Actions to conserve biodiversity
We have summarised evidence from the scientific literature about the effects of actions to conserve wildlife and ecosystems.
Review the evidence from the studies
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Order results by:
Action | Effectiveness | Studies | Category | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Modify the design or configuration of trawl doors Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Modify the design or configuration of trawl gear (mixed measures) Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 19 | Synopsis Link | |
Modify the design/attachments of a shrimp/prawn W-trawl net Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Modify the position of traps Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Modify trawl doors to reduce sediment penetration Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Moor aquaculture cages so they move in response to changing current direction Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Offset habitat loss from human activity by restoring or creating habitats elsewhere Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Organise educational marine wildlife tours to improve behaviours towards marine invertebrates Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Other biodiversity: Add compost to the soil Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 5 | Synopsis Link | |
Other biodiversity: Add manure to the soil Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Other biodiversity: Add sewage sludge to the soil Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Other biodiversity: Exclude grazers Action Link |
Trade-off between benefit and harms | 45 | Synopsis Link | |
Other biodiversity: Plant flowers Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Other biodiversity: Plant hedgerows Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Other biodiversity: Plant or maintain ground cover in orchards or vineyards Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Other biodiversity: Restore habitat along watercourses Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 24 | Synopsis Link | |
Other biodiversity: Use fewer grazers Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 12 | Synopsis Link | |
Other biodiversity: Use grazers to manage vegetation Action Link |
Trade-off between benefit and harms | 18 | Synopsis Link | |
Other biodiversity: Use organic fertilizer instead of inorganic Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Other biodiversity: Use rotational grazing Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Other biodiversity: Use seasonal grazing Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 8 | Synopsis Link | |
Outfit trawls with a raised footrope Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Pay farmers to cover the cost of conservation measures (as in agri-environment schemes) Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 47 | Synopsis Link | |
Pay monetary compensation for habitat damage remediation Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Periodically move and relocate moorings Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Pest regulation: Plant flowers Action Link |
Trade-off between benefit and harms | 8 | Synopsis Link | |
Pest regulation: Plant hedgerows Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Place anthropogenic installations (e.g: windfarms) in an area such that they create artificial habitat and reduce the level of fishing activity Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Plant cereals for whole crop silage Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Plant cereals for whole crop silage Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Plant cereals in wide-spaced rows Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 5 | Synopsis Link | |
Plant crops in spring rather than autumn Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 9 | Synopsis Link | |
Plant grass buffer strips/margins around arable or pasture fields Action Link |
Beneficial | 69 | Synopsis Link | |
Plant nectar flower mixture/wildflower strips Action Link |
Beneficial | 104 | Synopsis Link | |
Plant new hedges Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 8 | Synopsis Link | |
Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture Action Link |
Beneficial | 49 | Synopsis Link | |
Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 7 | Synopsis Link | |
Pollination: Plant flowers Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 8 | Synopsis Link | |
Practise wildlife gardening Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Prevent the attachment of biofouling organisms/species in aquaculture Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Primates: Provide live invertebrates Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Promote natural carbon sequestration species and/or habitats Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Provide additional moorings to reduce anchoring Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Provide artificial nest sites for bumblebees Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 11 | Synopsis Link | |
Provide artificial shelters Action Link |
Beneficial | 5 | Synopsis Link | |
Provide artificial shelters following release Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Provide buffer strips alongside water courses (rivers and streams) Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 7 | Synopsis Link | |
Provide educational or other training programmes about the marine environment to improve behaviours towards marine invertebrates Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Provide or retain set-aside areas in farmland Action Link |
Beneficial | 54 | Synopsis Link | |
Provide or retain set‐aside areas in farmland Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 9 | Synopsis Link | |
Provide short grass for birds Action Link |
Evidence not assessed | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Provide short grass for waders Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Provide supplementary food for songbirds to increase reproductive success Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 37 | Synopsis Link | |
Provide supplementary food through the establishment of food populations Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 4 | Synopsis Link | |
Purchase fishing permits and/or vessels from fishers Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Raise mowing height on grasslands to benefit farmland wildlife Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 7 | Synopsis Link | |
Raise water levels in ditches or grassland Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 13 | Synopsis Link | |
Recover lost fishing gear Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Recycle or repurpose fluids used in the drilling process Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce and/or eradicate aquaculture escapees in the wild Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce aquaculture stocking densities Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce chemical inputs in grassland management Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 18 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce fertilizer, pesticide or herbicide use generally Action Link |
Beneficial | 47 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce fertilizer, pesticide or herbicide use generally Action Link |
Likely to be ineffective or harmful | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce grazing intensity Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 12 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce grazing intensity on grassland (including seasonal removal of livestock) Action Link |
Likely to be ineffective or harmful | 30 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce grazing intensity on grassland by reducing stocking density Action Link |
Evidence not assessed | 14 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce grazing intensity on grassland by seasonal removal of livestock Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 7 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce inter-specific competition for food by removing or controlling competitor species Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 4 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce management intensity on permanent grasslands (several interventions at once) Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 38 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce management intensity on permanent grasslands for birds Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 7 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce ships/boats/vessels speed limits Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce the amount of antibiotics used in aquaculture systems Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce the amount of pesticides used in aquaculture systems Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce the number or modify the arrangement of tickler chains/chain mats on trawl nets Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce the slope of intertidal artificial structures Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 2 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce tillage Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 46 | Synopsis Link | |
Reduce underwater noise (other than sonar) Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Refill disused borrow pits Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Regulate the use, dosage and disposal of agrichemicals Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Release captive-bred reptiles into the wild: Tortoises, terrapins, side-necked & softshell turtles Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 14 | Synopsis Link | |
Release live unwanted catch first before handling commercial species Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Release reptiles outside of their native range Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 7 | Synopsis Link | |
Relocate nests/eggs to a nearby natural setting (not including hatcheries): Tortoises, terrapins, side-necked & softshell turtles Action Link |
Awaiting assessment | 4 | Synopsis Link | |
Remove and clean-up shoreline waste disposal sites Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Remove and relocate habitat-forming (biogenic) species before onset of impactful activities Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Remove and relocate invertebrate species before onset of impactful activities Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Remove biofouling organisms/species in aquaculture Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Remove discarded sediment material from the seabed following cessation of aggregate extraction Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Remove drill cuttings after decommissioning Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Remove litter from the marine environment Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Remove or capture non-native, invasive or other problematic species Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Remove or clean-up oil pollution following a spill Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Remove or control mammals Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 3 | Synopsis Link | |
Remove pipelines and infrastructure following decommissioning Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Remove utility and service lines after decommissioning Action Link |
No evidence found (no assessment) | 0 | Synopsis Link | |
Remove, control or exclude invertebrate herbivores Action Link |
Evidence not assessed | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Remove, control or exclude native predators Action Link |
Evidence not assessed | 5 | Synopsis Link | |
Remove/control non-native invertebrates Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link | |
Repurpose obsolete offshore structures to act as artificial reefs Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 1 | Synopsis Link |
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What are 'Individual studies' and 'Actions'?
Individual studies
An individual study is a summary of a specific scientific study, usually taken from a scientific journal, but also from other resources such as reports. It tells you the background context, the action(s) taken and their consequences.
If you want more detail please look at the original reference.
Actions
Each action page focuses on a particular action you could take to benefit wildlife or ecosystems.
It contains brief (150-200 word) descriptions of relevant studies (context, action(s) taken and their consequences) and one or more key messages.
Key messages show the extent and main conclusions of the available evidence. Using links within key messages, you can look at the paragraphs describing each study to get more detail. Each paragraph allows you to assess the quality of the evidence and how relevant it is to your situation.
Where we found no evidence, we have been unable to assess whether or not an intervention is effective or has any harmful impacts.