The REFLoC Evidence Gap Map (EGM) is a practical tool designed to support evidence-informed forest conservation. Developed by Leiden University students and staff through the 2025 Research Clinic, the interactive map organizes research on the resilience and wellbeing of forest-dependent communities (FDCs). By bringing together studies from different regions, disciplines, and research approaches, the toolkit helps users identify what is already known, where knowledge gaps exist, and how evidence can inform conservation action.
This toolkit is intended for:
Community leaders and forest-dependent communities
Conservation practitioners and NGOs
Government agencies and policymakers
Researchers and students
Donors and development organizations
Use the Evidence Gap Map to:
Identify evidence that can inform forest conservation initiatives.
Understand the social, environmental, economic, and governance factors influencing forest-dependent communities.
Design conservation interventions based on existing research.
Recognize areas where additional research or monitoring is needed.
Support funding proposals and policy development with evidence.
Encourage collaboration between researchers, communities, and decision-makers.
The Evidence Gap Map organizes research into two broad categories that influence the resilience and wellbeing of forest-dependent communities.
Internal factors originate within communities and shape their ability to manage forests sustainably.
Examples include:
Indigenous and local ecological knowledge
Community leadership
Social networks
Trust and cooperation
Collective action
Community organizations
Local resource management practices
These factors often strengthen community capacity to respond to environmental and social change.
External factors originate outside the community and influence local resilience.
Examples include:
Government policies
Forest governance
Land tenure systems
Climate change
Market pressures
Infrastructure development
Conservation interventions
Economic shocks
Understanding these external drivers helps identify opportunities and challenges for sustainable forest management.
Launch the HTML version of the Evidence Gap Map using your web browser.
The homepage introduces the purpose of the map and explains how the evidence has been organized.
Begin by selecting either:
Internal Factors
External Factors
Expand each category to reveal more specific themes.
Within each category you can investigate specific conservation issues such as:
Community participation
Social cohesion
Governance
Livelihoods
Environmental change
Collective action
Local knowledge
Hover over information icons for explanations of each theme.
Click on any study to view:
Title
Abstract
Geographic focus
Research methodology
Publication year
Study type
This allows users to quickly understand how each study contributes to the evidence base.
Use the filtering tools to search studies by:
Publication year
Geographic region
Research methodology
Study type
Filters make it easier to identify research relevant to your conservation context.
The Evidence Gap Map can support every stage of a conservation project.
Use the map to identify:
Existing evidence for your region.
Known drivers of community resilience.
Major environmental and governance challenges.
Review studies that examine similar conservation interventions before designing activities.
Use evidence to strengthen:
Community engagement strategies
Governance approaches
Livelihood interventions
Capacity-building programmes
Compare project objectives with existing research indicators.
Identify outcomes commonly measured in previous studies and consider incorporating them into monitoring frameworks.
Government agencies and NGOs can use the evidence to:
Support policy recommendations.
Identify successful governance approaches.
Recognize areas requiring further investment.
One of the toolkit's most valuable features is highlighting where research is limited.
Look for:
Topics with few published studies.
Geographic regions with limited evidence.
Underrepresented research methods.
Emerging conservation issues that require further investigation.
These gaps can inform future research priorities and funding decisions.
The Evidence Gap Map is based on a structured review of 97 research records.
Each study was systematically coded according to:
Internal or external factors
Thematic subcategories
Publication year
Geographic focus
Methodological approach
Study type (empirical, theoretical, or methods-focused)
Using consistent coding ensures that the evidence is transparent, comparable, and reproducible.
Start with a conservation question before exploring the map.
Use multiple filters to narrow results.
Compare evidence across regions and time periods.
Consider both internal community strengths and external pressures.
Combine research findings with local and Indigenous knowledge when planning interventions.
Use identified evidence gaps to guide future studies and monitoring efforts.
Evidence-informed conservation is most effective when scientific research is combined with local experience and community priorities. The REFLoC Evidence Gap Map provides an accessible way to explore existing knowledge while revealing opportunities for future learning.
Whether planning a community forestry project, developing policy, or conducting new research, this toolkit supports informed decision-making by helping users identify available evidence, understand knowledge gaps, and design conservation actions that strengthen the resilience and wellbeing of forest-dependent communities.
