Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Ecological Niches02:02

Ecological Niches

All organisms have a position within an ecosystem. The complete set of living and nonliving factors—including food resources, climate, and terrain—that define the position of a given organism are collectively referred to as the organism’s ecological niche.Multiple species cannot occupy the exact same niche within their habitat. If the niches of two or more species overlap to a large extent, the competitive exclusion principle dictates that one species will outcompete the other, forcing it to...
Short-distance Transport of Resources02:12

Short-distance Transport of Resources

Short-distance transport refers to transport that occurs over a distance of just 2-3 cells, crossing the plasma membrane in the process. Small uncharged molecules, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water, can diffuse across the plasma membrane on their own. In contrast, ions and larger molecules require the assistance of transport proteins due to their charge or size. Transport across membranes also occurs within individual cells, playing a variety of essential roles for the plant as a whole.
Habitat Fragmentation02:31

Habitat Fragmentation

Habitat fragmentation describes the division of a more extensive, continuous habitat into smaller, discontinuous areas. Human activities such as land conversion, as well as slower geological processes leading to changes in the physical environment, are the two leading causes of habitat fragmentation. The fragmentation process typically follows the same steps: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition.
Design Example: Alignment of a Road Line Using GIS01:17

Design Example: Alignment of a Road Line Using GIS

The alignment of a road line using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a critical process in civil engineering, combining advanced technology with practical decision-making. This methodology begins with the collection of geospatial data, including information on land cover, geomorphology, drainage patterns, slope, and contour details. Such data is typically acquired through satellite imagery and GIS tools, offering a comprehensive understanding of the terrain.Once the data is gathered, it...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Fine-scale heterogeneity and local amplification of West Nile virus in urban environments in Berlin.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Translocation effects on regional and local population viability and connectivity.

Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·2026
Same author

Do Peri-Urban Areas Act as Refuges for the European Rabbit (<i>Oryctolagus cuniculus</i> L.)?

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2025
Same author

Bird mortality on high-speed railways: lessons from two large contrasting species.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

Zoonotic potential of urban wildlife faeces, assessed through metabarcoding.

The Science of the total environment·2024
Same author

Hypotheses in urban ecology: building a common knowledge base.

Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Assessing Burrowing, Nest Construction, and Hoarding in Mice
08:23

Assessing Burrowing, Nest Construction, and Hoarding in Mice

Published on: January 5, 2012

32.9K

Infrastructure features outperform environmental variables explaining rabbit abundance around motorways.

Aimara Planillo1, Juan E Malo1

  • 1Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG) Department of Ecology Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain.

Ecology and Evolution
|January 30, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Road infrastructure significantly impacts European rabbit populations. Motorway verge width and traffic volume are key factors, with wider verges and higher traffic leading to fewer rabbits, informing conservation strategies.

Keywords:
Oryctolagus cuniculusaltered landscapesanthropogenic disturbanceenvironmental impact assessmentmitigationroad ecology

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Training of Laboratory Animals for Gentle and Stress-Free Handling
05:21

Author Spotlight: Training of Laboratory Animals for Gentle and Stress-Free Handling

Published on: February 16, 2024

3.4K
Author Spotlight: Impact of Physical Barriers on Rodent Populations in Farmland Areas
03:29

Author Spotlight: Impact of Physical Barriers on Rodent Populations in Farmland Areas

Published on: March 8, 2024

868

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Assessing Burrowing, Nest Construction, and Hoarding in Mice
08:23

Assessing Burrowing, Nest Construction, and Hoarding in Mice

Published on: January 5, 2012

32.9K
Author Spotlight: Training of Laboratory Animals for Gentle and Stress-Free Handling
05:21

Author Spotlight: Training of Laboratory Animals for Gentle and Stress-Free Handling

Published on: February 16, 2024

3.4K
Author Spotlight: Impact of Physical Barriers on Rodent Populations in Farmland Areas
03:29

Author Spotlight: Impact of Physical Barriers on Rodent Populations in Farmland Areas

Published on: March 8, 2024

868

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Road Ecology

Background:

  • Human infrastructure, particularly roads, extensively modifies landscapes and impacts wildlife populations.
  • Understanding species' responses to specific road features is crucial for effective conservation planning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the relative importance of environmental and infrastructure variables on European rabbit abundance in motorway verges.
  • To identify key road features influencing rabbit populations for conservation management.

Main Methods:

  • Variance partitioning analysis to compare the influence of environmental and infrastructure factors on rabbit abundance.
  • Model selection (AICc) and model averaging to identify significant variables and their effects on rabbit abundance index.

Main Results:

  • Infrastructure features explained four times more variability in rabbit abundance than environmental variables.
  • Verge width (positive effect) and traffic volume (negative effect) were the most critical variables influencing rabbit abundance.
  • Road infrastructure effects were particularly pronounced in altered landscapes lacking natural rabbit habitats.

Conclusions:

  • Modifying motorway features, such as verge width and traffic management, can effectively modulate species' responses to infrastructure.
  • Low-cost corrective measures and design phase modifications can improve conservation outcomes for species like European rabbits.
  • Maintaining motorway verges under 10m width is recommended to prevent high rabbit densities and associated issues.