Construction of roads creates large areas of bare ground, often with shallow pools in trodden areas. The carriageways, embankments, and terrain cuts are usually reclaimed by grassing over or tree planting, which can lower their significance in biodiversity conservation. The sides of roads may be similar to extensively farmed baulks and fallows. Nature can be helped: for example, it has been discovered that hemiparasitic plants can effectively suppress dominant grasses, opening up space for the growth of blossoming plants that provide food sources for insects. While busy roads can be a migration barrier for mammals and amphibians, their linearity contributes to the dispersal of other organisms, serving as effective biocorridors. Roadsides can host otherwise rare salt-loving species due to winter road salting.

 

Fungi

Interesting findings at railroads include giant pasture puffball (Mycenastrum corium), the Liverwort Navel (Loreleia marchantiae), and Spatulate Oysterling (Arrhenia spathulata). The Winter Stalkball (Tulostoma brumale) has been found in grass patches next to a railway and Orange Peel Fungus (Aleuria aurantia) in its gravel embankments. Some species may grow on the wooden railroad ties themselves, such as the Conifer Mazegill (Gloeophyllum sepiarium) and the Scaly Sawgill (Neolentinus lepideus). Recently, the salt-loving mushroom (Agaricus bernardii) has been spotted on roadsides as winter salting mimics its native environment, the salty sea shoreline.

 

Vegetation

Localities affected by regular disturbance host annual plants – goosefeet, saltbushes, as well as non-native species such as the Canadian Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), the Canadean Fleabane (Conyza canadensis), or the Warty-cabbage (Bunias orientalis). Termophilic and xerophilic vegetation grows in road embankments. It includes both biennial and longer living plants., e.g., the Hoary Alison (Berteroa incana), the Common Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare), and the Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris). The Hairy Finger-grass (Digitaria sanguinalis), the Common Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris), and the American Willowherb (Epilobium adenocaulon) grow in railways. Railway embankments host, for example, the Great Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) or the Common Evening-primrose (Oenothera biennis).

 

Animals

These previously undervalued habitats serve as long-distance biocorridors (they have probably substantially contributed to the recent rapid expansion of the Praying Mantis Mantis religiosa from Moravia to Bohemia) and as refugia for non-forest insect. Vegetation belts along roadsides, unless sown with grass or planted with exotic tree species, can offer suitable feeding plants for various stages of insects, but are also rich sources of nectar for mature insects. Studies have documented the positive effect of flowering vegetation belts, for example, on the fauna of diurnal butterflies.

The Crested Lark (Galerida cristata) has been occasionally sighted on the newly built embankment of the D11 motorway between Praskačka and Vlčkovice. The sparse and low grasslands along the roads are inhabited, for example, by the Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis). When scattered woody vegetation is present, it may host the Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) or the Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra).