Table 3 Cost (USD) of forest monitoring (2009–2012) using different approaches over our study area—a comparative assessment using different approaches
Items | CM | RS + Professionals | RS + CM | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Satellite data cost | Freely available Landsat 30 m data for stratification | 3000 New tasking—1st time (2009) | 3000 New tasking—1st time (2009) | |
1500 Archive Data (2012) | 1500 Archive Data (2012) | |||
Field inventory cost | 16,000 (inventory in 2009 and 2012 by communities) (Total number of plots 140 @ USD 115 per plot) | 14,000 (inventory in 2012 by Professionals) (Total number of plots 51 @ USD 275 per plot) | 5100 (inventory in 2012 by Communities) (Total number of plots 51 @ USD 100 per plot) | Based on 2012 reduced field sampling and remote sensing image, biomass model was developed to produce spatial biomass estimates for 2012. Based on this model and using satellite data of 2009, spatial biomass estimates for 2009 were made |
This has facilitated to avoid field sampling in 2009 and has reduced cost | ||||
Analysis (local professional) | 2000 | 5000 | 5000 | |
Total cost (US $) | 18,000 | 23,500 | 14,600 | |
Total area coverage (ha) | 2385 (limited to CFUG area) | 8002 (covers entire watershed) | 8002 (covers entire watershed) | |
Field sampling intensity (%)/year | 0.147 | 0.043 | 0.043 | |
Cost (US $/ha) | 7.5 | 4.0 | 2.5 | Note that cost reduction/ha has is achieved due to increased study area and tenfold reduction in field sample intensity |
Products | Field based biomass/ha for each CFUG for 2009 and 2012 | Spatial products and area information on deforestation, afforestation | Spatial products and area information on deforestation, afforestation | |
Regeneration, disturbance information | Forest enhancement and degradation information in terms of changes in crown density classes, tree crown size class wise CPA | Forest enhancement and degradation information in terms of changes in crown density classes, tree crown size class wise CPA | ||
No information on outside CF area | Spatial biomass maps facilitating change in biomass within and outside CF areas | Spatial biomass maps facilitating change in biomass within and outside CF areas | ||
Non information on deforestation, afforestation beyond plot location | ||||
Degradation in terms of biomass loss is made from plot data over entire CFUG area |