Use fences to exclude large herbivores

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

Effectiveness

7%
Certainty

10%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

High densities of large herbivores such as deer or non-native feral livestock have been shown to reduce species diversity and limit the regeneration of shrublands in some parts of the world (Perea et al. 2014). Using fences to exclude these species from shrublands may help plants to increase in height and cover.

Perea, R., Girardello, M. & San Miguel, A. (2014) Big game or big loss? High deer densities are threatening woody plant diversity and vegetation dynamics. Biodiversity and Conservation, 23, 1303-1318.

Study locations

Key messages

One controlled study in the USA found that using fences to exclude deer increased the height of shrubs, but not shrub cover.

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 2001–2006 in chaparral shrubland that had been cut to reduce wildfires in California, USA (Potts et al. 2010) found that using fences to exclude deer from shrubland increased the height of shrubs, but not shrub cover after three years. In plots that were fenced to exclude deer, shrubs were taller in one of two years (67 cm) than in plots that were not fenced (55 cm). However, shrub cover in plots that were fenced was not significantly different to that in plots that were not fenced (data not presented). Fuel reduction treatments to reduce wildfire risk were carried out in all plots in 2001–2003. In 2003 mesh fences 1.5 m tall were built around five 2.5 m² quadrats and five quadrats were left unfenced. The height and cover of vegetation in all quadrats was assessed by eye in 2005 and 2006.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Potts J.B., Marino E. & Stephens S.L. (2010) Chaparral shrub recovery after fuel reduction: a comparison of prescribed fire and mastication techniques. Plant Ecology, 210, 303-315.

Please cite as:

Martin, P.A., Rocha, R., Smith, R.K. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Shrubland and Heathland Conservation. Pages 483-525 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:

Shrubland and Heathland Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Use fences to exclude large herbivores Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link
Reduce numbers of large herbivores Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	2	Synopsis Link
Use biological control to reduce the number of problematic invertebrates Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link