Ecological Monitoring and Assessment

This component is improving knowledge about the physical processes leading to biodiversity loss in the drylands. In particular it is studying the relative importance of human vs. climatic factors; developing quantitative indicators of biodiversity loss; and improving means of monitoring these aspects of land degradation.

Towards this end, ILRI organized a workshop on statistical analysis of data in December 2004; IFDC organized a workshop on decision support systems in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in June 2004; and TSBF-CIAT organized three workshops on nutrient monitoring using the NUTMON model, including participatory methods, in Kenya and Tanzania during 2003-04.