What evidence exists on the effectiveness of algae as biomonitors of pollution in estuaries? A systematic map protocol

BackgroundTropical coral reefs cover ca. 0.1% of the Earth’s surface but host an outstanding biodiversity and provide important ecosystem services to millions of people living nearby. However, they are currently threatened by both local (e.g. nutrient enrichment and chemical pollution of coastal reefs, arising from poor land management, agriculture and industry) and global stressors (mainly seawater warming and acidification, i.e. climate change). Global and local stressors interact together in different ways, but the presence of one stressor often reduces the tolerance to additional stress. While global stressors cannot be halted by local actions, local stressors can be reduced through ecosystem management, therefore minimizing the impact of climate change on reefs. To inform decision-makers, we propose here to systematically map the evidence of impacts of chemicals arising from anthropogenic activities on tropical reef-building corals, which are the main engineer species of reef ecosystems. We aim to identify the combinations of chemical and coral responses that have attracted the most attention and for which evidence can be further summarized in a systematic review that will give practical information to decision-makers.MethodsThe systematic map will follow the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence Guidelines and Standards for Evidence Synthesis in Environmental Management. We will search the relevant literature using English terms combined in a tested search string in two publication databases (Web Of Science Core Collection and Scopus). The search string will combine terms describing the population (tropical reef-building corals) and the exposure (chemicals). We will supplement this literature with some more obtained through search engines, specialist websites, and through a call to local stakeholders. Titles, abstracts, and full-texts will then be successively screened using pre-defined eligibility criteria. A list of pre-defined variables will then be extracted from full-texts. Finally, a database of all studies included in the map with coded metadata will be produced. The evidence will be described in a map report with text, figures and tables, and a matrix showing the distribution and frequency of included study into types of exposure and types of outcomes will be computed to identify potential knowledge gaps and knowledge clusters.

BackgroundClimate change is affecting small-scale populations worldwide. Evidence of adverse effects has been reported for smallholders’ agriculture, hunting, fishing, and gathering products from natural ecosystems (non-timber forest products). To take precautions or deal with such problems (i.e. to adapt), smallholders need to perceive climatic changes. Acknowledging this need, the literature on this topic is vast. Despite that, authors adopt alternative concepts of climate change perception, which may hinder comparisons of results across studies. Hence, the review team aim to systematically map the literature usage of the climate change perception concept.MethodsThis systematic map will follow the CEE guidelines and conform to the Reporting Standards for Systematic Evidence form. The review team will rely on five electronic databases of scientific publications—Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, BASE—Bielefeld Academic Search Engine, Science Direct Elsevier and PubMed—with pre-tested search terms only in English. Publications will be filtered through the “articles only” and “English language” selections. Titles, abstracts, and full texts will then be screened using pre-defined eligibility criteria, including small-scale and indigenous populations inhabiting rural areas, as well as presenting explicitly or implicitly the concept of climate change perception. From articles meeting the eligibility criteria, the review team will extract and encode the data while selecting the full texts for reading. The review team will use a codebook pre-elaborated for encoding. No critical appraisal of study validity will be undertaken. Finally, a database with coded metadata of all studies in the map will be made available. The review team will present the evidence in a report map with text, figures, and tables, besides a catalogue of all identified perception definitions.

The widespread decline of insect pollinators poses a conservation concern and threatens both the pollination of wild plants and crops. Primary drivers of pollinator decline are habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, which to a large extent result from agricultural intensification. Numerous tools have been developed to aid decision‐making relating to insect pollinators and pollination in agricultural landscapes. These tools provide valuable information for understanding the drivers of insect population changes in agricultural areas and projecting future population trends in response to various actions. However, there is currently no comprehensive list of available tools, and their usability (ease of use and acceptability for conducting tasks) for decision‐making purposes. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand what tools have been designed, their commonalities and their suitability for different decision context, to ensure the effectiveness of pollinator‐friendly management and conservation actions. In this study, we present a systematic map methodology that will collate and catalogue relevant tools relating to insect pollinators and/or pollination in agricultural landscapes. We will conduct searches in bibliographic databases such as ‘Web of Science Core Collection’ and ‘Scopus’ using a tested search string. Additionally, we will manually search grey literature using web‐based engines (Google Scholar and ProQuest) and websites. After removing duplicates, the search results will be screened sequentially based on predetermined eligibility criteria, including title, abstract, and full text. The extracted data will provide metadata for mapping the usability of the tools, utilising descriptive tables, statistics and figures. Usability will be assessed across three categories: the tool itself, the user and the user‐context. The results from this mapping exercise can support researchers in synthesising progress in terms of pollinator‐related tools, and direct research and development efforts to bridge the identified gaps and shortcomings. It will also have significant implications for managers, stakeholders and policymakers, by providing guidance on existing tools and supporting informed tool choices.

BackgroundAs urban areas expand, scientists now agree that the city is an important space for biodiversity conservation. Yet, still relatively little is known about how urban forms could have a differential impact on terrestrial species and ecosystems. If some reviews have been conducted to examine the link between biodiversity and urban characteristics at an infra-city scale, none have explored the relationship between urban organization and biodiversity and tried to assess the capacity of various urban forms to maintain and possibly favour flora and fauna in the city. The resulting map will present the state of knowledge regarding possible relationships between urban forms and its features on the establishment and settlement of terrestrial and temperate biodiversity at infra-city scale in western cities.MethodsThe systematic map will follow the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence (CEE) Guidelines. We will collect the relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature in French and English language. The scientific literature will be retrieved with the use of a search string in two publication databases, one environmental and one social science database (Web Of Science Core Collection, and Cairn.info). We will also perform supplementary searches (search engines, call for literature, search for relevant reviews). All references will be screened for relevance using a three-stage process, according to a predefined set of eligibility criteria. Our study will concentrate on urban areas at the infra-city scale in cities of the temperate biogeographical zone. The subject population will include terrestrial species and ecosystems, except for archaea and bacteria. The exposure will consider all types of urban forms described by any urban descriptors or measures including heterogeneity, fragmentation, housing density, organisation of urban matrix, urban fabric) and all types of urban features (e.g. size, age of the buildings, materials, urban artefacts). All relevant outcomes will be considered (e.g. species richness, abundance, behaviour). We will provide an open-access database of the studies included in the map. Our results will also be presented narratively, together with tables and graphs summarising the key information coded from the retained articles (e.g. study characteristics, types and areas of research that has been undertaken, types of exposure, population concerned, etc.).

BackgroundForest disturbances are projected to increase in intensity and frequency in the upcoming decades. The projected change in disturbance regimes is expected to alter the provision of ecosystem services and affect biodiversity. Both are critical for forest ecosystems to provide livelihoods for human societies. Forest management after natural disturbances shapes successional pathways of forest ecosystems. Therefore, the management of post-disturbance sites deserves critical attention to avoid negative effects of management interventions on ecosystem services and biodiversity. The two most common management interventions after natural disturbances are salvage logging (comparator: no salvage logging) and tree planting (comparator: natural regeneration). This planned systematic map of reviews aims to aggregate the existing evidence syntheses on the implications of common forest management interventions after natural disturbances on successional trajectories with regard to selected ecosystem services and biodiversity. Evidence-based post-disturbance management is highly relevant for protected area management as well as for the management of commercial forests.MethodsWe will systematically search the databases Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection and the Forest Science Collection of the CABI Digital Library for reviews and meta-analyses (after 2003). We will apply eligibility criteria for review selection and assess the evidence synthesis validity of selected reviews using the most recent version of CEESAT (Collaboration for Environmental Evidence Synthesis Assessment Tool). The results will be displayed in topic subgroups in summary of scope and summary of findings tables.

BackgroundThe current biodiversity crisis calls for an urgent need to sustainably manage human uses of nature. The Ecosystem Services (ES) concept defined as « the benefits humans obtain from nature » support decisions aimed at promoting nature conservation. However, marine ecosystems, in particular, endure numerous direct pressures (e.g., habitat loss and degradation, overexploitation, pollution, climate change, and the introduction of non-indigenous species) all of which threaten ecosystem structure, functioning, and the very provision of ES. While marine ecosystems often receive less attention than terrestrial ecosystems in ES literature, it would also appear that there is a heterogeneity of knowledge within marine ecosystems and within the different ES provided. Hence, a systematic map on the existing literature will aim to highlight knowledge clusters and knowledge gaps on how changes in marine ecosystems influence the provision of marine ecosystem services. This will provide an evidence base for possible future reviews, and may help to inform eventual management and policy decision-making.MethodsWe will search for all evidence documenting how changes in structure and functioning of marine ecosystems affect the delivery of ES, across scientific and grey literature sources. Two bibliographic databases, Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection, will be used with a supplementary search undertaken in Google scholar. Multiple organisational websites related to intergovernmental agencies, supra-national or national structures, and NGOs will also be searched. Searches will be performed with English terms only without any geographic or temporal limitations. Literature screening, against predefined inclusion criteria, will be undertaken on title, abstract, and then full texts. All qualifying literature will be subjected to coding and meta-data extraction. No formal validity appraisal will be undertaken. Indeed, the map will highlight how marine ecosystem changes impact the ES provided. Knowledge gaps will be identified in terms of which ecosystem types, biodiversity components, or ES types are most or least studied and how these categories are correlated. Finally, a database will be provided, we will narratively describe this evidence base with summary figures and tables of pertinent study characteristics.

BackgroundWhile the concept of ecosystem services has been widely adopted by scholars and increasingly used in policy and practice, there has been criticism of its usefulness to decision-makers. This systematic map will collect and analyse literature that frames ES as a collaboration tool, rather than as an ecosystem assessment tool, to answer the research question—how is the ecosystem services concept used as a tool to foster collaborative ecosystem governance and management?MethodsWe will search for publications using designated keywords in Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, grey literature and conservation practitioner databases and websites. The search strategy aims to locate all ecosystem services studies related to collaboration and joint activities. After removing duplicates, we will screen papers in two stages—first by reviewing titles and abstracts and then by reviewing full text. Both stages will screen papers according to the following inclusion criteria: (1) the study is situated in the context of or related to environmental governance or management; (2) the study focuses on ecosystem services being used as a tool for collaboration; (3) the study describes a process resulting from applying the ecosystem services concept as a tool or approach; and (4) the ecosystem services concept is used in the study in a collaboration or group process in a substantial manner. We will exclude papers that do not address the ES concept as a process tool or approach or that use the ecosystem services concept to directly influence specific decisions or policy. Eligible studies will be critically appraised to assess their reporting quality. Studies will then be reviewed to determine: (a) the type of tool or mechanism that is the primary focus or example of the paper, (b) the rationale for using the ES concept, (c) whether a tool or approach was empirically tested in the study, (d) what the study found regarding the usefulness of ES as a tool or approach, and (e) any challenges to their use, if mentioned explicitly. A standard coding spreadsheet will be used by reviewers. Relevant metadata will be extracted for each paper assessed and used to construct an open-access online database. Finally, a narrative synthesis of metadata will be reported based on eligible studies.

BackgroundTropical coral reefs cover ca. 0.1% of the Earth’s surface but host an outstanding biodiversity and provide important ecosystem services to millions of people living nearby. They are currently threatened by local stressors (e.g. nutrient enrichment and chemical pollution arising from poor land management, sewage effluents, agriculture, industry) and global stressors (mainly seawater warming and acidification, i.e. climate change). Global and local stressors interact in different ways, but the presence of one stressor often reduces the tolerance to additional stress. While global stressors cannot be mitigated solely by local actions, local stressors can be reduced through ecosystem management, therefore minimizing the impact of climate change on coral reefs. We systematically mapped the evidence of impacts of chemicals arising from anthropogenic activities on tropical reef-building corals, which are the main engineer species of reef ecosystems, to inform decision-makers on the available evidence on this topic.MethodsWe searched the relevant literature using English terms combined in a tested search string in two publication databases (Scopus and Web Of Science Core Collection). The search string combined terms describing the population (tropical reef-building corals) and the exposure (chemicals). We searched for additional literature through three search engines, three dissertations repositories, 11 specialist websites, and through a call to local stakeholders. Titles, abstracts, and full-texts were successively screened using pre-defined eligibility criteria. A database of all studies included in the map with coded metadata was produced. The evidence was described and knowledge clusters and gaps were identified through the distribution and frequency of studies into types of exposure and/or types of outcomes and/or types of study.Review findingsThe initial searches identified 23,403 articles which resulted in 15,177 articles after duplicate removal. Among them, 908 articles were retained after screening process, corresponding to 7937 studies (a study being the combination of a taxon, an exposure, and an outcome). Among these studies, 30.5% dealt with the impact of nutrient enrichment on corals while 25% concerned the impact of human activities without reference to a chemical. The most measured outcomes were those related to the chemical concentration in corals (bioaccumulation, 25.8%), to coral physiology (16.9%), cover (14%), and mortality (9%). Half of the studies (48.4%) were experimental—the exposure was controlled by the researchers—and were conducted in laboratory conditions (39.4%) and in situ (9%). The most studied taxa, exposure, and outcomes were different between experimental and observational studies.ConclusionsWe identified four well-represented subtopics that may be amenable to relevant full syntheses via systematic reviews: (1) evidence on bioaccumulation of chemicals by corals; (2) evidence on the effects of nutrient enrichment on corals; (3) evidence on the effects of human activities on corals; and (4) evidence on the ecotoxicological effects of chemicals on corals (except nutrient enrichment). The systematic map shows that corals in their natural environment can be exposed to many categories of chemicals, and that there is a complete gap in experimental research on the combined effects of more than two categories of chemicals. We therefore encourage research on this topic.

In recent years, researchers have increasingly recognized the need to bridge Western and Indigenous knowledge systems to strengthen research in wildlife conservation. Historically, this arena has not made space for Indigenous knowledge holders to share components of their knowledge systems with agency and to support their own self‐determination as equal partners. Since time immemorial, Indigenous Peoples have been developing, maintaining and refining their own knowledge systems, based on intimate knowledge and relationships with the lands, airs, and waterways. There remains enormous potential for Western scientists to engage in equitable knowledge exchange and co‐production with Indigenous Peoples. This applies to species such as boreal caribou Rangifer tarandus caribou, known by the Dene name, tǫdzı; which hold ecological value and cultural importance for both Indigenous and non‐Indigenous people in the boreal region of Canada. To gain an overarching perspective of this species, we will create a systematic literature map that will examine peer‐reviewed and grey literature involving spatial mapping of all species of caribou Rangifer tarandus based on Indigenous knowledge. This map will (a) characterize available data and previously engaged knowledge holders and (b) identify positive experiences that exemplify best practices for knowledge co‐production. Searches will be conducted in English in selected databases. Search strings will be tested against a collection of benchmark papers of documents previously chosen to determine strings with maximum sensitivity and specificity. Results will be reviewed through the: (1) title and abstract; and (2) full text. All screening decisions will be recorded in a database, with 10% of full‐text screening decisions validated. Items retained for inclusion in the systematic map will be coded using a list of coding questions. Ten percent of coding outcomes will be validated by a second reviewer. The systematic map will employ a narrative synthesis approach that will compare retained studies against a list of best practices from the current proposal. It will examine case studies that performed well according to the list and contribute to a repository of previously documented Indigenous knowledge about caribou to support projects involving Indigenous and Western knowledge co‐production.

Environmental exposure to metals and the development of tauopathies, synucleinopathies, and TDP-43 proteinopathies: A systematic evidence map protocol

Bamboo’s perceived potential in livelihood development has led to development interventions that aim to strengthen the bamboo industry via activities such as training participants in bamboo management, strengthening institutions, and raising awareness. Using the Campaign for Environmental Evidence’s guidelines, we systematically map the available evidence of the impact of these interventions. The evidence is scattered across peer-reviewed and grey literature, with no universal reporting standards. Search sources for this systematic evidence map include a bibliographic database, CABdirect (now known as CABI Digital Library); a search platform for peer-reviewed literature, the Web of Science Core Collection; a bibliographic database for academic literature on agriculture and related fields, SEARCH by the USDA National Agricultural Library; a public search engine for scholarly literature, Google Scholar; a general search engine, Google; and the websites of 37 organizations, with both proprietary search engines and Google used to search for pdf files. Overall, 36 documents are included in the final review, describing 28 unique interventions from 13 countries. Most evidence is found outside the peer-reviewed literature. Outcomes including income changes, increased participation and engagement, and policy changes are reported, with economic impacts dominating the evidence base. Very little evidence of negative outcomes is found, likely constrained by reporting bias. Reporting on evidence of these interventions is limited, with many interventions being excluded from the database due to a lack of identifiable evidence of outcomes or impact.

BackgroundUrgent solutions are needed in cities to mitigate twin crises of global climate change and biodiversity loss. Urban nature-based solutions (actions that protect, sustainably manage, and restore ecosystems while simultaneously providing human wellbeing and biodiversity benefits) are being advocated for as multi-functional tools capable of tackling these societal challenges. Urban forest management is a proposed nature-based solution with potential to address both climate change mitigation and biodiversity loss along with multiple other benefits. However, bodies of evidence measuring multiple outcomes (e.g., biodiversity conservation and nature-based climate solutions) remain siloed which limits conservation and management opportunities. In this article, we present a systematic map of the literature on urban forest management strategies that measure both biodiversity goals (through avian conservation) and climate change mitigation goals (through carbon storage and sequestration).MethodsFollowing a published protocol, we searched for evidence related to urban forest management strategies for (1) avian conservation and (2) carbon solutions within the global temperate region in academic and grey literature. In addition to Scopus, ProQuest and Web of Science Core Collection, we searched 21 specialist websites. We screened English language documents using predefined inclusion criteria on titles and abstracts, and then full texts. All qualifying literature items were coded, and metadata were extracted. No study validity appraisal was conducted. We identified knowledge clusters and gaps related to forest management strategies for both topics.Review findingsOur searches identified 19,073 articles published, of which 5445 were duplicates. The title and abstract screening removed a further 11,019 articles. After full-text screening (1762 and 1406), a total of 277 avian and 169 forest carbon literature items met the eligibility criteria and were included in the final database. We found a large knowledge base for broad-scale avian metrics: abundance, species richness. We similarly found that both avian and carbon solutions most often used broad-scale forest management components: land use type, composition, and forested area and least often considered fragmentation, connectivity, and diversity metrics (abundance, richness). The most understudied avian metrics were foraging, resources, and survival while the most understudied carbon solutions metrics were soil carbon, dead wood and organic matter and infrastructure. Avian literature most often used an experimental design (56% with comparator, 44% no comparator) while forest carbon solutions literature was dominated by observational studies (86%). In both topics, studies most often occurred over short timelines between 0 and 1 and 2–5 years. The body of evidence for both avian and carbon outcomes present a scale-mismatch between the scale of forest management strategy (e.g., land use type) and scale of application (e.g., patch). For example, the majority of studies considered forest strategies at broad scales, like land use type or composition, yet were conducted at a patch or multi-patch scale. Our systematic map also highlights that multi-city and regional urban scales are underrepresented in both carbon solutions and avian conservation and will require additional research efforts. Finally, we highlight gaps in the inclusion of recommendations in both bodies of literature. Roughly 30% of articles in each topic’s database did not include recommendations for practitioners or researchers.ConclusionsOur systematic map provides a database and identifies knowledge gaps and clusters of urban forest management strategies for (1) avian conservation and (2) carbon solutions. Overall, our map will allow researchers to fill existing gaps in literature through new research investigations, meta-analyses or systematic reviews while also pointing policymakers toward strong knowledge bases in addition to understudied or mismatched areas that require more funding.Graphical

BackgroundConversion, fragmentation, and loss of natural habitats are among the main causes of declining species’ populations worldwide. Protected areas are therefore crucial for biodiversity as they provide refuge and ensure key ecological processes. Wildlife translocations, defined as “the deliberate movement of organisms from one site for release in another”, have been used in conjunction as a conservation tool for a number of decades as wild populations become increasingly fragmented and endangered. Not only are translocations used to bolster the viability of imperiled species but are also recommended for improving population resilience and adapting species’ ranges in response to climate change. Despite translocation being a recognised conservation tool, it remains complex with variable results due to the different factors that can determine its success. Accordingly, the Map will investigate the existing evidence on the links between different types of wildlife translocation interventions and factors that may be important to consider for planning. This will provide an overview of relevant studies for possible future syntheses, and may help to inform management decisions.MethodWe will perform a thorough search of peer-reviewed journal articles and grey literature sources documenting the occurrence of translocations in the context of protected areas. Two databases will be used: Web of science core collection and Scopus, with a supplementary search in Google Scholar. Multiple key specialized websites will also be used. All bibliographic data will be extracted, managed, and screened in Microsoft excel. Three screening stages will be undertaken (title, then abstract, then full texts) against predefined inclusion criteria. The retained relevant literature will be subjected to coding and meta-data extraction. No formal validity appraisal will be undertaken. The Map will particularly highlight translocation operations in terms of origin and destination (i.e. translocating from one protected area to another, within the same area, and from and to non-protected areas) by taxonomic group, among other important factors (e.g. number of individuals, age class, release strategy, distance between capture and release sites etc.). Finally, a database will be provided along with a Map narratively describing the evidence with summary figures and tables of pertinent study characteristics.

BackgroundInvasive alien plant species often have negative environmental and social impacts, such as loss of biodiversity and alteration of ecosystem services. As a result, managing the introduction, establishment, and abundance of invasive species is a major priority. To do this effectively, we need evidence on the effect of management interventions (such as using herbicide or cutting to control invasive plants). This evidence should not only include the effects of these management interventions on invasive alien species, but also on native species and other non-target outcomes such as ecosystem services. Such evidence would allow for comparison of the trade-offs between different management interventions. In the planned review we aim to assess how management interventions to control nine priority invasive alien plants species in England and Wales affect environmental outcomes. These species are: Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) Nuttall’s waterweed (Elodea nuttallii), Chilean rhubarb (Gunnera tinctoria), Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), Floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides), Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera), Curly waterweed (Lagarosiphon major), American skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus), Parrot’s feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum).MethodsSearches will be in English and use bibliographic databases (Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, Open Access Theses and Dissertations, and Conservation Evidence) and internet searches (Google Scholar), as well as specialist databases. Our methodology will only use the names of each species (scientific names and common names, including synonyms) as our search string (we will not use qualifiers, such as “AND invasive”). This will give low specificity but will increase the likelihood of capturing all relevant information. We will use predefined criteria for study inclusion and data extraction. We will screen publications in two stages: (1) using titles and abstracts and (2) using full texts. Consistency of inclusion will be checked by two people screening a random sample of 10% of titles and abstracts. This dual-screening will be subject to kappa analysis and any disagreements resolved through discussion. We will use critical appraisal to assess study validity by identifying studies that are potentially prone to bias.

The bringing together of multiple knowledge sources, such as Indigenous knowledge (IK) and Environmental science Knowledge (ESK), is a topic of considerable interest and significance in environmental research. In the areas of resource management for example, the bringing together of IK and ESK datasets has raised considerable interest for its potential to increase understanding and provide insights into complex phenomena such as the effects of climate change and variability on wildlife health and distribution. The potential benefits that exist from merging these knowledge sources have been widely acknowledged. However, navigating the complex processes involved in knowledge linking continues to pose significant challenges. This systematic mapping protocol will guide the collection and analysis of literature to examine the approaches and methods used in published studies that aim to bring together Indigenous and Environmental science Knowledge in environmental research. The particular focus of this examination is placed on identification of the types of approaches and methods used to merge IK and ESK datasets at the stages of data analysis, results, and interpretation/discussion in the research process. Through a scoping exercise, a draft search string was developed based on a predetermined list of keywords. Consultation was held with a senior Indigenous scholar to advise on the keywords used and consideration for IK likely to be represented in the collected literature. The final search string will be applied to online bibliographic databases to collect studies published in peer‐reviewed journals. The final capture of the search will be screened in two stages: (1) at the level of title and abstract and (2) at full‐text. All studies included will be coded using a standardised coding template and a narrative synthesis approach will be used to identify patterns in the evidence, including knowledge gaps and clusters. Practical implication : The resulting systematic map, following the outlined procedures in this protocol and considering guidelines from the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence (CEE) and Reporting standards for Systematic Evidence Syntheses (ROSES), can serve to support and inform future research endeavours engaged in working towards the linking of IK and ESK, with practical implications for communities and policymakers.