)。主成分分析表明,坡度和海拔是影响宝天高速公路沿线森林群落植物多样性差异的主要地形因子;土壤有机质、速效氮、速效钾等养分含量和土壤pH是影响森林群落植物多样性的间接因子。     

喀斯特山区不同土地利用方式对土壤重金属的影响

为探明喀斯特山区土地利用方式对土壤重金属的影响,以贵州喀斯特山区林地、天然草地、人工草地、耕地和弃耕地为研究对象,研究不同土地利用方式对土壤重金属(Cd、Cr、Pb、Ni、Hg、As)的含量、分布特征等的影响,并进行污染评价。结果表明:在不同土地利用方式土壤剖面中,Cd和Pb均呈表层富集,Cr、Ni、Hg在林地、天然草地、耕地中层富集,As呈均匀分布;在各土层不同利用方式中,土壤重金属的分布无明显规律;Cd与Pb,Pb和As来源相同,pH与Ni呈极显著正相关(P0.01),与Pb、As呈极显著负相关(P0.01);阳离子交换量CEC与Cd、Pb、As呈极显著正相关(P0.01),与Ni、Hg呈极显著负相关(P0.01),与Cr呈显著负相关(P0.05)。地累积指数法、内梅罗综合指数法和Hakanson潜在生态危害的评价结果综合表明,贵州喀斯特山区不同土地利用方式的6种土壤重金属元素均主要来源成土母质,除了Cd外,其它5种元素均未对土壤造成污染;人工草地和弃耕地为中度污染,林地、耕地、天然草地为轻度污染,主要是由喀斯特山区特殊的地质环境造成的Cd的背景值高引起的污染;5种土地利用方式均为轻度生态危害。土壤Cd污染需要引起注意,研究区土壤偏酸性,可考虑植物修复将重金属移除土壤。     

草地早熟禾对叶面尘与土壤重金属的吸收作用

选择青岛市4条主干道和青岛农业大学校园路段作为具有不同交通流量的采样地区,以草地早熟禾为试材,研究了草地早熟禾的叶片、根和相应的叶面尘、土壤的Pb、Zn、Cu、Cd重金属含量的关系。结果表明:随着距道路边缘水平距离的增加,叶面尘Pb、Zn、Cd含量呈减少趋势,其中Pb含量在0.5m和10.5m处差异显著(P0.05),Zn、Cd含量在0.5m处显著高于5.5m和10.5m处(P0.05);Cu含量随距离的增加无明显变化规律;随水平距离的增加草地早熟禾叶片的Pb、Zn、Cu、Cd含量均呈减少趋势,其中Pb、Zn、Cu含量在0.5m处与10.5m处差异显著(P0.05);叶面尘Pb、Zn、Cd含量与滞尘量极显著或显著相关;叶片Pb、Zn、Cu含量与滞尘量呈极显著或显著相关关系,Cd含量与滞尘量相关性不明显;不同道路叶面尘Pb、Zn、Cd含量与叶片Pb、Zn、Cd含量极显著或显著相关,叶面尘Pb、Zn、Cu、Cd含量与根重金属含量无显著相关关系;不同道路土壤Pb含量与根Pb含量极显著相关,土壤Cd含量与根Cd含量呈负极显著相关关系;土壤Pb、Zn、Cu、Cd含量与叶片重金属含量无显著相关关系。     

Road verges as invasion corridors? A spatial hierarchical test in an arid ecosystem

Disturbed habitats are often swiftly colonized by alien plant species. Human inhabited areas may act as sources from which such aliens disperse, while road verges have been suggested as corridors facilitating their dispersal. We therefore hypothesized that (i) houses and urban areas are propagule sources from which aliens disperse, and that (ii) road verges act as corridors for their dispersal. We sampled presence and cover of aliens in 20 plots (6 × 25 m) per road at 5-km intervals for four roads, nested within three localities around cities (n = 240). Plots consisted of three adjacent nested transects. Houses (n = 3,349) were mapped within a 5-km radius from plots using topographical maps. Environmental processes as predictors of alien composition differed across spatial levels. At the broadest scale road-surface type, soil type, and competition from indigenous plants were the strongest predictors of alien composition. Within localities disturbance-related variables such as distance from dwellings and urban areas were associated with alien composition, but their effect differed between localities. Within roads, density and proximity of houses was related to higher alien species richness. Plot distance from urban areas, however, was not a significant predictor of alien richness or cover at any of the spatial levels, refuting the corridor hypothesis. Verges hosted but did not facilitate the spread of alien species. The scale dependence and multiplicity of mechanisms explaining alien plant communities found here highlight the importance of considering regional climatic gradients, landscape context and road-verge properties themselves when managing verges. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

呼和浩特市绿地土壤重金属污染特征及评价

选择呼和浩特市城区公园绿地、居民小区绿地和道路绿化带为研究对象,采集城市中心和东南西北5个区域共45个样品。通过对不同绿地类型和不同区域土壤6种重金属含量的分析,采用单项污染指数法和内梅罗综合污染指数法对重金属的污染程度进行评价,采用主成分分析法分析重金属污染的来源,以期为呼和浩特市绿地土壤环境保护及其重金属污染防治提供科学依据。结果表明:呼和浩特市城区不同绿地类型土壤中4种重金属的平均含量均超过内蒙古的土壤背景值,重金属Cu和Cr含量分别达到背景值的2.20倍和1.68倍;单项污染指数评价结果显示,不同绿地类型土壤中重金属存在不同污染程度,重金属Cu在道路绿化带和居民小区绿地呈中度污染,在公园绿地呈轻度污染。不同土壤重金属元素污染程度依次为Cu>Cr>Zn>Pb>Ni>As。内梅罗综合污染指数法评价结果表明,道路绿化带呈中度污染,其次是居民小区绿地,污染水平为轻度污染,公园绿地污染程度最轻;城西呈中度污染,其余均为轻度污染。不同绿地类型和不同区域土壤重金属综合污染指数大小为道路绿化带(2.09)>居民小区绿地(1.83)>公园绿地(1.54);城西(2.04)>城南(1.78)>城东(1.77)>城中(1.76)>城北(1.73)。主成分分析结果显示,呼和浩特市绿地土壤不同重金属的来源存在差异,其中Cu、Cr和Ni主要来自交通污染源和人们日常生活废弃物的堆放;As主要来源于自然源。     

Road Density and Landscape Pattern in Relation to Housing Density,and Ownership,Land Cover,and Soils

Roads are conspicuous components of landscapes and play a substantial role in defining landscape pattern. Previous studies have demonstrated the link between roads and their effects on ecological processes and landscape patterns. Less understood is the placement of roads, and hence the patterns imposed by roads on the landscape in relation to factors describing land use, land cover, and environmental heterogeneity. Our hypothesis was that variation in road density and landscape patterns created by roads can be explained in relation to variables describing land use, land cover, and environmental factors. We examined both road density and landscape patterns created by roads in relation to suitability of soil substrate as road subgrade, land cover, lake area and perimeter, land ownership, and housing density across 19 predominantly forested counties in northern Wisconsin, USA. Generalized least squares regression models showed that housing density and soils with excellent suitability for road subgrade were positively related to road density while wetland area was negatively related. These relationships were consistent across models for different road types. Landscape indices showed greater fragmentation by roads in areas with higher housing density, and agriculture, grassland, and coniferous forest area, but less fragmentation with higher deciduous forest, mixed forest, wetland, and lake area. These relationships provide insight into the complex relationships among social, institutional, and environmental factors that influence where roads occur on the landscape. Our results are important for understanding the impacts of roads on ecosystems and planning for their protection in the face of continued development.     

Spatial road disturbance index (SPROADI) for conservation planning: a novel landscape index, demonstrated for the State of Brandenburg, Germany

The expansion of roads, and the subsequent changes to the surrounding landscape not only lead to landscape fragmentation but also have been shown to be a key driver of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. Local declines of species abundance as well as changes in animal behaviour have drawn attention to wider ecosystem effects including altered species composition and a degradation of ecosystem functioning. However, methods for measuring and quantifying the distribution and environmental impacts of roads are not yet fully developed. We present a new technique for assessing the potential impacts of roads on biodiversity using a spatial road disturbance index (SPROADI). The index is calculated from three sub-indices: traffic intensity as a measure of traffic volume per time and space; vicinity impact, which is the assessment of edge effect of roads on adjacent habitats (the road-effect zone); and fragmentation grade, which provides an indication of the degree to which the landscape is intersected by roads. SPROADI was then tested using data from the Federal State of Brandenburg in north-eastern Germany. A sensitivity analysis was carried out on the results to assess the robustness of the index. The findings revealed expected patterns of high road disturbance in urban and peri-urban landscapes surrounding Berlin. Less obvious were the high levels of road density and impacts in forest plantations across the southern region of Brandenburg, and low levels of road disturbance in agricultural crop lands of the north-western region. Results were variable for areas under some form of protection. The only national park displayed substantially lower SPROADI values in contrast to the surrounding non-protected areas whilst other protected area categories, which were landscape conservation areas and nature parks, revealed SPROADI values that were equally high as those for non-protected areas. The results of this study demonstrate the strengths and potential applications of SPROADI as a quantitative means for identifying low-traffic areas in the context of conservation and sustainable transport planning.     

Modeling the indirect effects of road networks on the foraging activities of bats

Negative impacts of road networks on wildlife are of global concern. While direct mortality of wildlife via roads has been well-documented, we know little about indirect effects of roads. Using a simulation model parameterized from empirical data, we explored how roads in proximity to maternity roosts influenced foraging activities of the endangered Indiana bat. First, we conducted manipulated landscape simulations to identify characteristics (such as traffic volume, foraging habitat availability, etc.) that influenced landscape permeability. We used a classification and regression tree procedure to assess which landscape and road-related variables, alone or in combination, influenced bat movement. We determined that roads did act as filters (>10 vehicles/5 min) or barriers (>200 vehicles/5 min) to movement. However, it is a combination of the proportion of foraging habitat accessible without crossing a road, and roost-to-road distance that dictated whether the barrier and filter effects of roads hindered the bats’ foraging abilities. We then simulated movement patterns and foraging success of Indiana bats at 32 existing maternity roosts to identify conditions under which colonies currently persist. We established a foraging success threshold, above which Indiana bats currently persist. The value represents the time virtual bats spend in foraging habitat during the simulation period. Finally, simulations from these landscapes around known maternity roosts demonstrate that the road network and landscape configuration are critical to foraging success. This modeling approach and threshold value are beneficial to road developers and represent an invaluable tool in the ecological design of transportation infrastructures.     

Forest roads and landscape structure in the southern Rocky Mountains

Roadless areas on public lands may serve as environmental baselines against which human-caused impacts on landscape structure can be measured. We examined landscape structure across a gradient of road densities, from no roads to heavily roaded, and across several spatial scales. Our study area was comprised of 46,000 ha on the Roosevelt National Forest in north-central Colorado. When forest stands were delineated on the basis of seral stage and covertype, no relationship was evident between average stand size and road density. Topography appeared to exert a greater influence on average stand size than did road density. There was a significant positive correlation between the fractal dimension of forest stands and road density across all scales. Early-seral stands existed in greater proportions adjacent to roads, suggesting that the effects of roads on landscape structure are somewhat localized. We also looked at changes in landscape structure when stand boundaries were delineated by roads in addition to covertype and seral stage. Overall, there was a large increase in small stands with simple shapes, concurrent with a decline in the number of stands > 100 ha. We conclude that attempts to quantify the departure from naturalness in roaded areas requires an understanding of the factors controlling the structure of unroaded landscapes, particularly where the influence of topography is great. Because roads in forested landscapes influence a variety of biotic and abiotic processes, we suggest that roads should be considered as an inherent component of landscape structure. Furthermore, plans involving both the routing of new roads and the closure of existing ones should be designed so as to optimize the structure of landscape mosaics, given a set of conservation goals.     

Distribution of the red imported fire ant,shape Solenopsis invicta,in road and powerline habitats

For early-successional species, road and powerline cuts through forests provide refugia and source populations for invading adjacent forest gaps. Within an 800 km² forest matrix in South Carolina, we determined if width, disturbance frequency or linear features of road and powerline cuts influenced the mound distribution of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren. For each of five linear habitat types, differing in width and disturbance frequency, we mapped all mounds located within ten 500 m segments. Mean mound density was lowest in narrow, infrequently-disturbed closed-canopy dirt road habitats (8.8 mounds/ha). For types with an opening in the forest canopy (i.e., open dirt road, gravel road, paved road and powerline cut), mean mound density was highest in narrow habitats where disturbance was intermediate (open dirt roads, 86.5 mounds/ha). It was lowest in wide habitats where disturbance was infrequent (powerline cuts, 27.6 mounds/ha). Mean mound size was greater in infrequently-disturbed powerline cuts than in frequently-disturbed paved roads. Mounds were located significantly closer to road or forest edges than expected by random. In all types except dirt roads, mounds were more common toward northern edges, and more so as the orientation of the linear habitat changed from north/south to east/west. These data suggest that narrow, disturbed habitats are more suitable for fire ant establishment and success than wider ones, and that the distribution of fire ants in linear habitats is not as uniform as it has been shown to be in pastures. A decrease in roadside disturbance and an increase in shade, especially along the northern edge, may result in lower fire ant mound density in these linear habitats.     

Barriers as boundaries for metapopulations and demes of Peromyscus leucopus in farm landscapes

Effects of potential barriers (roads and cultivated fields) on both demographic and genetic features of subpopulations of white-footed mice were studied near Ottawa, Canada. Live trapping, colored bait and track registry were used to study animal movements across roads on four 1.44 ha areas each within a small forest bisected by a narrow gravel road. The genetic study was done in 11 other forest fragments separated from each other by cultivated fields. Frequencies of three electrophoretic variants of salivary amylases were established for mice caught in each patch of wood and genetic similarity of subpopulations was calculated. Movements of mice across the roads were very infrequent (quantitative barrier), although movements adjacent to roads were frequent and long enough to cross the roads. Salivary amylase data showed that studied subpopulations were genetically very similar although the sample was intentionally biased toward demographic isolation. Results are discussed in terms of possible hierarchical relationships of metapopulations and genetic demes in the context of landscape ecology, management and conservation practice.     

靖边县建设“千里绿色长廊”精品工程的经验与措施

"千里绿色长廊"工程是2011年省政府站在战略的高度提出的一项重点林业工程,要求在全省境内已建成和2012年前建成的高速公路、国道、省道、铁路两侧,道路沿线直观坡面宜林荒山,坡面25°以上坡耕地营造樟子松、油松、侧柏等常绿树种.根据靖边县政府部署,县财政2011年投资1570万元全力打造"千里绿色长廊"绿化工程,完成24km的绿化任务,栽植常绿树种25万株。初步检查成活率均在80%以上。"千里绿色长廊"工程实施,既使公路、铁路两侧成为固水保土的生态线、环境优美的风景线,又可以成为调整种植结构的致富线和展示风采的形象线。     

Effect of road density on abundance of white-footed mice

While several studies have demonstrated that roads can act as barriers to small mammal movement, the relationship between road density and small mammal abundance has not yet been investigated. In southeastern Ontario, Peromyscus leucopus (white-footed mice) suffer high over-winter mortality rates, resulting in small springtime populations and frequent local extinctions. Peromyscus leucopus movement is known to be inhibited by roads, which should result in lower rates of immigration into and recolonization of habitats in landscapes with high road density. We tested two predictions: (1) Forest sites situated in landscapes with high road densities have a higher chance of P. leucopus being absent during the early spring than forest sites situated in landscapes with low road densities and (2) P. leucopus populations during the summer are smaller in forest sites situated in landscapes with high road densities than in landscapes with low road densities. We sampled P. leucopus in focal patches within nineteen landscapes (7 rural, low-road-density landscapes; 7 rural, high-road-density landscapes; 5 urban landscapes). There was no significant relationship between road density and the presence/absence of P. leucopus during the early spring. We found a significant positive effect of road density on P. leucopus relative abundance during the summer, even when we excluded the urban landscapes and based the analysis on only the 14 rural landscapes. Our results suggest that any negative effect of roads on P. leucopus populations, created by their inhibition to moving across roads, is far outweighed by some positive effect of roads on P. leucopus abundance. We suggest that the two most likely explanations are that roads are positively correlated with an important as-yet-undetermined component of habitat quality, or that roads positively affect P. leucopus by negatively affecting their predators.