An open-contributions platform for evidence on forest conservation.
Abstract
1. Effective decision-making in the protection of nature should be informed by science. Yet, decision-makers often choose conservation strategies without consulting all relevant evidence. This is partly due to evidence being hidden behind paywalls, presented in overly technical language, and scattered across various journals. 2. To facilitate direct use of evidence, we developed an interactive platform designed specifically for practitioners, allowing them to explore a wide range of questions. A key innovation we describe in this article is the platform's transformation into a system open to contributions from any scientist or practitioner. We analysed how evidence has accumulated under this new system for the strategy 'Reforestation and Forest Restoration'. 3. We found that over 1 year of community contributions, 27% of publications found during a more systematic search were added to the platform, indicating a promising trajectory. The future success of the platform will depend on encouraging individual contributions and documenting, as well as mitigating, potential biases. 5. Solution. By transferring the responsibility of sharing the evidence on what works in conservation from a select group of experts to the broader science and practice community, we contribute to addressing the issue of evidence underuse that is still prevalent in conservation, ultimately making it more effective and transparent.