Use ‘bracken bruiser’ to control bracken

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
Share Tweet Email

View assessment score

How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

0%
Certainty

10%
Harms

7%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Bracken bruisers are lightweight rollers that can be pulled behind a tractor or other vehicle. They aim to crush and damage bracken, thereby limiting its growth.

Study locations

Key messages

One randomized, replicated, controlled, before-and-after, paired study in the UK found that bracken bruising increased bracken cover, though bracken cover also increased in areas where bracken bruising was not done.There was no effect on the number of plant species or plant diversity.

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 randomized, replicated, controlled, before-and-after, paired study in 2005–2013 in a site dominated by bracken Pteridium aquilinum in the UK (Milligan et al. 2016) found that ‘bracken bruising’ increased bracken cover and had no effect on the number of plant species or plant diversity. In plots where a bracken bruiser was used bracken cover increased over eight years (before: 23–24%, after: 64–74%) while in plots that where a bracken bruiser was not used bracken cover also increased (before: 24%, after: 75%). There was no significant difference in the number of plant species found in plots where a bracken bruiser ha d been used and those where it was not (no data presented). There was no significant difference in the plant diversity of plots where a bracken bruiser was used and those that where it was not (data presented as Shannon-Weiner index). In 2005-2012 a bracken bruiser was used twice a year in three 20 x 20 m plots and in three other plots no bracken bruiser was used. Plots were paired. In 2005–2013 plant cover was assessed by eye in five 1 m² quadrats which were randomly located in each plot.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Milligan G., Cox E., Alday J., Santana V., McAllister H., Pakeman R., Le D.M. & Marrs R. (2016) The effectiveness of old and new strategies for the long‐term control of Pteridium aquilinum, an 8‐year test. Weed Research, 56, 247-257.

Please cite as:

Martin, P.A., Rocha, R., Smith, R.K. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Shrubland and Heathland Conservation. Pages 483-525 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:

Shrubland and Heathland Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Increase livestock numbers to control bracken Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link
Cut to control bracken Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	8	Synopsis Link
Use ‘bracken bruiser’ to control bracken Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link