This glossary includes most relevant terms used in this handbook. First version of the glossary was created during the development of the ‘Wildlife and Traffic’ handbook (Action COST 341) and it has been expanded with contributions from partners of the project Horizon 2020 ‘BISON’. Terms definitions are provided by legal texts, reference documents or by agreement between experts from both ecology and infrastructure. The organisations IENE, PIARC, UIC, and ISO have also assisted and will contribute in future updates.
Last update: October 2023 – How to cite
There are currently 23 names in this directory beginning with the letter C.
Carriageway
One of the two sides of a motorway or other large road, used by traffic moving in the same direction.
Catchment area
Geographical area from which all precipitation flows to a single stream or set of streams (may also be termed as drainage basin, or watershed). In this handbook this may also refer to the area from which animals come to use a particular fauna passage.
Cluster (roadkill cluster)
Road stretches with aggregations of animal vehicle collisions or road kills, stretches with a greater number of occurrences than would be expected by chance. Synonym: ‘Hotspot’. See also ‘Animal vehicle collisions’.
Compensation
In terms of biodiversity, compensation involves measures to recompense, make good or pay damages for loss of biodiversity caused by a project. It differs from offsets in that compensation can involve reparation that falls short of achieving no net loss. See also 'Offsets' and 'Accompaniment measures'.
Compensatory measure
Measure or action taken to compensate for a residual adverse ecological effect which cannot be satisfactorily mitigated. See also 'Mitigation'.
Conservation banking
A market where the credits from actions with beneficial biodiversity outcomes can be
Construction
Third phase of the infrastructure life cycle. It is when the infrastructure is physically built. The construction phase is the time when the effects of infrastructure development begin to show a real impact on nature. Strict adherence to all measures set to reduce environmental impacts is therefore a key consideration of this phase. See also 'Strategic Planning','Design','Operation and Maintenance', Decommissioning'.
Crossing
Designated or recognised place for people or fauna to cross from one side of a linear infrastructure to the other. The crossing site could be provided by an structure (overpass or underpass) or take place directly over the carriageway or railway. See also 'Wildlife Crossing' 'Wildlife Passage'.
Culvert
Buried pipe, box or channel structure, that allows a watercourse and/or a transport infrastructure drainage feature to pass under infrastructure.
Cumulative effects
The increasing impacts resulting from the combination of effects from several projects or activities over a period of time. Their assessment is called cumulative effect assessment (CEA).