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.
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.
Volume 20
Voluntary transition by hunters and game meat suppliers from lead to non-lead shotgun ammunition: changes in practice after three years
Green R.E., Taggart M.A., Pain D.J., Clark N.A., Clewley L., Cromie R., Green R.M.W., Giui M., Huntley B., Huntley J., Leslie R., Porter R., Roberts J., Robinson J.A., Robinson R.A., Sheldon R., Smith K.W., Smith L., Spencer J. & Stroud D. (2023), 20, 1-7
Preview
In 2020, UK shooting and rural organisations pledged to achieve a voluntary transition from the use of lead shotgun ammunition to non-lead alternatives for hunting by 2025. The SHOT-SWITCH research project was set up in 2020 to monitor progress towards this aim by examining the proportions of wild-shot common pheasants Phasianus colchicus available to consumers in Great Britain that were killed using lead and non-lead shot. In the study’s third season, 2022/2023, 94% of pheasants sampled had been killed using lead ammunition. Statistically, this is a significantly smaller proportion than in the preceding two seasons (both > 99% lead), but it remains large. We found no direct evidence of any effect of recent voluntary initiatives to promote the replacement of lead with non-lead ammunition by suppliers and retailers of wild-shot game.
Exclusion of barn owls Tyto alba from a greater horseshoe bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum roost in Devon, UK
Bollo Palacios M., Kitching T., Wright P.G.R., Schofield H. & Glover A. (2023), 20, 8-12
Preview
The greater horseshoe bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum is a rare species in the UK that relies heavily on undisturbed stone buildings in which to breed. Barn owls Tyto alba are also a protected species that roost and raise their broods in similar places. This overlap in roosting requirements can lead to barn owls moving into buildings containing well-established greater horseshoe bat maternity colonies. This in turn could result in disturbance and abandonment of the building by the bats. Such an event occurred at one of the largest greater horseshoe bat roosts in the UK in 2018 when the colony deserted the roost after barn owls moved in. We describe measures used to exclude the owls while retaining access for the bats, to encourage the colony to return. The suite of modifications consisted primarily of wooden baffles and smooth surfaces on the entrances and doorways. Monitoring showed that the interventions were effective in excluding barn owls whilst allowing bats to access the building. Exclusion of the owls resulted in the return of the greater horseshoe bat colony in similar numbers to 2017 when owls were absent (2022: 92% of the adults) and breeding resumed (2022: 93% of the juveniles in 2017). This paper is the first to evaluate the before and after effects of protecting a bat roost from disturbance or predation by other species.
The effect of prescribed burning on Pulsatilla vernalis at Marma military training area in Sweden
Hagström C., Löfgren T., Lindquist I., Forslund M. & Jandér K.C. (2023), 20, 13-20
Preview
Changes in habitat have led to a decline in many species which are now threatened. One of them is the spring pasque flower Pulsatilla vernalis, which grows on well-drained soils and is sensitive to competition. The species has in the past benefited from disturbances such as grazing, mowing and forest fires. Now that these do not occur as frequently, it has been suggested that prescribed burning could be used as a conservation intervention to benefit P. vernalis. In this study, we tested whether prescribed burning in 2018 benefited a population of P. vernalis at Marma military training area, outside Älvkarleby in eastern Sweden. Due to unexpected windy conditions on the day of the prescribed burning, not all the planned area was burned. This created a natural experiment that enabled us to compare burned areas with unburned areas (control) in both heathland and forested heathland habitats. The study includes data gathered before and after the experimental treatment. We found that compared to the control areas, the burned areas had a significantly higher number of P. vernalis tufts (clusters of leaf rosettes), as well as a greater number of flower stalks per tuft. Although limited due to lack of replication, this study supports the suggestion that prescribed burning benefits P. vernalis, both in open areas as well as in forests.
Volumes
- Volume 20 | 2023
- Volume 19 | 2022
- Volume 18 | 2021
- Volume 17 | 2020
- Volume 16 | 2019
- Volume 15 | 2018
- Volume 14 | 2017
- Volume 13 | 2016
- Volume 12 | 2015
- Volume 11 | 2014
- Volume 10 | 2013
- Volume 9 | 2012
- Volume 8 | 2011
- Volume 7 | 2010
- Volume 6 | 2009
- Volume 5 | 2008
- Volume 4 | 2007
- Volume 3 | 2006
- Volume 2 | 2005
- Volume 1 | 2004
