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by claude@2026-07, 2026-07-17
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The paper studies how network meta-analysis can be implemented in ecological research by demonstrating, via a case study, comparisons of multiple interventions’ effects on crop yield. The authors conducted a systematic review and extracted data from meta-analytical studies reporting field-experiment pairwise comparisons between interventions and controls, using yield as the outcome across 3733 independent studies and focusing on four interventions (liming, straw return, super absorbent polymers, and “no intervention” as control). They report that the network meta-analysis framework can provide more precise comparisons across multiple interventions, while emphasizing explicit methodological caveats related to the assumptions of transitivity and consistency. The paper does not explicitly discuss endometriosis or adenomyosis; it was included in the corpus via a keyword match in the upstream search index.
Abstract
Network meta-analysis (NMA) is a method commonly used in medical research that allows for the comparison of multiple interventions in a single, coherent analysis. In this study, we explore how NMA can be applied in ecological studies – specifically, in comparing the effectiveness of multiple interventions in field experiments. Our study aims to provide a general and non-technical introduction of network meta-analysis to ecologists, particularly on key assumptions and methods. Using an example, we demonstrate how NMA can serve as a tool to compare the effectiveness of different interventions used in enhancing crop yield. We conducted a systematic review and extracted data from meta-analytical studies that explored the response of yield to an intervention. Each study structured data as a pairwise comparison between an intervention and a control. Using yield as the measure of effectiveness, we evaluated four interventions – Liming, Straw return, Super Absorbent Polymers, and considered no intervention as the control. All measurements came from field experiments, and we analyzed data from 3733 independent studies that were included in these meta-analytical reviews. The results of our analysis demonstrate the potential of NMA as a valuable statistical method in ecological research, providing more precise comparisons of multiple interventions. However, we emphasize the need for careful consideration of important assumptions such as transitivity and consistency when implementing NMA in ecological studies. This study offers a novel approach to synthesizing ecological data, contributing to improved decision-making in agriculture, ecology, and environmental sciences.
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This is a Preprint and has not been peer reviewed. This is version 2 of this Preprint.
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Network meta-analysis (NMA) is a method commonly used in medical research that allows for the comparison of multiple interventions in a single, coherent analysis. In this study, we explore how NMA can be applied in ecological studies – specifically, in comparing the effectiveness of multiple interventions in field experiments. Our study aims to provide a general and non-technical introduction of network meta-analysis to ecologists, particularly on key assumptions and methods. Using an example, we demonstrate how NMA can serve as a tool to compare the effectiveness of different interventions used in enhancing crop yield. We conducted a systematic review and extracted data from meta-analytical studies that explored the response of yield to an intervention. Each study structured data as a pairwise comparison between an intervention and a control. Using yield as the measure of effectiveness, we evaluated four interventions – Liming, Straw return, Super Absorbent Polymers, and considered no intervention as the control. All measurements came from field experiments, and we analyzed data from 3733 independent studies that were included in these meta-analytical reviews. The results of our analysis demonstrate the potential of NMA as a valuable statistical method in ecological research, providing more precise comparisons of multiple interventions. However, we emphasize the need for careful consideration of important assumptions such as transitivity and consistency when implementing NMA in ecological studies. This study offers a novel approach to synthesizing ecological data, contributing to improved decision-making in agriculture, ecology, and environmental sciences.
https://doi.org/10.32942/X2JH0R
Agriculture, Biodiversity, Life Sciences, Natural Resources and Conservation, Natural Resources Management and Policy
network meta-analysis, evidence synthesis, systematic review, agriculture, policy, Methodology, multi-treatment analysis, mixed-treatment comparison
Published: 2025-01-13 03:28
Last Updated: 2025-01-13 12:09
CC BY Attribution 4.0 International
Conflict of interest statement:
None
Data and Code Availability Statement:
Data and code associated with this preprint is publicly available at (https://github.com/Helmholtz-UFZ/network-meta-analysis-using-crop.yield.data)
Language:
English
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