What are the best means of reducing illegal hunting of primates? Does changing the type of livestock benefit heathland vegetation? Does removing the upper layer of peat enhance peatland restoration? Is flame treatment effective for dealing with invasive floating pennywort? What Works in Conservation has been created to provide practitioners with answers to these and many other questions about practical conservation. This book provides an assessment of the effectiveness of 1277 conservation interventions based on summarized scientific evidence. The 2018 edition contains new chapters covering practical global conservation of primates, peatlands, shrublands and heathlands, management of captive animals as well as an extended chapter on control of freshwater invasive species. Other chapters cover the global conservation of amphibians, bats, birds and forests, conservation of European farmland biodiversity and some aspects of enhancing natural pest control, enhancing soil fertility 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.
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
1.2 Threat: Agriculture
1.3 Threat: Energy production and mining
1.4 Threat: Transportation and service corridors
1.5 Threat: Biological resource use
1.6 Threat: Human intrusions and disturbance
1.7 Threat: Natural system modifications
1.8 Threat: Invasive and other problematic species
1.9 Threat: Pollution
1.10 Threat: Climate change and severe weather
1.11 Habitat protection
1.12 Habitat restoration and creation
1.13 Species management
1.14 Education and awareness raising
2. BAT CONSERVATION
2.1 Threat: Residential and commercial development
2.2 Threat: Agriculture
2.3 Threat: Energy production – wind turbines
2.4 Threat: Energy production – mining
2.5 Threat: Transportation and service corridors
2.6 Threat: Biological resource use
2.7 Threat: Human disturbance – caving and tourism
2.8 Threat: Natural system modification – natural fire and fire suppression
2.9 Threat: Invasive species
2.10 Threat: Pollution
2.11 Providing artificial roost structures for bats
2.12 Education and awareness raising
3. BIRD CONSERVATION
3.1 Habitat protection
3.2 Education and awareness raising
3.3 Threat: Residential and commercial development
3.4 Threat: Agriculture
3.5 Threat: Energy production and mining
3.6 Threat: Transportation and service corridors
3.7 Threat: Biological resource use
3.8 Threat: Human intrusions and disturbance
3.9 Threat: Natural system modifications
3.10 Habitat restoration and creation
3.11 Threat: Invasive alien and other problematic species
3.12 Threat: Pollution
3.13 Threat: Climate change, extreme weather and geological events
3.14 General responses to small/ declining populations
3.15 Captive breeding, rearing and releases (ex situ conservation)
4. FARMLAND CONSERVATION
4.1 All farming systems
4.2 Arable farming
4.3 Perennial (non-timber) crops
4.4 Livestock farming
4.5 Threat: Residential and commercial development
4.6 Threat: Agri-chemicals
4.7 Threat: Transport and service corridors
4.8 Threat: Hunting and trapping (for pest control, food or sport)
4.9 Threat: Natural system modification
4.10 Threat: Invasive and other problematic species
4.11 Threat: Education and awareness
5. FOREST CONSERVATION
5.1 Threat: Residential and commercial development
5.2 Threat: Agriculture
5.3 Threat: Transport and service corridors
5.4 Threat: Biological resource use
5.5 Habitat protection
5.6 Threat: Invasive and other problematic species
5.7 Threat: Pollution
5.8 Threat: Climate change and severe weather
5.9 Habitat protection
5.10 Habitat restoration and creation
5.11 Actions to improve survival and growth rate of planted trees
5.12 Education and awareness raising
6. PEATLAND CONSERVATION
6.1 Threat: Residential and commercial development
6.2 Threat: Agriculture and aquaculture
6.3 Threat: Energy production and mining
6.4 Threat: Transportation and service corridors
6.5 Threat: Biological resource use
6.6 Threat: Human intrusions and disturbance
6.7 Threat: Natural system modifications
6.8 Threat: Invasive and other problematic species
6.9 Threat: Pollution
6.10 Threat: Climate change and severe weather
6.11 Habitat creation and restoration
6.12 Actions to complement planting
6.13 Habitat protection
6.14 Education and awareness
7. PRIMATE CONSERVATION
7.1 Threat: Residential and commercial development
7.2 Threat: Agriculture
7.3 Threat: Energy production and mining
7.4 Threat: Transportation and service corridors
7.5 Threat: Biological resource use
7.6 Threat: Human intrusions and disturbance
7.7 Threat: Natural system modifications
7.8 Threat: Invasive and other problematic species and genes
7.9 Threat: Pollution
7.10 Education and Awareness
7.11 Habitat protection
7.12 Species management
7.13 Livelihood; economic and other incentives
8. SHRUBLAND AND HEATHLAND CONSERVATION
8.1 Threat: Residential and commercial development
8.2 Threat: Agriculture and aquaculture
8.3 Threat: Energy production and mining
8.4 Threat: Biological resource use
8.5 Threat: Transportation and service corridors
8.6 Threat: Human intrusions and disturbance
8.7 Threat: Natural system modifications
8.8 Threat: Invasive and other problematic species
8.9 Threat: Pollution
8.10 Threat: Climate change and severe weather
8.11 Threat: Habitat protection
8.12 Habitat restoration and creation
8.13 Actions to benefit introduced vegetation
8.14 Education and awareness
9. MANAGEMENT OF CAPTIVE ANIMALS
9.1 Ex-situ conservation – breeding amphibians
9.2 Promoting health and welfare in captive carnivores (felids, canids and ursids) through feeding practices
9.3 Promoting natural feeding behaviours in primates in captivity
10. SOME ASPECTS OF CONTROL OF FRESHWATER INVASIVE SPECIES
10.1 Threat: Invasive plants
10.2 Threat: Invasive molluscs
10.3 Threat: Invasive crustaceans
10.4 Threat: Invasive fish
10.5 Threat: Invasive reptiles
10.6 Threat: Invasive amphibians
11. SOME ASPECTS OF ENHANCING NATURAL PEST CONTROL
11.1 Reducing agricultural pollution
11.2 All farming systems
11.3 Arable farming
11.4 Perennial farming
11.5 Livestock farming and pasture
12. ENHANCING SOIL FERTILITY
12.1 Reducing agricultural pollution
12.2 All farming systems
12.3 Arable farming
12.4 Livestock and pasture farming