Research on highway traffic optimization strategies based on ecological sensitivity evaluation: taking Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park as an example

Highway traffic poses a severe threat to the safety of migratory wildlife along its routes. For Chinese highway ecology, related theoretical research and regulations are still in their infancy, offering limited guidance for highway engineering design. The current challenge faced by the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park is determining where and how to implement transportation measures, in order to satisfy requirements for both livelihood development and ecological conservation. Given the predetermined highway routing, this paper relies on ArcGIS spatial analysis technology to discuss the selection of applicable ecological sensitivity factor indicators, analyze the ecological sensitivity of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, and describe six response strategies for highways of different levels crossing various ecologically sensitive zones. Ecologically protective highway traffic strategies involve multiple dimensions, including three-dimensional and two-dimensional, line and point, as well as hardware and software. It is suggested that three tunnels and seven bridges should be built, with no less than 27 kilometers of road segment for the construction of cross-ecological bridge culverts and no less than 29 kilometers of road segment for the construction of enclosure facilities along the routes. This paper transcends traditional engineering practice of micro-point construction across animal passages. Instead, it adopts a comprehensive and consistent macroscopic approach by considering animal migration ecological corridors as integrated systems. This aims to explore the uncharted realms between ecological conservation and highway traffic and reduce the ecological risks associated with crossing national parks on highways.