Exploration of Concerns about the Evidence-Based Guideline Approach in Conservation Management: Hints from Medical Practice.

The importance of using evidence in decision-making is frequently highlighted in policy reports and scientific papers. However, subjective judgments of the reliability of environmental evidence vary widely, and large-scale systematic searches for evidence are only common for climate-related topics. In the medical field, evidence-based guidelines are routinely used to guide treatments. In the management of multiple-use landscapes similar guidelines could substantially narrow the science-practice gap but are largely absent. The challenges potential guidelines face are therefore unknown. For the case of forest conservation, we conducted 14 semistructured interviews with mainly forest practitioners and presented them an example medical guideline together with evidence-based statements on forest conservation (hereinafter: statement paper). We identified 28 concerns related to potential evidence-based guidelines in forest conservation. The interviews yielded approximately three major findings. First, recommendations on forest conservation are better accepted if they include clear instructions and are formulated for a specific context. Fragmentary conservation evidence complicates the formulation of specific recommendations. Second, the level of evidence framework, which indicates the strength of the available evidence, is perceived as too complex. Third, neglecting forest multifunctionality in a potential guideline hampers its application but, if addressed, potentially weakens its ecological relevance. We show that major concerns about potential evidence-based conservation guidelines are similar to the challenges experienced by medical guidelines. We also identify concerns unique to forestry.

Retention as an integrated biodiversity conservation approach for continuous-cover forestry in Europe.

Retention forestry implies that biological legacies like dead and living trees are deliberately selected and retained beyond harvesting cycles to benefit biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. This model has been applied for several decades in even-aged, clearcutting (CC) systems but less so in uneven-aged, continuous-cover forestry (CCF). We provide an overview of retention in CCF in temperate regions of Europe, currently largely focused on habitat trees and dead wood. The relevance of current meta-analyses and many other studies on retention in CC is limited since they emphasize larger patches in open surroundings. Therefore, we reflect here on the ecological foundations and socio-economic frameworks of retention approaches in CCF, and highlight several areas with development potential for the future. Conclusions from this perspective paper, based on both research and current practice on several continents, although highlighting Europe, are also relevant to other temperate regions of the world using continuous-cover forest management approaches.

Decaying trees improve nesting opportunities for cavity-nesting birds in temperate and boreal forests: A meta-analysis and implications for retention forestry.

Many studies have dealt with the habitat requirements of cavity-nesting birds, but there is no meta-analysis on the subject and individual study results remain vague or contradictory. We conducted a meta-analysis to increase the available evidence for nest-site selection of cavity-nesting birds. Literature was searched in Web of Science and Google Scholar and included studies that provide data on the habitat requirements of cavity-nesting birds in temperate and boreal forests of varying naturalness. To compare nest and non-nest-tree characteristics, the following data were collected from the literature: diameter at breast height (DBH) and its standard deviation (SD), sample size of trees with and without active nest, amount of nest and available trees described as dead or with a broken crown, and amount of nest and available trees that were lacking these characteristics. Further collected data included bird species nesting in the cavities and nest-building type (nonexcavator/excavator), forest type (coniferous/deciduous/mixed), biome (temperate/boreal), and naturalness (managed/natural). From these data, three effect sizes were calculated that describe potential nest trees in terms of DBH, vital status (dead/alive), and crown status (broken/intact). These tree characteristics can be easily recognized by foresters. The results show that on average large-diameter trees, dead trees, and trees with broken crowns were selected for nesting. The magnitude of this effect varied depending primarily on bird species and the explanatory variables forest type and naturalness. Biome had lowest influence (indicated by ΔAIC). We conclude that diameter at breast height, vitality, and crown status can be used as tree characteristics for the selection of trees that should be retained in selectively harvested forests.