A question of scale: Replication and the effective evaluation of conservation interventions

FACETS

Jessica Steiner¹  Amanda M. Bennett²  Andrea Gielens³  Sue Carstairs⁴  Christina M. Davy⁴ 

[1] Wildlife Preservation Canada, 5420 Highway 6 North, Guelph, ON N1H 6J2, Canada;Biology Department, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada;Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, 4-1434 Chemong Road, Selwyn, ON K9J 6X2, Canada;Wildlife Preservation Canada, 5420 Highway 6 North, Guelph, ON N1H 6J2, Canada;

关键词: evidence-based conservation;    reporting standards;    data collection;    turtle conservation;    meta-analysis;   

DOI  :  10.1139/facets-2017-0010

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Conservation interventions can keep critically endangered species from going extinct and stabilize threatened populations. The species-specific, case-by-case approaches and small sample sizes inherent to applied conservation measures are not well suited to scientific evaluations of outcomes. Debates about whether a method “works” become entrenched in a vote-counting framework. Furthermore, population-level replication is rare but necessary for disentangling the effects of an intervention from other drivers of population change. Turtle headstarting is a conservation tool that has attracted strong opinions but little robust data. Logistical limitations, such as those imposed by the long lives of turtles, have slowed experimental evaluation and constrained the use of replication or experimental controls. Headstarting project goals vary among projects and stakeholders, and success is not always explicitly defined. To facilitate robust evaluations, we provide direction for data collection and reporting to guide the application of conservation interventions in logistically challenging systems. We offer recommendations for standardized data collection that allow their valuable results to contribute to the development of best practices, regardless of the magnitude of the project. An evidence-based and collaborative approach will lead to improved program design and reporting, and will facilitate constructive evaluation of interventions both within and among conservation programs.

【 授权许可】

Unknown