Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Thaw bait before setting lines to reduce seabird bycatchA single study from Australia found that lines set using thawed baits caught significantly fewer seabirds than controls.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F298https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F298Tue, 24 Jul 2012 17:24:13 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use acoustic alerts on gillnets to reduce seabird bycatchA repeated, randomised and controlled trial in the USA found that sonic alerts reduced the number of common guillemots Uria aalge but not rhinoceros auklets Cerorhinca monocerata caught in gillnets.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F301https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F301Tue, 24 Jul 2012 18:02:45 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use bird exclusion devices (BEDs) such as ‘Brickle curtains’ to reduce seabird mortality when hauling longlinesA study of longliners in the South Atlantic found that fewer seabirds were caught on longlines hauled under BEDs with two booms, compared to those with a single boom.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F302https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F302Tue, 24 Jul 2012 18:03:33 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use high-visibility mesh on gillnets to reduce seabird bycatch A repeated, randomised and controlled trial in the USA found that having gillnets made partially from high-visibility mesh was effective in reducing seabird bycatch. Having a greater percentage (25% vs. 10%) of the net made from high-visibility mesh was more effective, but also reduced catch of the target species.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F303https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F303Tue, 24 Jul 2012 18:10:09 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Mark trawler warp cables to reduce seabird collisionsA replicated, controlled study in Argentina found that seabird mortality from collisions with trawler warp cables was much lower when the cables were marked.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F305https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F305Tue, 24 Jul 2012 18:15:42 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use voluntary agreements with local people to reduce disturbanceA before-and-after trial in the USA found significantly lower disturbance rates following the establishment of a voluntary waterfowl avoidance area (VWAA), despite an overall increase in boat traffic.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F313https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F313Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:06:42 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Start educational programmes for personal watercraft ownersA before-and-after trial in the USA found that rates of disturbance by personal watercraft decreased and reproductive success of common terns Sterna hirundo increased following a series of educational programmes aimed at recreational boat users.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F314https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F314Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:11:40 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Habituate birds to human visitorsA replicated, controlled study from Australia found that bridled terns Sterna anaethetus in heavily disturbed had similar or higher reproductive success compared with less-disturbed sites, possibly suggesting that habituation had occurred.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F315https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F315Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:18:05 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use nest covers to reduce the impact of research on predation of ground-nesting seabirdsA before-and-after study in Canada found that protecting Caspian tern Sterna caspia nests after researchers disturbed parents from them significantly increased hatching success. This was due to a reduction in predation by ring-billed gulls Larus delawarensis.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F316https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F316Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:26:31 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use variable retention management during forestry operationsA replicated, controlled study from the USA found that nine bird species occurred at higher densities in stands under variable retention management, compared to control stands. Five were found at lower densities.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F332https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F332Sat, 28 Jul 2012 14:02:54 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use shelterwood cutting instead of clearcuttingA replicated study from the USA found that community composition of birds in shelterwood stands differed from other forestry practices, with some species more abundant and others less so.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F333https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F333Sat, 28 Jul 2012 14:08:41 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Remove midstorey from savannasA controlled study in Argentina found that in summer, but not overall, a control area had higher bird abundance and species richness than an area where shrubs were removed. There were also differences in community composition between treatments.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F336https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F336Sat, 28 Jul 2012 14:54:45 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Replace non-native species of tree/shrubA replicated, controlled study from the USA found that the number of black-chinned hummingbird nests increased at sites with fuel reduction and planting of native species, but that the increase was smaller than at sites without planting.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F341https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F341Sat, 28 Jul 2012 20:22:33 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Add woody debris to forestsA randomised, replicated, controlled study from Australia found that brown treecreeper numbers were higher in plots with large amounts of dead wood added, compared to control plots or those with less debris added.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F344https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F344Sat, 28 Jul 2012 20:38:38 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Use greentree reservoir managementA site comparison study from the USA found significantly lower numbers of breeding mid- and under-storey birds at a greentree reservoir site than at a control site. Canopy nesting species were not affected. The species investigated were not gamebirds or wildfowl.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F357https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F357Sun, 29 Jul 2012 17:02:09 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Restore or create kelp forestsA before-and-study in the USA found that the densities of five of the nine bird species analysed increased following kelp forest restoration.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F368https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F368Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:39:18 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Restore or create lagoonsA before-and-after study in the UK found that large numbers of bird species used, and bred, in a newly-created lagoon.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F369https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F369Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:47:37 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Control mammalian predators on islands for wildfowlA before-and-after study from Alaska found that cackling geese Branta hutchinsii returned to a total of eight nesting islands between the 1970s and 1991, following the removal of Arctic foxes Alopex lugopus from the islands.Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F374https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F374Tue, 07 Aug 2012 15:47:51 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Control mammalian predators on islands for gamebirdsA single replicated and controlled study on two Swedish islands found that four species of gamebirds had larger broods, and more females had chicks, when predators were controlled. Two of the species also showed population-level responses.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F376https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F376Tue, 07 Aug 2012 18:51:53 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Control mammalian predators on islands for raptorsA study in Mauritius found that numbers of Mauritius kestrel Falco punctatus may have increased following the trapping of predators near nests. However, the authors do not provide any data to support this observation.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F379https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F379Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:14:47 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Control predators not on islandsA single replicated and randomised, paired sites study from the UK found that plots with predator control had increased density and fledgling success of breeding birds.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F384https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F384Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:17:43 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Control predators not on islands for railsA single study from the USA found more California clapper rails Rallus longirostris obsoletus on sites with higher numbers of foxes removed.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F388https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F388Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:35:18 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Control predators not on islands for cranesA single trial from the USA found that greater sandhill cranes Grus canadensis tabida had higher hatching and fledging success in years with predator control, compared to years without control.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F389https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F389Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:37:18 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Control predators not on islands for parrotsA replicated, controlled trial in New Zealand found increased kaka Nestor meridionalis nesting success and lower predation at sites with mammal predator removal than at unmanaged sites.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F391https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F391Thu, 09 Aug 2012 13:05:06 +0100Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Physically protect nests with individual exclosures/barriers or provide shelters for chicks of storks and ibisesA randomised, replicated and controlled study from Cambodia found that giant ibis Thaumatibis gigantean fledgling rates were higher for nests in protected trees than controls.  Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F399https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservationevidence.com%2Factions%2F399Thu, 16 Aug 2012 13:10:41 +0100
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What Works in Conservation

What Works in Conservation provides expert assessments of the effectiveness of actions, based on summarised evidence, in synopses. Subjects covered so far include amphibians, birds, mammals, forests, peatland and control of freshwater invasive species. More are in progress.

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