Policy support tool
A Rapid Forest Assessment Method for Multiparty Monitoring Across Landscapes
The rapid forest assessment (RFA) approach is a collaborative natural resource management strategy to monitor forests by engaging stakeholders and citizen scientists in data collection. The RFA approach was designed to simplify the process of forest monitoring, allowing for wider geographic and temporal data collection while reducing the resources required for adaptive land management projects. RFA programs also educate stakeholders and citizens on issues related to forest management and restoration.
The RFA approach aims to reduce the capacity and cost required for forest monitoring by training volunteers to collect data on vegetation structure and diversity in a relatively quick and efficient manner. This data can then be used to inform land management strategies or serve as a teaching tool for the program.