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Conservation Evidence Journal

Publishing evidence to improve practice

Introduction

The Conservation Evidence Journal shares the global experience of those on the front line of conservation practice about the effectiveness of conservation actions. All papers include monitoring of the effects of the intervention and are written by, or in partnership with, those who did the conservation work. We encourage articles from anywhere around the world on all aspects of species and habitat management such as habitat creation, habitat restoration, translocations, reintroductions, invasive species control, changing attitudes and education. 

The Conservation Evidence Journal publishes peer-reviewed papers throughout the year collected in an annual Volume. We publish Special Issues and collate Collections on specific topics, such as management of particular groups of species or habitats. To search for papers on a specific topic within the journal select Advanced search, enter your keyword(s) and within the Source box type: "conservation evidence". This will take you to a list of actions that contain Conservation Evidence Journal papers. In order to see the list of individual Conservation Evidence Journal papers on the topic, please click on 'You can also search Individual Studies' at the top of this page.

Creative Commons License Copyright is retained by the author(s). All papers published in the Conservation Evidence Journal are open access and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

The Conservation Evidence Journal is a separate publication within the Conservation Evidence project. Conservation Evidence is a free, authoritative information resource designed to support decisions about how to maintain and restore global biodiversity. You can search for summarised evidence from the scientific literature about the effects of actions for species groups and habitats using our online database

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Volume 1

Cut and inject herbicide control of Japanese knotweed Fallopia japonica at Rocky Valley, Cornwall, England

Ford S. (2004), 1, 1-2

Preview

Highly invasive, non-native Japanese knotweed Fallopia japonica, was successfully controlled, although not completely eradicated, by cut and inject herbicide application in a coastal valley in south-west England. In areas cleared of knotweed infestation, native flora including bluebells Hyacinthoides non-scripta, successfully re-established.

https://conservationevidencejournal.com/reference/pdf/2123

Cut and inject herbicide control of Japanese knotweed Fallopia japonica in Cornwall, England

Ford S. (2004), 1, 3-5

Preview

Trials at sites infested with the highly invasive Japanese knotweed Fallopia japonica, in southwest England, demonstrated that a cut and inject method of herbicide application is an effective way of controlling the plant. Although not matching the kill of the more commonly used method of foliar spraying, it did allow very selective application. Thus the cut and inject method can effectively avoid damage to non-target species and allows herbicidal treatment near watercourses where foliar spraying may not be permitted.

https://conservationevidencejournal.com/reference/pdf/2124

Dredging and excavation of ponds to enhance habitat for starfruit Damasonium alisma on Downley and Naphill Commons, Buckinghamshire, England

Showler A.J. (2004), 1, 6-7

Preview

Dredging the silt from two old ponds in southern England (one in which the nationally endangered starfruit Damasonium alisma had recently been rediscovered) resulted in dramatic initial results, with many starfruit plants appearing. A subsequent rapid fall off in numbers suggests that seeds appear to germinate best on exposed sediment on drying margins and continuous low-level disturbance management is probably desirable.

https://conservationevidencejournal.com/reference/pdf/2125

Marram grass Ammophila arenaria removal and dune restoration to enhance nesting habitat of Chatham Island oystercatcher Haematopus chathamensis, Chatham Islands, New Zealand

Moore P. & Davies A. (2004), 1, 8-9

Preview

Dune restoration through herbicide control of non-native, invasive marram grass Ammophila arenaria and replanting with native species has resulted in dune reprofiling. This has allowed Chatham Island oystercatcher Haematopus chathamensis, an endangered species, to nest higher up the beach where they are less vulnerable to loss of clutches to high tides and storm surges.

https://conservationevidencejournal.com/reference/pdf/2126

The effect of deciduous afforestation on carabid ground beetle communities on a coal mine spoil heap near Cannock, Staffordshire, England

Coleman R. (2004), 1, 10-15

Preview

A 50 ha degraded mine spoil area in the English Midlands was, covered with top-soil, re-seeded, and native deciduous trees and shrubs were planted. Carabid beetle species richness and diversity tended to increase with time after planting, and afforestation increased carabid species richness. The species composition of the ground flora appeared to have little effect on carabid distribution.

https://conservationevidencejournal.com/reference/pdf/2127

Footdrain management to enhance habitat for breeding waders on lowland wet grassland at Buckenham and Cantley Marshes, Mid-Yare RSPB Reserve, Norfolk, England

Smart M. & Coutts K. (2004), 1, 16-19

Preview

Restoration and creation of footdrains on grazing marshes in eastern England improved breeding habitat quality for lapwing Vanellus vanellus and redshank Tringa totanus, two wader species declining in numbers throughout lowland England. In particular, they provided increased foraging habitat for these wader chicks which prefer to forage around the invertebrate-rich margins of the footdrains. Numbers of breeding lapwing and redshank have increased dramatically, and wintering waders, ducks and geese have also benefited.

https://conservationevidencejournal.com/reference/pdf/2128

Effect of burning on the mycorrhizal fungi of Scots pine Pinus sylvestris at Boat of Garten, Inverness-shire, Scotland

MacKay J.W.B. (2004), 1, 20-22

Preview

In the Highlands of Scotland, low intensity burning would appear to be an effective way to encourage Scots pine Pinus sylvestris regeneration. As well as opening up the ground allowing seedlings to grow, low to moderate burns had no major impact on ectomycorrhizal communities; without a healthy ectomycorrhizal community pine seedlings struggle to become established.

https://conservationevidencejournal.com/reference/pdf/2129

Providing supplementary food as a conservation initiative for twite Carduelis flavirostris breeding in the South Pennines near Worsthorne, Lancashire, England

Raine A. (2004), 1, 23-25

Preview

The twite Carduelis flavirostris, is a small finch which has undergone serious declines in the UK. In the Pennine Hills, northern England, feeding stations were established as a stop-gap prior to instatement of 'twite-friendly' meadow-management to try and bolster breeding twite populations. Despite presence of a nearby source of seed supplied at a feeding station, breeding twite utilised seeds of wild plants to feed there chicks. However creation of the feeding station adjacent to a twite breeding colony, judging by the number of visiting birds, appears to benefit them by providing pre- and post-breeding food sources. Birds from other breeding colonies in a 20 km radius were also recorded using the feeding station.

https://conservationevidencejournal.com/reference/pdf/2130

Providing supplementary food as a conservation initiative for twite Carduelis flavirostris breeding in the South Pennines near Littleborough, West Yorkshire, England

Raine A. (2004), 1, 26-28

Preview

The twite Carduelis flavirostris, is a small finch which has undergone serious declines in the UK. In the Pennine Hills, northern England, feeding stations were established as a stop-gap prior to instatement of 'twite-friendly' meadow-management to try and bolster breeding twite populations. As at another feeding station, despite supplying seed close to a breeding colony, twite utilised seeds of wild plants to feed there chicks. However creation of the feeding station adjacent to a twite breeding colony, judging by the number of visiting birds, appears to benefit them by providing pre- and post-breeding food sources. Birds from other breeding colonies in a 20 km radius were also recorded using the feeding station.

https://conservationevidencejournal.com/reference/pdf/2131

Providing supplementary food as a conservation initiative for twite Carduelis flavirostris breeding in the South Pennines near Midgley, West Yorkshire, England

Raine A. (2004), 1, 29-30

Preview

The twite Carduelis flavirostris, is a small finch which has undergone serious declines in the UK. In the Pennine Hills, northern England, feeding stations were established as a stop-gap prior to instatement of 'twite-friendly' meadow-management to try and bolster breeding twite populations. Unlike two other feeding stations in the Pennines that attracted many twite in the pre- and post-breeding periods, twite utilised the feeding station rarely and only in very small numbers. If placed closer to natural feeding areas in may have promoted greater usage. This small twite colony was also situated in an outlying area, whilst the two other stations were along local migration routes, again perhaps accounting for the paucity of use. Careful siting of feeding stations is therefore required, based on foraging areas already known to be utilised and preferably in areas where pre- and post-breeding flocks gather.

https://conservationevidencejournal.com/reference/pdf/2132

What Works 2021 cover

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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