ABSTRACT
Single indicators give singular items of evidence for land degradation or its impact. They are susceptible to error, misinterpretation and chance. Especially in the case of field assessment where many of the measurements can only be described as ‘rough and ready’, the use of only one indicator – say, a tree mound – to conclude definitively that land degradation has occurred is problematic. It renders the field assessor open to criticism that much is being made of little. Therefore, this chapter addresses how, by combining indicators, more robust conclusions can be entertained, even to the extent that quite different types of measure may be placed alongside each other to obtain a fuller understanding of whether land degradation is happening.
