This sourcebook highlights the complexities of biodiversity, REDD+ and monitoring biodiversity as part of REDD+. It adopts a simple four-stage monitoring framework: 1) Defining objectives: Why monitor biodiversity for REDD+? 2) Selecting indicators: What to monitor for REDD+? 3) Implementation of monitoring: How to monitor for REDD+? 4) Informing relevant audiences: Sharing and using the information generated.

Across this framework, the key considerations for REDD+ can be summarised under three criteria for meaningful monitoring: 1) Purposeful: having clearly stated goals and objectives; 2) Effective: being able to attribute changes in biodiversity to its causes; 3) Realistic: being able to achieve this given real-world resource constraints.