Use weed mats to protect planted trees

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

Effectiveness

0%
Certainty

18%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Weed mats can be used to eliminate competing understory vegetation and help the establishment of planted trees.

Study locations

Key messages

One replicated, controlled study in Hong Kong found no effect of using weed mats on thick-leaved oak seedling height.

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 replicated, controlled study in 1999-2002 in a degraded tropical forest in Hong Kong (Lai & Wong 2005) found no effect of using weed mats on thick-leaved oak Cyclobalanopsis edithae seedling height. Seedling height was similar in control and weed mat treatments after 37 months (control: 58; weed mats: 57 cm) and after 44 months (control: 83; weed mats: 85 cm). Fifteen oak seedlings were planted in each of four replicates (rows) of each control (no treatment after planting) and weed mats (0.4 × 0.4 m hessian cloth around each seeding) treatments. Seedlings were planted in June 1999 and observed for approximately 3.5 years.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Lai P.C.C. & Wong B.S.F. (2005) Effects of tree guards and weed mats on the establishment of native tree seedlings: implications for forest restoration in Hong Kong, China. Restoration Ecology, 13, 138-143.

Please cite as:

Agra, H., Schowanek, S., Carmel, Y., Smith, R.K. & Ne’eman, G. (2020) Forest Conservation. Pages 323-366 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:

Forest Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Introduce leaf litter to forest stands Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link
Use different planting or seeding methods Action Link	Unlikely to be beneficial	5	Synopsis Link
Mechanically remove understory vegetation after tree planting Action Link	Unlikely to be beneficial	6	Synopsis Link