Study

Manipulating ungulate herbivory in temperate and boreal forests: Effects on vegetation and invertebrates. A systematic review

  • Published source details Bernes C., Macura B., Jonsson B.G., Junninen K., Mueller J., Sandstrom J., Lõhmus A. & Macdonald E. (2018) Manipulating ungulate herbivory in temperate and boreal forests: Effects on vegetation and invertebrates. A systematic review. Environmental Evidence, 7, Article 13.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Remove, control or exclude vertebrate herbivores

Action Link
Butterfly and Moth Conservation
  1. Remove, control or exclude vertebrate herbivores

    A systematic review in 2018 of 13 studies in temperate and boreal forests from across the world (Bernes et al 2018) found that reducing or removing grazing or browsing by wild or domestic herbivores increased the abundance of moths and butterflies, but did not affect species richness. Forest plots where grazers and browsers were excluded or where herbivore density was reduced had a higher abundance of moths and butterflies than more heavily grazed forest, but species richness was not affected (data presented as model results). A total of 144 studies were included in the review, 13 of which reported data on moth and butterfly abundance, and three on species richness. The majority of the 144 studies came from North America (75), Europe (53) and Australia/New Zealand (14). Experimental plot size within studies ranged from 0.5 m2 to 2,428 ha. The majority of studies were controlled, and some included before-and-after measurements. Studies that were unreplicated, or did not include suitable comparisons, were excluded from the review.

    (Summarised by: Andrew Bladon)

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