With 40% of global amphibian species threatened with extinction, captive breeding programmes are an increasingly important conservation tool. The highest priority species occur in tropical countries, which presents a number of challenges. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 practitioners in Latin America, Africa and Asia to investigate how the effectiveness of amphibian captive breeding programmes could be improved. A thematic analysis identified 94 barriers and enablers across 13 themes. We found that existing programmes commonly followed a reactive and often ineffective four-stage operational model. Subsequently, we developed a proactive operational model, using the barriers and enablers identified by this study, to support programme managers in the implementation of effective programmes. Our findings suggest human dimensions are often critical barriers or enablers across all stages of captive breeding programmes. We recommend the development of strategic partnerships between institutions, including zoos, NGOs, governments and captive breeding programmes, to help overcome these critical barriers and improve the effectiveness of global amphibian conservation. This operational model could be translated to captive breeding programmes for other taxa.

Forests worldwide are facing increasing pressures, with human travel and trade assisting the spread of pests and diseases. Climate change is likely to enhance the negative impacts of pests and diseases, which cause global declines and local extinctions. In this research we focus on three local and regional knowledge networks in the UK concerned with pests and diseases to explore to what extent the networks raise awareness and encourage other actions in their members, and identify what roles social capital and social learning play in these networks. A qualitative approach was undertaken. Three networks focused on pests and diseases were studied in the research, which involved 20 interviews with network members, and in situ discussions with two of the networks involving 41 members. Interviewees in the networks self-reported increased awareness and understanding of tree health issues as an important outcome of their participation in a network. The networks engaged in a range of actions, from knowledge exchange to developing guidance and running events, workshops and field trips. The role of the networks in supporting the development of social capital and social learning made an important contribution to the knowledge exchange and other actions undertaken, and highlights how networks can contribute to landscape-level action towards tree health. Stakeholders need to be included in responses to pest and disease threats, and networks can play an important role in raising awareness, knowledge exchange and linking up diverse land managers. This research provides evidence of the importance of networks in developing a collective approach, creating a stronger voice, aiding different organisations and individuals to work together, and providing an arena for social learning and developing useful relationships. A recognition of the importance of networks and the provision of some financial support could aid their continuation.

Policy makers are challenged to find ways of influencing and supporting land manager behaviours and actions to deal with the impacts of increasing pressure from tree pests and diseases. This paper investigates attitudes and behaviours of farmers towards managing trees on farmland for pests and diseases. Data collection with farmers included deliberative workshops and semi-structured interviews. Data were thematically analyzed using the COM-B (Capacity/Opportunity/Motivation-Behaviour) model to understand the drivers of farmer behaviour for tree health. Results suggested farmers had some knowledge, experience and skills managing trees, but they did not recognize this capacity. Social norms and networks impacted the context of opportunity to act for tree health, along with access to trusted advice and labour, and the costs associated with management action. Motivational factors such as self-efficacy, perceived benefits of acting, personal interest and sense of agency were impacted by farmers’ self-identity as food producers. The COM-B model also provides a framework for identifying intervention design through a Behaviour Change Wheel. This suggests that enhancing self-efficacy supported by the right kind of advice and guidance, framed and communicated in farmers’ terms and brokered by appropriate knowledge intermediaries, seems critical to building action amongst different farmer types and attitudinal groups.

The contributions of constructed Green Infrastructure (GI) to biodiversity are often used to justify urban development projects, yet in many cases these contributions have been difficult to quantify. As a result, a wide range of GI features are designed and implemented, often without knowledge of whether these features contribute meaningfully to biodiversity or if there are biosecurity risks presented by their design or procurement. Our understanding of design practices could be significantly improved if researchers and policymakers were able to draw upon a data resource that recorded the specifications used in development projects and facilitated easy access to them. In the United Kingdom, planning Portals act as substantial and untapped repositories of grey literature, containing highly detailed data with a diverse spatial coverage, recording the diversity and extent of existing habitats and specifications for proposed species assemblages. However, they are difficult to navigate or query, making it challenging to use these resources to gain macro‐level insights from the data held within the portals. In this paper, we present GIbase 1.0, a new dataset that incorporates plant specifications from development projects across England and Scotland along with trait data associated with each species. To demonstrate the utility of the dataset, in a separate exercise we tested whether these data could be used to inform policymakers and researchers about current procurement and planting practices. To this end, we assessed the proposed GI features that are submitted by developers to local planning authorities as part of the planning process and then carried out fieldwork to record the extent to which these specifications were delivered. The findings from this work are published separately (Karlsdottir et al., 2021).

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