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Table 4 Proposed study design terms for data coding

From: Impacts of selected Ecological Focus Area options in European farmed landscapes on climate regulation and pollination services: a systematic map protocol

Term

Meaning

Site comparison

A study that considers effects of EFA features by comparing sites that have historically had different features or comparators

Replicated

The EFA feature and comparator are repeated at more than one independent site

Paired sites

Feature and comparator sites are considered in pairs, selected with similar environmental conditions, such as soil type or surrounding landscape, to reduce environmental variation

Randomized

The EFA feature was allocated randomly to sites, reducing the degree of bias based on initial conditions

Before-and-after trial

Outcomes were monitored before and after the EFA feature was imposed

Quantitative meta-analysis

Results from several studies were collectively analyzed, following critical appraisal, to generate a combined effect size

Model simulation

Outcomes are predicted using simulation models, such as greenhouse gas emission or soil carbon dynamics models