Publications

(2024). Nature-based Solutions Knowledge Hub. .

The Nature-based Solutions Knowledge Hub is an integrated one-stop resource to guide users through the process of governance, designing and funding Nature-based Solutions (NbS), and monitoring the outcomes. The Hub is aimed at those involved with NbS in the UK, though much of the guidance would also be applicable in other locations.

Visit the Knowledge Hub here

Embedding nature recovery in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill Agile Initiative Research Brief

This research brief compiles evidence from the academic literature to demonstrate the vital role that nature can plan in securing health, well-being, and socio-economic benefits for the deprived communities targeted by the levelling-up programme.

T.B. White, J. Serratosa, T. Allinson , V.R. Jones, S.O. Petrovan, B.R. Jobson, K.R. Jones, W.J. Sutherland (2024). Assessing costs and cost-effectiveness across the mitigation hierarchy: An example considering the reduction of bird mortality at power lines. Biological Conservation.

There is an increasing expectation for companies to revise their activities to minimize impacts on biodiversity, as well as undertake compensatory and proactive actions to restore biodiversity. To contribute towards global biodiversity goals, such actions need to be both ambitious and effective. Yet, implementation of mitigation actions to avoid impact is often poor or omitted, and actions to minimize and restore can be of varying effectiveness. The financial costs of actions are often seen as a barrier.

World Series Vol. 43 – International Forests Governance: A critical review of trends, drawbacks, and new approaches – chapter

International Union of Forest Research Organizations has published a new report under its Science-Policy Programme: “International Forests Governance: A critical review of trends, drawbacks, and new approaches”

The scope of this new assessment includes an update on governance changes since 2010, including actors and instruments; an overview of the forest-related finance landscape; an identification and analysis of the relevant current discourses; and an analysis of the different governance designs, including deficits and alternatives.

Report and policy brief available at: https://www.iufro.org/science/science-policy/follow-up-studies/international-forest-governance-2024/
Policy brief for download: https://www.iufro.org/fileadmin/material/science/gfep/governance-followup/policy-brief/gfep-governance-followup-policy-brief.pdf

Example Opportunity Report

This Treescapes Opportunity Report is an example of a parish report showing existing natural assets, potential locations for nature recovery opportunities (species-rich grassland, woodland, hedgerows, silvo-arable or silvo-pasture, community orchards), and the natural benefits that they could provide. Such reports were provided free of charge to 150 Oxfordshire parish groups and land managers, thanks to funding from the Woodland Trust.

GETTING STARTED WITH PARISH NATURE RECOVERY

A guide for parish councils and community groups.

This guide has been created by the Oxfordshire Treescape Project team to support community groups start planning nature recovery at the parish scale.

It is intended as a guide only, rather than prescriptive instructions. If you have any queries about this document or would like further help or support, please contact info@growgreencarbon.org

Ty Loft, Imma Oliveras Menor, Nicola Stevens et al. (2024). Energy flows reveal declining ecosystem functions by animals across Africa. Preprint.

A key challenge for ecological science is to understand how biodiversity loss is changing ecosystem structure and function at scales relevant for policy1. Almost all biodiversity metrics are challenging to disaggregate into ecosystem functions, in particular animal-mediated functions such as pollination, seed and nutrient dispersal, and predation. Here, we adopt an ecosystem energetics approach2 as a physically meaningful method of translating animal species composition into a suite of ecosystem functions. We quantify historical changes to energy flows through mammal- and bird-mediated ecosystem functions across sub-Saharan Africa.

Trisha Gopalakrishna, Sami Rifai, Jayashree Ratnam et al. (2024). The distribution and drivers of tree cover in India. Preprint.

The distribution of forest and savanna biomes and the role of resources (climate and soil) and disturbances (fire and herbivory) in determining tree-grass dynamics remains elusive and variable across geographies. This is especially problematic in Indian savannas which have been historically misclassified as degraded forests and are targeted for tree-planting. Here, we examine biome distribution and determinants through the lens of tree cover across India. Our analyses reveal four distinct zones of differing tree cover, with intermediate zones containing savanna vegetation. Rainfall seasonality determines maximum possible tree cover non-linearly. Once rainfall seasonality is factored out, soil sand fraction and topography partially explain residual variation of tree cover. High domestic livestock herbivory and other anthropogenic pressures reduce tree cover. Lastly, lack of detectable fires precludes robust conclusions about the relationship between fire and tree cover. By considering these environmental drivers in restoration planning, we can improve upon simplistic tree planting initiatives that may be detrimental to Indian savannas.

Hordern E; White T; Berthinussen A; Smith RK; Sutherland WJ; Christie AP (2024). Prioritising future evidence needs for marine and freshwater mammal conservation action. Preprint.

Marine and freshwater mammals are increasingly threatened due to human activity. To improve conservation practice, decisions should be informed by the available evidence on the effectiveness of conservation actions
. Using a systematically collated database of studies that test the effectiveness of actions to conserve marine and freshwater mammals, we investigated the gaps and biases in the available scientific evidence base.

Oliver Speight, William Morgan, Thomas B. White, Katie Sainsbury, Amos Bouskila, Guy Rotem, Rebecca K Smith, William Sutherland, Maggie Watson, Alec Philip Christie (2024). Exploring the evidence base for reptile conservation actions: gaps, biases and research priorities. Preprint.

With over 21% of reptile species threatened with extinction, we urgently need to ensure conservation actions to protect and restore populations are informed by relevant, reliable evidence. Here we examine the geographic and taxonomic distribution of 707 studies synthesised in Conservation Evidence’s Reptile Conservation synopsis testing the effects of actions to conserve reptiles.

Delavaux, C.S., Crowther, T.W., Zohner, C.M. et al. (2023). Native diversity buffers against severity of non-native tree invasions. Nature.

Determining the drivers of non-native plant invasions is critical for managing native ecosystems and limiting the spread of invasive species1,2. Tree invasions in particular have been relatively overlooked, even though they have the potential to transform ecosystems and economies3,4. Here, leveraging global tree databases5,6,7, we explore how the phylogenetic and functional diversity of native tree communities, human pressure and the environment influence the establishment of non-native tree species and the subsequent invasion severity. We find that anthropogenic factors are key to predicting whether a location is invaded, but that invasion severity is underpinned by native diversity, with higher diversity predicting lower invasion severity. Temperature and precipitation emerge as strong predictors of invasion strategy, with non-native species invading successfully when they are similar to the native community in cold or dry extremes.