Living With Environmental Change
Introduction to Pilot Review reports
When establishing a major research programme such as Living With Environmental Change (LWEC), with such clear relevance to the science-policy interface, there is a need for identification of priority policy areas, reflection on the current baseline of evidence, exposure of knowledge gaps and hence the design of programmes of research. This need is now addressed, across many sectors, using a formal evidence-based approach. This approach is perhaps most familiar in the health services, social services and education but is now being actively used in environmental management.
The core methodology in evidence-based practice is the systematic review, involving a rigorous and objective assessment of the best available evidence on a question of concern to policy or practice. However, a systematic review is a significant investment of time and resources and, with the limited resources available it is probably not efficient to launch straight into a programme of systematic reviews without some prior estimation of their value. Consequently a funding scheme for pilot reviews was established.
The Pilot Reviews offer the opportunity to scope academic literature and public reports published on specific questions. It was intended that the reports of the reviews would: outline the existing data and highlight the trends and gaps in knowledge, contain details of the search strategy employed, provide critical appraisal of the quality of the sample of the studies and may produce a draft protocol for a full systematic review. It is hoped that the reports will provide a resource for stakeholders and follow the guidelines given for scoping studies on systematic reviews 
.
The LWEC partners agreed six strategic objectives that will inform progress towards the design of the programmes of work that will make up LWEC. The first scheme funded the following reports and was in support of LWEC Objective B - to manage ecosystems for human well-being and protect the natural environment as the environment changes.
The LWEC partners were keen to support activities that cover both aspects of Objective B. These include the assessment of links and feedbacks between the natural environment, ecosystem services and human well-being; how these might continue to develop within environmental limits in the face of major environmental change; and how decision-making and local and national planning can take account of these links and feedbacks to help in the development of new social, environmental and economic opportunities.
Each of the six reports that form the output of this first scheme provides an initial characterisation of the evidence base on their chosen subjects. This provides a resource with which to judge the potential value of full systematic reviews and the likely need for primary research.
- Andrew Pullin, Centre for Evidence-Based Conservation, Bangor University
This project was funded by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) (project NR0133) with the support of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) under Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) Objective B.
Pilot Review - Haines-Young report (830KB)
Pilot Review - Mace report (640KB)
Pilot Review - Mangi report (196KB)
Pilot Review - Marrs report (710KB)