Management › Tillage → Properties › Biology › Diversity

Conservation tillage → Shannon index

The studies disagree

35 %

of 20 studies with a clear result report a significant increase

-1 %

typical change (10 studies with numbers)

studies · 35 findings

Count each study by

24 studies · 35 findings

What the studies show

7 of 20 studies report a significant increase (35 %, 95 % confidence interval 18–57 %).

By the direction of each study’s results, significant or not: 11 of 19 studies with a direction point up (58 %, 95 % confidence interval 36–77 %; sign test p = 0.648).

↑ 7 increase
↓ 6 decrease
⇅ 3 both
= 4 no effect
? 4 unclear

How large: typically -1 % (middle half -8 % to +20 %), from 10 studies with numbers
Basis: 24 studies, 35 findings; 1 entered by hand, 23 read by the library

Every study counts once, however many findings it reports: one with 40 sampling dates does not outvote ten others. A study with a significant increase and decrease (say at different depths) counts as "both". A first synthesis for orientation, not a substitute for a systematic review.

Where the studies are

goes up
stays the same
goes down
both ways

Through the soil profile

Each layer on its own: a study that reports the topsoil and the subsoil counts in both. Choose a layer to see what goes with it.

goes up
stays the same
goes down
both ways

In the top 10 cm, shannon index goes up in 60 % of the studies under conservation tillage, stays the same in 0 % and goes down in 40 %.

What makes a difference

The conditions whose levels differ most clearly, each with the outcome that differs most between its levels of at least 10 study layers. Choose a layer in the profile to see them for that layer alone, or a level here to filter by it.

Testing every condition on every study layer…

Along the conditions

Testing every condition on every study layer…