Conservation Evidence

Conservation Evidence
Name	Conservation Evidence
Established	2000s
Type	Evidence synthesis project
Focus	Biodiversity conservation interventions
Headquarters	Cambridge
Parent	University of Cambridge

Conservation Evidence

Conservation Evidence is a project compiling evidence on interventions for biodiversity conservation to inform practice and policy. It synthesizes studies on species, habitats, and ecosystems to support decisions in contexts such as protected areas, restoration, and species recovery. The project interacts with institutions across academia, government, and non-governmental sectors to translate research into actionable guidance.

Overview and Purpose

The project aims to collate, summarize, and present empirical findings about conservation interventions for practitioners, linking research outputs to management decisions in contexts involving United Nations Environment Programme, Convention on Biological Diversity, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Ramsar Convention, and World Wildlife Fund. It provides structured summaries of studies relevant to interventions promoted by organizations such as BirdLife International, The Nature Conservancy, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Fauna & Flora International, and Wildlife Conservation Society. By aligning evidence with priorities set by bodies like European Commission, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Defra, Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, and IUCN SSC, the project supports implementation in contexts including Natura 2000, Amazon Basin, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and Yellowstone National Park.

History and Development

The initiative grew from collaborations among researchers at institutions such as University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of York, University of East Anglia, and Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Early development drew on methods used by Cochrane Collaboration and Campbell Collaboration and engaged experts from Royal Society. Projects and funding partners have included Natural Environment Research Council, Wellcome Trust, Gates Foundation, European Research Council, and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Workshops and conferences at venues like Royal Institution, Royal Geographical Society, International Congress for Conservation Biology, and Society for Conservation Biology shaped scope and standards, with contributions from specialists affiliated to Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Geological Survey, Canadian Wildlife Service, and CSIRO.

Methods and Sources of Evidence

Sourcing draws from journals and reports produced by publishers and organizations including Nature, Science (journal), Conservation Biology (journal), Biological Conservation, Journal of Applied Ecology, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, PLOS One, Ecology Letters, and agency reports from United States Forest Service, Environment Agency (England), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Data extraction follows systematic review principles originating from Cochrane Collaboration and Campbell Collaboration with adaptations for ecology used by groups such as Collaboration for Environmental Evidence. Methods include randomized controlled trials reported by United States Department of Agriculture, controlled before-after studies used in evaluations by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK), and observational studies cited in syntheses by Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. The project catalogs gray literature from NGOs like Conservation International, BirdLife International, Friends of the Earth, and governmental conservation plans from Ministry of Environment (Brazil) and South African National Biodiversity Institute.

Applications in Conservation Practice

Practitioners in reserves managed by National Trust (UK), Parks Canada, Department of Conservation (New Zealand), and Kew Gardens use syntheses to select measures such as invasive species control, habitat restoration, and species translocations. Management strategies for taxa covered by organizations like African Parks, Bat Conservation International, Butterfly Conservation, Shark Trust, and Marine Conservation Institute draw on evidence summaries to design monitoring and interventions. Landscape-scale programs such as REDD+, EU LIFE Programme, Bonn Challenge, and Green Belt Movement incorporate evidence for reforestation, fire management, and agroforestry, as advised by experts at World Agroforestry Centre and International Union for Conservation of Nature Specialist Groups.

Evaluation and Synthesis of Interventions

Synthesis methods combine meta-analysis techniques used in studies published in Ecological Monographs and Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics with narrative summaries tailored for managers. The project assesses effectiveness metrics applied by agencies such as Environment Agency (England), United States Environmental Protection Agency, European Environment Agency, and World Bank projects. Reviews consider study quality frameworks advanced by PRISMA and adaptations from GRADE. Collaborators include statisticians and ecologists affiliated to Imperial College London, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Queensland, and ETH Zurich.

Criticisms and Limitations

Critiques note gaps similar to those identified in reviews by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and discussions at World Conservation Congress about geographic and taxonomic biases favoring regions studied by United States Geological Survey or institutions in United Kingdom and United States. Limitations include reliance on published literature from outlets like Journal of Conservation Planning and uneven reporting standards across reports by organizations such as Municipal governments and some NGOs. Scholars from Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Cape Town, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and Pontifical Catholic University of Chile emphasize the need for indigenous knowledge integration and context-specific evaluations highlighted in documents from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Policy and Decision-Making Impact

Evidence syntheses inform policy instruments and guidance from Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar Convention, EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, U.S. Endangered Species Act, Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, and funding priorities at Global Environment Facility and Green Climate Fund. Policymakers at ministries such as Ministry of Environment and Forests (India), Ministry of Ecology and Environment (China), Ministry for the Environment (New Zealand), and agencies like Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme use evidence summaries to justify interventions deployed in programs by Asian Development Bank and Inter-American Development Bank.

Category:Conservation