Actions to conserve biodiversity
We have summarised evidence from the scientific literature about the effects of actions to conserve wildlife and ecosystems.
Review the evidence from the studies
Not sure what Actions are? Read a brief description.
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e.g. "frogs chytrid"
119 Actions found
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119 Actions found
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Order results by:
Action | Effectiveness | Studies | Category | |
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Plant nectar flower mixture/wildflower strips Action Link |
Beneficial | 104 |
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Restore/create species-rich, semi-natural grassland Action Link |
Beneficial | 71 |
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Plant grass buffer strips/margins around arable or pasture fields Action Link |
Beneficial | 69 |
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Leave headlands in fields unsprayed (conservation headlands) Action Link |
Beneficial | 57 |
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Provide or retain set-aside areas in farmland Action Link |
Beneficial | 54 |
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Create uncultivated margins around intensive arable or pasture fields Action Link |
Beneficial | 49 |
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Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture Action Link |
Beneficial | 49 |
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Reduce fertilizer, pesticide or herbicide use generally Action Link |
Beneficial | 47 |
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Pay farmers to cover the cost of conservation measures (as in agri-environment schemes) Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 47 |
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Reduce tillage Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 46 |
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Reduce management intensity on permanent grasslands (several interventions at once) Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 38 |
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Reduce grazing intensity on grassland (including seasonal removal of livestock) Action Link |
Likely to be ineffective or harmful | 30 |
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Provide supplementary food for birds or mammals Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 25 |
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Create beetle banks Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 24 |
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Restore or create traditional water meadows Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 22 |
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Maintain species-rich, semi-natural grassland Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 22 |
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Manage hedgerows to benefit wildlife (includes no spray, gap-filling and laying) Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 20 |
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Leave cultivated, uncropped margins or plots (includes 'lapwing plots') Action Link |
Beneficial | 20 |
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Leave overwinter stubbles Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 20 |
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Use organic rather than mineral fertilizers Action Link |
Beneficial | 19 |
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Undersow spring cereals, with clover for example Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 18 |
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Reduce chemical inputs in grassland management Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 18 |
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Maintain upland heath/moorland Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 17 |
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Delay mowing or first grazing date on pasture or grassland Action Link |
Likely to be beneficial | 15 |
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Provide nest boxes for bees (solitary bees or bumblebees) Action Link |
Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence) | 14 |
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Farmland Conservation - Published 2013
Farmland Synopsis
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What are 'Individual studies' and 'Actions'?
Individual studies
An individual study is a summary of a specific scientific study, usually taken from a scientific journal, but also from other resources such as reports. It tells you the background context, the action(s) taken and their consequences.
If you want more detail please look at the original reference.
Actions
Each action page focuses on a particular action you could take to benefit wildlife or ecosystems.
It contains brief (150-200 word) descriptions of relevant studies (context, action(s) taken and their consequences) and one or more key messages.
Key messages show the extent and main conclusions of the available evidence. Using links within key messages, you can look at the paragraphs describing each study to get more detail. Each paragraph allows you to assess the quality of the evidence and how relevant it is to your situation.
Where we found no evidence, we have been unable to assess whether or not an intervention is effective or has any harmful impacts.