Conservation Evidence Group: Amphibian Synopsis

Synchronicity Earth is funding the Conservation Evidence Group, based at Cambridge University, to develop a synopsis for Amphibian conservation evidence. The group works on the premise that conservation practitioners largely base their activities on their own experience and of others nearby and rarely access published literature. The group’s vision is to change global conservation practice by collating, reviewing and disseminating the science on the interventions that can maintain and restore global biodiversity.

To date the group has collated a database of over 4,000 relevant references, including searching the content of 25 major ecology and conservation journals. It has written online summaries for over 2,000 of these and has already produced a bee synopsis. The group is currently working on synopses for birds and agriculture which will be published later in 2011. The bee synopsis will review the evidence on interventions such as protecting and restoring habitat; activities to prevent disease; tackling invasive species; and addressing climate change. As well as funding this work, Synchronicity Earth has helped bring the scientists from the Conservation Evidence Group together with other experts, such as the Amphibian Survival Alliance, to ensure the list of interventions is exhaustive and dissemination is as widespread as possible.