Issues in forest restoration: Southwest ecological restoration institutes (SWERI) biophysical monitoring workshop report

On October 15-16, 2009, the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes (SWERI) hosted a workshop in which the participants would 1) build a common understanding of the types of monitoring that are occurring in forested ecosystems of the Southwest; 2) analyze and agree on an efficient, yet robust set of biophysical variables that can be used by land mangers and scientists to monitor the effectiveness of restoration/land treatments; and 3) discuss and develop strategies to overcome common challenges to effective forest monitoring and its integration into land management decision making. An invited group of individuals representing federal and state agencies, environmental non-profits, academic institutions, and consulting firms brought their knowledge and expertise to bear on the three goals of the workshop..