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ecoduct

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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WOTD – 2 March 2025

Etymology

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An aerial view of an ecoduct across the Tartu–Tallinn highway in Estonia.

From eco- (prefix meaning ‘ecology; the environment’) +‎ (via)duct (“bridge with several spans that carries traffic over a valley or other obstacles”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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ecoduct (plural ecoducts)

  1. (ecology) A type of wildlife crossing in the form of a bridge or tunnel, usually covered with foliage and turf, which animals may use to cross roads without the risk of being hit by vehicles; a wildlife viaduct. [from late 20th c.]
    Hypernym: wildlife crossing
    Coordinate terms: green bridge, mammal tunnel
    An ecoduct was installed above the road to help wildlife cross safely.
    • 1994, J. P. Knaapen, H. C. van Engen, R. C. van Apeldoorn, P. Schippers, J. Verboom, “Badgers in the Netherlands: Evaluation of Scenarios with Models”, in Job F. Th. Schoute, Peter A. Finke, Frank R. Veeneklaas, Henk P. Wolfert, editors, Scenario Studies for the Rural Environment: Selected and Edited Proceedings of the Symposium Scenario Studies for the Rural Environment, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 12–15 September 1994 (Environment & Policy; 5), Dordrecht, South Holland; Boston, Mass.: Kluwer Academic Publishers, →ISBN, page 552:
      Several measures can be taken to influence the circumstance for the badger in a positive way. Apart from protection and restoration of potential habitats, important measures are: restoration or development of dispersal corridors (woodlots, hedgerows), construction of tunnels or ecoducts for crossing roads, reduction of speed limits, and closure of roads for traffic at night.
    • 1997, G. J. (Hans) Bekker, “Fragmentation and Road-infrastructure in the Netherlands: From History to Future”, in James Randy Williams, John W. Goodrich-Mahoney, Jan R. Wisniewski, Joe Wisniewski, editors, The Sixth International Symposium on Environmental Concerns in Rights-of-way Management, 24–26 February 1997, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, Kidlington, Oxfordshire; New York, N.Y.: Elsevier Science, →ISBN, part VII (Biodiversity), page 364, column 1:
      [S]pecies preferred a particular type of passage: fox and rabbit used the pipes more than the culverts and roe deer, hare and red squirrel were only observed on the ecoduct; […] It appears that an ecoduct with a variety of habitat-types is better for a broader range of species. Design of an ecoduct is important and so is the context, […]
    • 2004, Brian K. Miller, Kenli Schaaf, Robert K. Swihart, Chester L. Arnold, Jr., “Historical and Human Dimensions of Nature-based Planning: Is Time on Our Side?”, in Robert K. Swihart, Jeffrey E. Moore, editors, Conserving Biodiversity in Agricultural Landscapes: Model-based Planning Tools, West Lafayette, Ind.: Purdue University Press, →ISBN, page 231:
      A large budget was reserved for purchasing ground, developing new natural areas, and for making "ecoducts" (wildlife bridges or tunnels) under/over main highways that dissected natural areas.
    • 2025, Nick Thorpe, “On Chicken Mountain”, in Walking Europe’s Last Wilderness: A Journey through the Carpathian Mountains, New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, →ISBN, page 322:
      Not far from Brănișca [in Romania], an ecoduct crosses the motorway from the Apuseni mountains to the Retezat. Like bears, wolves have been known to travel enormous distances.

Translations

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Further reading

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Dutch

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Etymology

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Compare French écoduc, English ecoduct.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˌeː.koːˈdʏkt/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: eco‧duct

Noun

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ecoduct n (plural ecoducten, diminutive ecoductje n)

  1. wildlife crossing bridge (bridge-like structure allowing animals to cross roads)
    Synonym: wildwissel
    Hyponym: cerviduct
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