Meta-analysis on herbivore exclusion research and practice

To assess the current state of knowledge on herbivory exclusion devices in seagrass projects in the southern Atlantic and wider Caribbean, we performed a meta-analysis on studies that incorporated caging and fencing for herbivory exclusion within their experimental designs. A modified version of the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) process was utilized to address our research question (Foster and Jewell 2017). The search string encompassed terms related to population (seagrass), variables (herbivory exclusion), and outcome (growth). Our review revealed a significant gap; herbivore exclusion is rarely addressed in published restoration studies, in part due to the absence of experimental design and limited publication of practitioner-led projects. Consequently, the meta-analysis was constrained by small sample sizes and potential publication bias, offering limited insight into broad-scale trends.