Create walls or barriers to exclude pollutants

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

35%
Certainty

29%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

In some situations it may be possible to install barriers to prevent pollutants reaching habitat that supports amphibians.

Study locations

Key messages

One controlled study in Mexico found that installing filters across canals to improve water quality and exclude fish increased weight gain in axolotls.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A controlled study in 2009 of canals within agricultural land in Xochimilco, Mexico (Valiente et al. 2010) found that installing filters to improve water quality and exclude competitive fish increased weight gain in axolotls Ambystoma mexicanum. Only four of 12 previously marked axolotls were recaptured; however, their weight had increased by 16%. Weight gain was greater than that of axolotls in control colonies over the same period. After four months, water was significantly lower in ammonia (77%), nitrates (87%) and turbidity (15%) compared to control canals. Working with farmers in 2009, a canal used as a refuge by axolotls was isolated from the main system using filters made of wood to exclude fish and improve water quality. Farmers benefited from improved farm products with the improved water quality and the protection of traditional agriculture.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Valiente E., Tovar A., Gonzalez H., Eslava-Sandoval D. & Zambrano L. (2010) Creating refuges for the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum). Ecological Restoration, 28, 257-259.

Please cite as:

Smith, R.K., Meredith, H. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Amphibian Conservation. Pages 9-64 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Amphibian Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Plant riparian buffer strips Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link
Prevent pollution from agricultural lands or sewage treatment facilities entering watercourses Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link
Create walls or barriers to exclude pollutants Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link