Paper Summaries – March 2026
Compiled by the CIEEM Academia Special Interest Group
van Dooren, V., Montes Strevens, C., & Pettorelli, N. (2025).
Agricultural rewilding with livestock: Lessons for implementation in Europe.
Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 6, e70135. https://doi.org/10.1002/2688- 8319.70135
It is clear that our nature recovery ambitions will need to include agricultural land if restoration is to take place at a landscape scale. Hence the rise of the concept of agricultural rewilding in recent years, whereby ecologically-informed agricultural practice, usually involving livestock, is blended with initiatives to restore ecological processes and biodiversity. In this study the authors collated evidence from scientific and grey literature and conducted interviews with academics and practitioners from across Europe to assess where we are in terms of practically delivering such solutions, the challenges and opportunities they present and key lessons for the future. They identified 25 case studies of agricultural rewilding involving livestock, 18 of which are in the UK. Amongst the challenges identified in delivering these initiatives were a lack of clarity on the trade-off between the carbon sequestration benefits of restoring habitats versus the greenhouse gas emissions of livestock and the potential for adverse impacts on biodiversity arising from overgrazing. As both problems are likely to be context-specific, the authors recommend research to assess impacts across a range of scenarios. Another significant threat to realizing the potential of agricultural rewilding is the challenge of defining the associated livestock as distinct from those in intensive agricultural systems in terms of animal welfare and food safety policies. These and other thorny problems are considered alongside the clear potential benefits of agricultural rewilding for biodiversity, the climate and sustainability. The authors conclude that the development of clear guidelines for effective implementation, quantifying outcomes and showcasing successes, and developing a supportive framework of policies and legislation will be critical in realizing the potential benefits of agricultural rewilding.
Mitchell RJ, Albon SD, Bellamy PE, Cameron C, Ellis CJ, Hodgetts NG, Johnstone C, Stockan JA, Taylor AFS.
Sprucing up the UK’s Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) forests: can tree species diversification benefit biodiversity?
Forestry 2025, cpaf040 https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpaf040
This paper looks at pragmatic ways to increase biodiversity and resilience in plantations of the UK’s most common tree, Sitka spruce. The UK Forestry Standard now guides plantations to have no more than 65% of one species, so this review asks what would work best as secondary species in Sika-dominated plantations. This means striking a balance between (i) supporting biodiversity already associated with Sitka spruce (that might decline), (ii) supporting biodiversity not supported by Sitka spruce, and (iii) ecosystem functioning. They considered 34 tree species which could feasibly be grown alongside Sitka spruce as secondary species, ether in intimate mixes or close by but in separate coupes. Native oak species, sycamore, Scots pine, native birch, beech and Norway spruce were found to provide the greatest biodiversity benefits. The analysis also found that diversification via use of ‘blocky mixes’ i.e. blocks of single species of at least 0.2 ha (0.5 acres) would work best for providing biodiversity benefits while supporting timber production. However, more research is needed into what spatial layouts would provide optimum benefits. The study notes that that diversification with broadleaved trees may result in faster nutrient cycling and litter decomposition with potential implications for carbon storage.
Marion, S., Burton, C. Dunkley F., Harris M. & Wright, E. 2025.
Signals from local and national monitoring will guide us to nature recovery.
JNCC Report 804. JNCC, Peterborough, ISSN 0963-8091. https://jncc.gov.uk/resources/82e4ef4d-3a8f-4a12-a1d6-5954ebf76adb
The paper ‘Signals from local and national monitoring will guide us to nature recovery’ delivers a timely and compelling case for integrating local-scale biodiversity monitoring with established national schemes. The authors highlight that while UK-wide citizen-science programmes are invaluable for detecting broad trends, they often miss the fine-scale ecological changes that shape real-world management decisions. Local monitoring, aligned and standardised across regions, can fill these gaps by offering early indicators of change, supporting targeted interventions, and enabling more comprehensive, multi-taxon assessments.
The report sets out clear evidence needs and outlines how closer coordination between national and local initiatives can improve sampling design, data integration, and the evaluation of intervention effectiveness. This complementary approach strengthens both policy development and practical conservation delivery, particularly in the context of Local Nature Recovery Strategies, Protected Landscapes, and nature finance.
For CIEEM members, the paper is especially relevant, with it providing a framework for consistent, scalable monitoring that directly supports professional practice, decision-making, and landscape-level recovery planning.