Use shading for planted trees

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

Effectiveness

85%
Certainty

23%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Shading newly planted trees can decrease evaporation or germination of competing species, and thus increase establishment chances of planted trees.

Study locations

Key messages

One replicated, controlled study in Panama found that shading increased the survival rate of planted native tree seedlings.

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 1996-1997 in degraded tropical forest in Panama (Hooper, Condit & Legendre 2002) found that shading increased the survival of planted native tree seedlings. The proportion of seedlings that survived out of those that germinated was higher in 75% shaded (74%) and 95% shaded plots (78%) than unshaded plots (39%). Data were collected in July 1997 in three treatment subplots (1×8 m): 95% shaded, 75% shaded and unshaded, in each of five plots, replicated in five sites. Each subplot was planted with 10 seeds of each of 20 native tree species in July 1996-March 1997. In all plots wild sugarcane Saccharum spontaneum was hand-cut three times during the experiment.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Hooper E., Condit R. & Legendre P. (2002) Responses of 20 native tree species to reforestation strategies for abandoned farmland in Panama. Ecological Applications, 12, 1626-1641.

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

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