Assessing Forest Degradation: Towards the Development of Globally Applicable Guidelines

background

This FAO report defines forest degradation and provides guidelines for assessing levels of degradation with the purpose of influencing policies and forest management plans towards restoration. The report provides directions on how to measure four markers: 1) growing stock and biomass, 2) biodiversity, 3) production of forest goods, and 4) soil erosion. 

Conclusions & takeaways

Policy decisions and forest management plans rely on forest health data, and different markers are measured in different ways. This report provides in-depth instructions for measuring forest health markers and articulating changes in forests for policy and management purposes.