Road Construction Stressor

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with construction and general waste and oil products that contain toxic and hazardous materials.
Another factor under consideration is the infringement of landscape integrity, which leads to an increase in erosion processes and subsequently, to problems of the engineering buildings’ security that will cause additional ecological problems. There also is the problem of noise pollution.
Finally, there is the problem of new ecological risks that are related to construction of additional engineering facilities along the road, such as power lines, pipelines, etc. Other specific environmental problems can be observed in the research area, such as a decrease in the biochemical indicators of oxygen.
The aforementioned problems serve as baseline factors for ecological risk assessment. On the other hand, direct impact is applied to vegetation, soil, fish, waterfowl, other species of wildlife and finally (rather, first and foremost), to people. Such effects are first visible in the change of natural conditions. Migration capabilities of fish are violated, which leads to disruption of spawning and feeding grounds. Disruption of oxygen content, which is naturally low in bogged water with a high content of organic elements, causes higher fish mortality. Ponding and drainage of the territory due to a “time dam” effect causes a change in vegetation and soil composition and subsequently, change in microflora. Effects of pollutants on the wildlife and other aforementioned factors should be noted, although this report does not provide a detailed description of impact mechanisms, but rather a description of general directions and characteristics of the ecological risk assessment.
The road construction example is a purely hypothetical assumption that portrays the above- mentioned environmental problems. Although road construction is not planned in this area, such an example provides initial information on the problems that might be avoided, or at least assist in minimizing environmental impact.
In keeping with the choice of receptors to be examined, the effects of road construction on waterfowl are discussed next. Although its direct impact on waterfowl’s habitat is relatively small, road construction would lead to an increased disturbance of waterfowl. The disturbance factors are as follows:
1.Dispersal of waterfowl during road construction and maintenance (direct impact).
2.Improved access to waterfowl’s habitat.
3.Pollution with municipal waste and increase in water toxicity.
Noise that exists in the area of road construction has a significant impact on waterfowl. In addition to noise, the dispersal factor (item 1) also includes visual disturbance. Since it is very difficult to distinguish between noise pollution and visual disturbance in regard to waterfowl, we will consider both effects in the dispersal factor as one. Road construction will lead to an improved access to previously inaccessible areas of waterfowl’s habitat. This factor could aid the

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hunters in reaching and disturbing the waterfowl’s habitat where it has not happened in the past.
An improved access to waterfowl’s habitat in the summer and its nesting grounds can be classified as one of the most harmful effects of the area’s development on birds that inhabit the research area of Priobskoye oil field. In addition to increasing the number of people in the area, an added factor is predation against waterfowl. For example, waterfowl’s eggs and offspring are extremely exposed to such predators as seagull, skua and fox especially when the presence of people in the area makes mature birds leave their nesting grounds. In addition, people’s presence in waterfowl’s nesting areas during the incubation period, feathering, and early stages of raising offspring could indirectly lead to the loss of many eggs and young species (fragmentation of flocks).
The road in Site 1 crosses the Ob flood plain and Maliy Salym river and runs through the terrace. The road is 50 meters wide which includes road lanes, cushioning layer, drainage ditches and adjacent territory covered with waste. In addition, we reviewed affected areas on both sides of the road that are 1 kilometer wide on each side. The majority of birds can be easily dispersed,
and the noise pollution covers large open areas in the flood plain. Forests and tall vegetation serve as noise absorbers, although the road at site 1 crosses through sections of tall vegetation only after crossing over the Maliy Salym river where the developed territory begins. As mentioned earlier, the developed territory is under significant anthropogenic impact, therefore waterfowl do not inhibit such areas. As a result, ecological risk for waterfowl on the left bank of
Maliy Salym is low. The risk increases in the areas where the road crosses sections of the waterfowl’s preferred habitat.
As described in the bottom half of Figure 16, the aforementioned problems, as well as ecological risk, will be reduced if the road construction route is modified by introducing additional horizontal drainage systems and diverted to cross over high ground that is less sustainable to drainage effects. Moreover, the latter option provides an opportunity to preserve hydrogeological regimes and shallow lakes that serve as fish spawning grounds and feeding grounds for waterfowl.
This example shows adverse effects of road construction, under any conditions, on control of ponding effects that lead to erosion, settling, and other problems described above. On the other hand, it provides an opportunity to initially minimize ecological consequences. The baseline for any road construction, in view of ecological risk, should be assessment and control

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Figure 16

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of environmental resistance against certain exposures and maximum preservation of environmental potential to withstand such an impact.

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