INTERVIEW WITH FERNANDA Z. TEIXEIRA

1. Tell us a bit about your background with road ecology and how you became involved with the LACTWG.

I began working with road ecology during my undergraduate studies in Biology, when I was involved in the conservation of the brown howler monkey (Alouatta guariba). At that time, I worked on the installation of canopy bridges to connect forest fragments, aiming to facilitate the movement of these animals and reduce the risks of roadkill and electrocution.

That experience sparked my interest in the broader issue of linear infrastructure impacts and mitigation measures. I began to study the topic in greater depth, and during my master’s and doctoral research, I focused on the effects of roads on wildlife, including roadkill and ecological connectivity loss. My work aimed to propose prioritization strategies for mitigation, identifying key locations for implementing measures to reduce these impacts.

After completing my PhD, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher at different universities, consistently focusing on road ecology, and more recently, I have been leading the linear infrastructure program at the Center for Large Landscape Conservation. Throughout this journey, I participated in numerous conferences in Brazil and internationally, which allowed me to build a network of collaborators working on similar issues in different countries.

In 2018, during the IENE Conference in the Netherlands, a group of researchers from Latin America came together with the idea of forming a regional working group focused on road ecology. This initiative led to the official creation of the Latin America and Caribbean Transport Working Group (LACTWG), as part of the Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group (CCSG) of the IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA).

Since the group’s inception, I have been actively involved as a member and, more recently, as one of its co-chairs. I’ve been contributing to strengthening regional collaboration and promoting strategic actions to mitigate the impacts of infrastructure on biodiversity across Latin America.

2. How do you see the development of road ecology in Brazil, including the main advances and challenges?

Road ecology in Brazil has emerged as a highly pioneering field. The first scientific study on the topic was published in the late 1980s, and since then, interest in the subject has steadily grown. Multiple research groups at different universities across the country began dedicating themselves to studying the impacts of road infrastructure on biodiversity.

Initially, the main focus was on wildlife-vehicle collisions — understanding which species were most affected, where these incidents were concentrated, and what spatial patterns could be identified. Over time, however, the scope of research topics within road ecology in Brazil has expanded significantly.

Today, a wide variety of research lines are being pursued — from the study of mitigation measures and monitoring (including aquatic environments) to landscape ecology approaches. This reflects the consolidation of road ecology as a robust, multidisciplinary field. In fact, Brazil is one of the countries with the highest number of scientific publications on the topic, particularly within the Latin American context.

It’s also important to highlight the progress made in bridging research and practice. More and more professionals working in environmental agencies and consultancies are engaging directly with scientific research. This has led to a rich exchange of knowledge: researchers are learning from practitioners about real-world challenges and what is truly feasible, while environmental analysts and consultants are using scientific evidence to improve and technically ground their work.

In recent years, this progress has been further strengthened by the creation of the Brazilian Network of Experts in Transportation Ecology (REET Brasil). The network brings together more than 200 professionals from different sectors who actively share information, ask questions, and collaborate. REET has played a key role in strengthening the community of practice in road ecology in Brazil and in promoting dialogue between science and implementation.

At the same time that we have all these advances, there are still many challenges. A key issue is that environmental legislation ensuring the conduct of environmental impact studies before infrastructure projects is under threat in Brazil. There are many challenges in reconciling the demand for infrastructure expansion with higher-quality and more effective studies to support decision-making. Additionally, Brazil has an extensive road network built decades ago that requires corrective actions to reduce the existing environmental liabilities. In other words, there is still a lot of work ahead.

3. Are there any initiatives in Brazil that could serve as examples for other countries in the region?

I believe a highly relevant example from Brazil — which could serve as inspiration for other Latin American countries — is the collaborative and participatory work between researchers, environmental consultants, government agency analysts, and transportation specialists. This collaboration has been essential for developing regulations, defining best practices, and establishing guidelines that inform both environmental and transportation agencies at the state and national levels.

There are several examples of this type of initiative in Brazil. One notable case is the guideline published by the state agency of Rio Grande do Sul, which was developed through broad and participatory discussions among these different expert groups. The resulting guideline provides clear directions on how environmental monitoring related to transportation infrastructure should be conducted. Similar experiences have taken place in other Brazilian states as well as at the federal level, demonstrating a proactive and collaborative approach that could serve as a reference for other regions.

Another positive example is the increasing proximity between researchers, consultants, and environmental and transportation analysts, fostered through forums and collaborative networks like the Brazilian Network of Experts in Transportation Ecology (REET Brasil). These spaces have created an environment conducive to knowledge exchange and mutual learning. This connected network of professionals has contributed to the dissemination and implementation of best practices, allowing practical field experience to inform science, and scientific evidence to support decision-making.

A concrete example of this collaboration is when, during the early stages of the environmental assessment of a new road project, environmental analysts, transportation specialists, consultants, and researchers came together to jointly define the scope and focus of the environmental studies. This participatory approach from the very beginning significantly increases the likelihood that the studies will produce the information truly needed to support well-informed decisions.

These experiences demonstrate the value of collective solution-building and can serve as models for other Latin American countries facing similar challenges in integrating infrastructure development with biodiversity conservation.

4. What do you see as future directions and priorities for this group?

Regarding future directions and priorities for the LACTWG, I believe one of the main objectives should be to maximize opportunities for information exchange and mutual learning among professionals from different sectors and countries. The region hosts a wide range of important initiatives related to road ecology — from research projects to the implementation of mitigation measures — led by people working in government agencies, universities, NGOs, and consultancies.

This diversity represents enormous potential for generating knowledge, which must be shared and disseminated. Therefore, I see it as a priority to promote initiatives that foster collaboration and the exchange of experiences, both virtually and in person. Tools such as webinars, online discussion groups, data- and document-sharing platforms, as well as in-person workshops and conferences, are essential for bringing professionals together, strengthening networks, and increasing the capacity for collective action.

Bringing these people together in spaces for dialogue enables them to learn from one another, share challenges and solutions, and collaborate to improve decision-making processes, enhance mitigation practices, and stimulate the production of technical and scientific knowledge. By strengthening this exchange across sectors and countries, we are also investing in the ongoing capacity-building of professionals and promoting a more integrated and effective response to the biodiversity challenges posed by infrastructure development in Latin America.