Towards understanding the role of forests in rural livelihoods. Quantitative methods for estimating the economic value of resource use to rural households. Understanding local and regional markets for forest products. An introduction to approaches and issues for measuring non-market values in developing economies. Economic decision-making frameworks for considering resource values: procedures, perils and promise. Participatory methods for exploring livelihood values derived from forests: potential and limitations. Searching for synthesis: integrating economic perspectives with those from other disciplines. Expanding our conceptual and methodological understanding of the role of trees and forests in rural livelihoods.