Funders / Investors

Within forest restoration, MRV frameworks help stakeholders determine whether planned activities are delivering measurable ecological benefits over time, evaluate outcomes against reference conditions, and identify necessary adjustments in management. Effective MRV begins with baseline data collection, performed before any restoration activity commences. Baseline surveys establish initial conditions of degraded, restoring, and fully restored reference ecosystems. This means they are providing critical reference points to assess ecological improvements attributable to restoration actions.

In the MRV-BES system we have developed, the workflow proceeds systematically. We start by agreeing upon clear ecological objectives, ensuring they are explicit, measurable, achievable, and time-bound. Following this, a targeted set of powerful yet practical ecological indicators is selected, typically encompassing vegetation diversity, soil carbon and microbial communities, environmental DNA (eDNA), bioacoustic monitoring, and remote sensing methods like LiDAR and multispectral imaging. To accurately detect ecological changes resulting from restoration, we established a monitoring framework at stands of different ages or stages of restoration to define the Reference model trajectory. Like baseline surveys, monitoring from reference stands helps optimise sampling efficiency for future restoration projects, ensuring sufficient statistical power to detect progress while avoiding excess costs. Or the data collection we suggest a combination of professional surveys with citizen science approaches, affordable sensors, and freely available satellite imagery (e.g., Copernicus). Open-source script- based tools can be used to quantify uncertainty and compare outcomes against established benchmarks (counterfactual and reference condition models). Data collected should be subject to rigorous quality assurance and quality control procedures. It should be stored in centralised database adhering to standards such as Darwin- Core and INSPIRE, with persistent identifiers and Creative Commons licensing to facilitate transparency and data reuse. 

Reporting and communication 

Reporting and communication are central to MRV-BES. Findings can be summarised and visualised using accessible tools, notably the Society for Ecological Restoration’s "Recovery Wheel," enabling stakeholders such as landowners, policymakers, investors, and local communities to interpret ecological progress intuitively. Such visualisations support adaptive management, allowing prompt intervention when ecological indicators deviate from anticipated trajectories.

Aligned with international guidelines such as those established by REDD+ and the Paris Agreement (international MRV standards), the MRV-BES approach emphasises transparency and accountability. This structured MRV process systematically evaluates ecological integrity, habitat quality, and ecosystem resilience, turning ambitious restoration goals into demonstrable biodiversity and ecosystem service outcomes.