The multifunctional roles of vegetated strips around and within agricultural fields. A systematic map protocol

Neal Robert Haddaway,Jaana Uusi-Kämppä,Brian Kronvang,Nicola Randall,Jonas Josefsson,Sönke Eggers,Colin Brown

doi:10.1186/s13750-016-0067-6

Abstract

Abstract Background Agriculture and agricultural intensification can have significant negative impacts on the environment, including nutrient and pesticide leaching, spreading of pathogens, soil erosion and reduction of ecosystem services provided by terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity. The establishment and management of vegetated strips adjacent to farmed fields (including various field margins, buffer strips and hedgerows) are key mitigation measures for these negative environmental impacts and environmental managers and other stakeholders must often make decisions about how best to design and implement vegetated strips for a variety of different outcomes. However, it may be difficult to obtain relevant, accurate and summarised information on the effects of implementation and management of vegetated strips, even though a vast body of evidence exists on multipurpose vegetated strip interventions within and around fields. To improve the situation, we describe a method for assembling a database of relevant research relating to vegetated strips undertaken in boreo-temperate farming systems (arable, pasture, horticulture, orchards and viticulture), according to the primary question: What evidence exists regarding the effects of field margins on nutrients, pollutants, socioeconomics, biodiversity, and soil retention? Methods We will search 13 bibliographic databases, one search engine and 37 websites for stakeholder organisations using a predefined and tested search string that focuses on a comprehensive list of vegetated strip synonyms. Non-English language searches in Danish, Finnish, German, Spanish, and Swedish will also be undertaken using a web-based search engine. We will screen search results at title, abstract and full text levels, recording the number of studies deemed non-relevant (with reasons at full text). A systematic map database that displays the meta-data (i.e. descriptive summary information about settings and methods) of relevant studies will be produced following full text assessment. The systematic map database will be displayed as a web-based geographical information system (GIS). The nature and extent of the evidence base will be discussed.

Highlights

Agriculture and agricultural intensification can have significant negative impacts on the environment, including nutrient and pesticide leaching, spreading of pathogens, soil erosion and reduction of ecosystem services provided by terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity
Objective of the review The aims of this review are to identify, collate, and describe relevant published research relating to the effectiveness of vegetated strips in and around farmland for a wide variety of purposes, including but not limited to: the enhancement of biodiversity; the reduction of pesticide and nutrient drift/ runoff/leaching; the mitigation of soil loss; the reduction of pathogens and toxins; and, socioeconomic values, such as provision of game habitat and reduction of crop pests
Primary question What evidence exists regarding the effects of field margins on nutrients, pollutants, socioeconomics, biodiversity, and soil retention?

Summary

Methods

Searches Bibliographic databases The following academic citation databases will be searched for studies using English search terms (nonEnglish articles, where present, are typically catalogued with English titles, abstracts and/or keywords): 1. Academic Search Premier (http://www.ebscohost. com/academic/academic-search-premier). Internet searches Title-only searches in Google Scholar will be performed for a range of key intervention search terms that individually returned more than 100 search results in Web of Science during scoping Details of these searches are provided in Additional file 1. Supplementary searches The results of the above searches will be tested for comprehensiveness by comparing a predefined test list of 114 studies against the combined results to ensure all of these relevant studies are found This checking will be performed iteratively at the start of the searching process and the strategy will be adapted should additional terms be identified for inclusion in the search string. The database will be displayed visually in the form of a geographical information system (GIS) that maps studies by their location across a cartographical map This GIS will be made available via the EviEM website (http://www.eviem.se).

Background