What Works in Conservation : : 2021.

• Superior document: What Works in Conservation Series ; v.6
• Author: Sutherland, William J.
• TeilnehmendeR: Dicks, Lynn V.; Petrovan, Silviu O.; Smith, Rebecca K.
• Place / Publishing House: Cambridge, UK : : Open Book Publishers,, 2021.; ©2021.
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: What Works in Conservation Series
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (1040 pages)

This book provides an assessment of the effectiveness of 2526 conservation interventions based on summarized scientific evidence. The 2021 edition containssubstantial new material on bat conservation, terrestrial mammal conservation and marine and freshwater mammals, thus completing the evidence for all mammal species categories. Other chapters cover practical global conservation of primates, amphibians, bats, birds, forests, peatlands, subtidal benthic invertebrates, shrublands and heathlands, as well as the conservation of European farmland biodiversity and some aspects of enhancing natural pest control, enhancing soil fertility, management of captive animals and control of freshwater invasive species. It contains key results from the summarized evidence for each conservation intervention and an assessment of the effectiveness of each by international expert panels. The accompanying website www.conservationevidence.com describes each of the studies individually, and provides full references.

Table of Contents

Intro -- Introduction -- Who is What Works in Conservation for? -- The Conservation Evidence project -- Which conservation interventions are included? -- How we review the literature -- What does What Works in Conservation include? -- Expert assessment of the evidence -- Categorization of interventions -- How to use What Works in Conservation -- 1. AMPHIBIAN CONSERVATION -- 1.1 Threat: Residential and commercial development -- Legal protection of species -- Protect brownfield or ex-industrial sites -- Restrict herbicide, fungicide and pesticide use on and around ponds on golf courses -- 1.2 Threat: Agriculture -- 1.2.1 Engage farmers and other volunteers -- Engage landowners and other volunteers to manage land for amphibians -- Pay farmers to cover the costs of conservation measures -- 1.2.2 Terrestrial habitat management -- Manage silviculture practices in plantations -- Manage cutting regime -- Manage grazing regime -- Maintain or restore hedges -- Plant new hedges -- Reduced tillage -- 1.2.3 Aquatic habitat management -- Manage ditches -- Exclude domestic animals or wild hogs from ponds by fencing -- 1.3 Threat: Energy production and mining -- Artificially mist habitat to keep it damp -- 1.4 Threat: Transportation and service corridors -- Close roads during seasonal amphibian migration -- Modify gully pots and kerbs -- Install barrier fencing along roads -- Install culverts or tunnels as road crossings -- Use signage to warn motorists -- Use humans to assist migrating amphibians across roads -- 1.5 Threat: Biological resource use -- 1.5.1 Hunting and collecting terrestrial animals -- Reduce impact of amphibian trade -- Use legislative regulation to protect wild populations -- Commercially breed amphibians for the pet trade -- Use amphibians sustainably -- 1.5.2 Logging and wood harvesting.

Retain riparian buffer strips during timber harvest -- Use shelterwood harvesting instead of clearcutting -- Leave coarse woody debris in forests -- Use patch retention harvesting instead of clearcutting -- Leave standing deadwood/snags in forests -- Use leave-tree harvesting instead of clearcutting -- Harvest groups of trees instead of clearcutting -- Thin trees within forests -- 1.6 Threat: Human intrusions and disturbance -- Use signs and access restrictions to reduce disturbance -- 1.7 Threat: Natural system modifications -- Regulate water levels -- Mechanically remove mid-storey or ground vegetation -- Use herbicides to control mid-storey or ground vegetation -- Use prescribed fire or modifications to burning regime (forests) -- Use prescribed fire or modifications to burning regime (grassland) -- 1.8 Threat: Invasive and other problematic species -- 1.8.1 Reduce predation by other species -- Remove or control fish by drying out ponds -- Remove or control fish population by catching -- Remove or control invasive bullfrogs -- Remove or control invasive viperine snake -- Remove or control mammals -- Remove or control fish using Rotenone -- Exclude fish with barriers -- Encourage aquatic plant growth as refuge against fish predation -- Remove or control non-native crayfish. -- 1.8.2 Reduce competition with other species -- Reduce competition from native amphibians -- Remove or control invasive Cuban tree frogs -- Remove or control invasive cane toads. -- 1.8.3 Reduce adverse habitat alteration by other species -- Control invasive plants -- Prevent heavy usage/exclude wildfowl from aquatic habitat. -- 1.8.4 Reduce parasitism and disease - chytridiomycosis -- Use temperature treatment to reduce infection -- Use antifungal treatment to reduce infection -- Add salt to ponds -- Immunize amphibians against infection.

Remove the chytrid fungus from ponds -- Sterilize equipment when moving between amphibian sites -- Treating amphibians in the wild or pre-release -- Use gloves to handle amphibians -- Use antibacterial treatment to reduce infection -- Use antifungal skin bacteria or peptides to reduce infection -- Use zooplankton to remove zoospores -- 1.8.5 Reduce parasitism and disease - ranaviruses -- Sterilize equipment to prevent ranaviruses. -- 1.9 Threat: Pollution -- 1.9.1 Agricultural pollution -- Create walls or barriers to exclude pollutants -- Plant riparian buffer strips -- Reduce pesticide, herbicide or fertilizer use -- Prevent pollution from agricultural lands or sewage treatment facilities entering watercourses -- 1.9.2 Industrial pollution -- Add limestone to water bodies to reduce acidification -- Augment ponds with ground water to reduce acidification. -- 1.10 Threat: Climate change and severe weather -- Deepen ponds to prevent desiccation -- Use irrigation systems for amphibian sites -- Artificially shade ponds to prevent desiccation -- Protect habitat along elevational gradients -- Provide shelter habitat. -- 1.11 Habitat protection -- Retain buffer zones around core habitat -- Protect habitats for amphibians -- Retain connectivity between habitat patches -- 1.12 Habitat restoration and creation -- 1.12.1 Terrestrial habitat -- Replant vegetation -- Clear vegetation -- Create artificial hibernacula or aestivation sites -- Create refuges -- Restore habitat connectivity -- Change mowing regime -- Create habitat connectivity. -- 1.12.2 Aquatic habitat -- Create ponds (amphibians in general) -- Create ponds (frogs) -- Create ponds (natterjack toads) -- Create ponds (salamanders including newts) -- Create wetlands -- Deepen, de-silt or re-profile ponds -- Restore wetlands -- Create ponds (great crested newts) -- Create ponds (green toads).

Create ponds (toads) -- Remove specific aquatic plants -- Restore ponds -- Remove tree canopy to reduce pond shading -- Add nutrients to new ponds as larvae food source -- Add specific plants to aquatic habitats -- Add woody debris to ponds -- Create refuge areas in aquatic habitats. -- 1.13 Species management -- 1.13.1 Translocate amphibians -- Translocate amphibians (amphibians in general) -- Translocate amphibians (great crested newts) -- Translocate amphibians (natterjack toads) -- Translocate amphibians (salamanders including newts) -- Translocate amphibians (toads) -- Translocate amphibians (wood frogs) -- Translocate amphibians (frogs) -- 1.13.2 Captive breeding, rearing and releases -- Release captive-bred individuals (amphibians in general) -- Release captive-bred individuals (frogs) -- Breed amphibians in captivity (frogs) -- Breed amphibians in captivity (harlequin toads) -- Breed amphibians in captivity (Mallorcan midwife toad) -- Breed amphibians in captivity (salamanders including newts) -- Breed amphibians in captivity (toads) -- Head-start amphibians for release -- Release captive-bred individuals (Mallorcan midwife toad) -- Release captive-bred individuals (toads) -- Use artificial fertilization in captive breeding -- Use hormone treatment to induce sperm and egg release -- Release captive-bred individuals (salamanders including newts) -- Freeze sperm or eggs for future use -- Release captive-bred individuals (green and golden bell frogs) -- 1.14 Education and awareness raising -- Engage volunteers to collect amphibian data (citizen science) -- Provide education programmes about amphibians -- Raise awareness amongst the general public through campaigns and public information -- 2. Bat Conservation -- 2.1 Threat: Residential and commercial development -- Retain existing bat roosts and access points within developments.

Change timing of building work -- Create alternative bat roosts within developments -- Create or restore bat foraging habitat in urban areas -- Exclude bats from roosts during building work -- Legally protect bats during development -- Protect brownfield or ex-industrial sites -- Relocate access points to bat roosts within developments -- Educate homeowners about building and planning laws relating to bats to reduce disturbance to bat roosts -- Increase semi-natural habitat within gardens -- Install sound-proofing insulation between bat roosts and areas occupied by humans within developments -- Plant gardens with night-scented flowers -- Protect greenfield sites or undeveloped land in urban areas. -- 2.2 Threat: Agriculture -- 2.2.1 All farming systems -- Retain or plant native trees and shrubs amongst crops (agroforestry) -- Use organic farming instead of conventional farming -- Create tree plantations on agricultural land -- Engage farmers and landowners to manage land for bats -- Manage hedges to benefit bats -- Plant field margins with a diverse mix of plant species -- Reduce field size (or maintain small fields) -- Retain riparian buffers on agricultural land -- Retain unmown field margins -- Pay farmers to cover the costs of conservation measures (e.g. agri-environment schemes) -- Increase the proportion of semi-natural habitat in the farmed landscape -- Manage ditches to benefit bats -- Plant in-field trees -- Plant new hedges -- Provide or retain set-aside areas in farmland -- Retain existing in-field trees -- Retain remnant forest or woodland on agricultural land. -- 2.2.2 Livestock farming -- Manage livestock water troughs as a drinking resource for bats -- Avoid the use of antiparasitic drugs for livestock -- Manage grazing regimes to increase invertebrate prey.

Replace culling of bats with non-lethal methods of preventing vampire bats from spreading rabies to livestock.