Andrew S. Pullin Centre for Evidence-Based ConservationBangor University, UK

Acollaborativeapproachtoevidence‐basedconservation

Contents

1. The need for collective evidence synthesis

2. What is a Systematic Review?

3. When is a SR useful?

4. Introducing the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence (CEE)

The Need for Evidenced‐Based Conservation

• Lots to do• Limited resources• Difficult decisions

EBCseekstoinformdecisionmaking,reduceuncertaintyandincreaseeffectiveness.

First do no harm

• The presumption of good in conservation action is persuasive

• But many conservation interventions are contested by stakeholders

• Need for evidence of what works and what does not work

The need for collective synthesis• Data are ubiquitous and ever

increasing

• Scientific articles are published at faster rates than ever before, but on average, are read by very few people

• Wide range in quality of science and peer review

Susceptibility to bias

• Primary studies are more or less ‘trustworthy’ depending on their study design.

• Selective use of scientific evidence is easy to employ by vested interest groups

What is a Systematic Review?

• A methodology for collecting, critically appraising and synthesising evidence

• Conducted in relation to a specific question

• Designed to minimise bias and maximise transparency of conduct

• Assesses the strength of the evidence base

• Attempts to produce a summary effect and reasons for variation in that effect

• An open community of scientists and managers working towards a sustainable global environment and the conservation of biodiversity.

• Synthesises evidence on issues of greatest concern to environmental policy and practice.

• Serves as a reliable source of evidence to inform decisions

www.environmentalevidence.org

• Formally constituted in 2008, a global, not-for-profit, open collaboration of scientists, managers and policy formers interested in evidence synthesis.

• Provides guidelines for Review Teams encouraging systematic review activity to high standards.

• A repository of systematic reviews to inform decision making

• Disseminates results of SRs through an open-access website and journal.

www.environmentalevidence.org

CEEStructureCEEGovernance‐ BoardofTrustees,EditorialBoard,WebsiteCEECentres– Regionalco‐ordination,training,liaisonwithCommissionersandnetworkingacrosscollaboration(e.g.Guidelines).

CEEStructure

CEEMethodsGroups– DevelopmentofSRmethodologyandGuidelines

CEEReviewGroups– subject‐baseddevelopmentofSRquestionsandco‐ordinatingconductofreviews– subject(handling)editors

Steps in a CEE systematic review

Question

Protocol Peerreviewed,publishedandregisteredwithCEE

Search

Studyinclusion

Criticalappraisal

Dataextraction

Writereport

Peerreviewandpublishedinfull

Finalisedreview

Datasynthesis

When is a SR useful?

• When evidence needs can be formulated into a specific question

• When evidence is apparently conflicting or inconclusive

• When demonstrating impact is necessary to inform decision making

• When stakeholders hold conflicting beliefs• To interpret results of new studies in context

of results from previous research.

So how do CEE SRs get started?

• Curiosity and enthusiasm

• Evidence needs

• Conflict and controversy

• Evaluation of effectiveness

• Demonstration of knowledge gap

Systematic Review Questions

• Closed framed questions similar to those posed for primary research

• What is the impact of x on y?

• What is the effectiveness of intervention x in providing desired outcome y?

Pre‐releasepacksocialisationiseffectiveinpromotingshort‐termsuccessinWilddogreintroductions

Evidence Boosters

Gussett etal.2010.JournalforNatureConservation 18,230‐234.

Effectiveness of Community Forest Management for 

conserving biodiversity and improving local human 

welfare

Identifying knowledge gaps

Bowleretal.2012.FrontiersinEcologyandtheEnvironment 10;29‐36.

Do instream devices increase salmonid populations?

Busting Myths

Stewart et al. 2009 Ecol. Appl.19, 931-941.

Identification of effect modifiers

Inwhatsituationsarewindfarmsdeleterioustobirdpopulations?

Stewartetal.2007 EnvironmentalConservation 34,1‐11.

Broader question and Systematic Mapping

• Moreopenframedquestionscanbeaddressedusingsystematicmapping

• Followssameprinciplesbuttheoutputisamapofevidenceratherthananestimateofeffect.

• AsystematicmapmayinformchoiceformorespecificSRs

Example:Theeffectivenessofintegratedfarmmanagement,organicfarmingandagri‐environmentschemesasinterventionsforconservingbiodiversityintemperateEurope.

Randall&James2012 EnvironmentalEvidence 1:4

To date 50+ SRs completed ‐ A similar number is in progress.

Systematic reviews now commissioned by diversity of funders – DEMAND DRIVEN

UK GovernmentUK Research CouncilDonor agenciesEurope ‐ EU FP7, US Forest Service, USDA, AusAid, Aus Land & Water, UNEP, FAO

CEE Growth

Science informing Policy? 

• Scienceisanobjectivemethods‐basedprocesstoincreaseknowledgeandunderstandingoftheworld.

• Policyisfundamentallyasocialprocessthatsciencecanonlyinform.

Communicating evidence

• Usingappropriatelanguage• Usingappropriatemediaformats