Provide training for land managers, farmers and farm advisers

Overall effectiveness category Evidence not assessed
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

not assessed
Certainty

not assessed
Harms

not assessed

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

There are a wide variety of actions which may be implemented on farmland to try and improve habitat quality for butterflies and moths (see actions under “Agriculture & Aquaculture”), and agri-environment schemes are increasingly including options and packages designed to support pollinators, including butterflies and moths. Even on nature reserves, getting the right balance of habitat management can be difficult. For species with particular habitat requirements which are difficult to achieve, such as a structural diversity of grassland swards, training events for land managers and conservation staff may help to improve habitat quality for butterflies and moths (Parsons 2004).

^{Parsons M.S. (2004) The United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan moths - selection, status and progress on conservation. Journal of Insect Conservation, 8, 95–107.}

Study locations

Key messages

One study evaluated the effects on butterflies and moths of providing training for land managers, farmers and farm advisers. The study was in the UK.

COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES)

POPULATION RESPONSE (0 STUDIES)

BEHAVIOUR (1 STUDY)

Behaviour change (1 study): One study in the UK reported that 82% of landowners that received advice about applying for the Rural Priorities agri-environment scheme submitted applications, there was a 90% application success rate, and >3,000 ha of farmland were managed for the marsh fritillary.

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 study in 2008–2011 in 200 farms in western Scotland, UK (Prescott 2012) reported that of the 170 farms that Butterfly Conservation visited to provide advice about applying for the Rural Priorities agri-environment scheme, 140 landowners submitted applications for the scheme, with the help of the organisation, with plans aimed at conserving the marsh fritillary Euphydryas aurinia and of these applications there was a 90% success rate and >3,000 ha were managed for the species. Butterfly Conservation contacted 200 landowners with farms containing known marsh fritillary populations and, with the assistance of the Scottish Agricultural College and Agrimony, assisted 140 landowners in developing management plans for conserving the marsh fritillary and submitting applications for the Rural Priorities agri-environment scheme. Ninety percent of applications were successful and >3,000 ha were managed specifically for the marsh fritillary. The marsh fritillary was a priority species for the Scottish Rural Development Programme’s Rural Priorities agri-environment scheme. From 2008, the organisations contacted owners of 200 farmland sites in Mid-Argyll and Knapdale, Mull, Lorne and Islay, conducted site visits at 170 of the farms, and provided assistance with devising site-specific management plans and making scheme applications for 140 of these.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Prescott T. (2012) Delivering land management advice for Marsh Fritillary in Scotland. Pages 76-79 in: S. Ellis, N.A. Bourn & C.R. Bulman (eds.) Landscape-scale conservation for butterflies and moths: Lessons from the UK. Butterfly Conservation.

Please cite as:

Bladon A.J., Bladon, E. K., Smith R.K. & Sutherland W.J. (2023) Butterfly and Moth Conservation: Global Evidence for the Effects of Interventions for butterflies and moths. Conservation Evidence Series Synopsis. University of Cambridge, 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:

Butterfly and Moth Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Provide training for land managers, farmers and farm advisers Action Link	Evidence not assessed	1	Synopsis Link
Raise awareness amongst the general public to promote conservation actions Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link
Increase consideration of butterflies and moths in international, national and local conservation plans Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link