This dataset links to the study “An assessment of data sources, data quality and changes in national forest monitoring capacities in the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005–2020”. This study is published in the journal “Environmental Research Letters” which can be found at https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/abd81b. The dataset contains two files, one csv file, and one shape file. The two files contain the same data to meet the different users' needs. The dataset contains variables for assessing national forest monitoring data sources i.e., RS and/or NFI. Separate indicators namely 'Use of RS', and 'Use of NFI' were used to analyze the two data sources (RS and NFI). The description of each variable for these two indicators contained in the dataset is given in the Table below. The description of the variables in the dataset for country capacity assessment Variables Name Description of the variables Country Country ISO_A3_CODE ISO A3 Code for country ADM0_CODE ADMO Code for country CONTINENT Continent Region Region RSInd_05 Use of remote sensing (RS) for forest area (change) monitoring 2005 Indicator RSSc_05 Use of RS for forest area (change) monitoring 2005 Score RSInd _10 Use of RS for forest area (change) monitoring 2010 Indicator RSSc _10 Use of RS for forest area (change) monitoring 2010 Score RSInd_15 Use of RS for forest area (change) monitoring 2015 Indicator RSSc _15 Use of RS for forest area (change) monitoring 2015 Score RSInd_20 Use of RS for forest area (change) monitoring 2020 Indicator RSSc _20 Use of RS for forest area (change) monitoring 2020 Score DRS05_20 Difference ‘use of RS’ 2005-2020 NFIInd_05 Use of national forest inventories (NFI) for forest monitoring 2005 Indicator NFISc_05 Use of NFI for forest monitoring 2005 Score NFIInd _10 Use of NFI for forest monitoring 2010 Indicator NFISc _10 Use of NFI for forest monitoring 2010 Score NFIInd_15 Use of NFI for forest monitoring 2015 Indicator NFISc _15 Use of NFI for forest monitoring 2015 Score NFIInd_20 Use of NFI for forest monitoring 2020 Indicator NFISc _20 Use of NFI for forest monitoring 2020 Score DNFI05_20 Difference ‘Use of NFI’ 2005-2020 Indicators and Scores in the above Table for showing the use of RS and NFI data for forest monitoring in Figure 1 (1a, 1b, and 2a, 2b) are related in the following way. The indicator values and scores of the country capacity assessment Indicator Score Low 0 Limited 1 Intermediate 2 Good 3 Very Good 4 The capacity changes from 2005 to 2020 in Figure 1 (1c & 2c) are related in the following way. The indicator values and levels for country capacity changes Capacity change values Capacity change levels 1,2,3,4 Increase 0 No change -1,-2,-3,-4 Decrease

{"references": ["Nesha, M. K., Herold, M., De Sy, V., Duchelle, A. E., Martius, C., Branthomme, A., Garzuglia, M., Jonsson, O., & Pekkarinen, A. (2021). An assessment of data sources, data quality and changes in national forest monitoring capacities in the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005-2020. Environmental Research Letters, 16(5). https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ABD81B"]}