Predator control needs a standard of unbiased randomized experiments with cross-over design

Treves, Adrian (author), Krofel, Miha (author), Ohrens, Omar (author), van Eeden, Lily M. (author)

Rapid, global changes, such as extinction and climate change, put a premium on evidence-based, environmental policies and interventions, including predator control efforts. Lack of solid scientific evidence precludes strong inference about responses of predators, people, and prey of both, to various types of predator control. Here we formulate two opposing hypotheses with possible underlying mechanisms and propose experiments to test four pairs of opposed predictions about responses of predators, domestic animals, and people in a coupled, dynamic system. We outline the design of a platinum-standard experiment, namely randomized, controlled experiment with cross-over design and multiple steps to blind measurement, analysis, and peer review to avoid pervasive biases. The gold-standard has been proven feasible in field experiments with predators and livestock, so we call for replicating that across the world on different methods of predator control, in addition to striving for an even higher standard that can improve reproducibility and reliability of the science of predator control.

• Language: English
• Keywords: effective intervention, wildlife damage, strong inference, standards of evidence, predator control, experiments, randomized controlled trials
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2019
• Number of pages: 14 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 7, art. 462
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-114215
• UDC: 630*
• ISSN on article: 2296-701X
• DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00462
• COBISS.SI-ID: 5568934
• Publication date in RUL: 19.02.2020

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Frontiers in ecology and evolution
• Shortened title: Front. ecol. evol.
• Publisher: Frontiers Media
• ISSN: 2296-701X
• COBISS.SI-ID: 37643053

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: učinkovita intervencija, škode zaradi divjadi, zanesljivo sklepanje, standardi dokazovanja, nadzor plenilcev, kontrolni poskusi