Community-Based Ecological Monitoring:<i>A Rapid Appraisal Approach</i>

Abstract

Abstract Continuous natural resources monitoring is greatly needed so that public agencies can make timely, cost-effective, and scientifically credible land management decisions and local communities can anticipate the effects of proposed changes in land use. This article discusses how participatory, community-based, rapid appraisal methods can be used to monitor riparian health and educate the public, providing a practical solution to the need for community-level knowledge of natural systems while complementing more detailed analyses by professional scientists.