*3.1. Systematic Review*

A detailed desktop scan of literature was carried out to determine the study sites used, especially the motivation for selecting the study sites. Literature on or referring to the VBR was reviewed to understand the previously carried out studies' nature and thrust. This also determined the potential gaps in scientific knowledge and understanding that require additional studies to address them successfully. As information is made available through research, these gaps are plugged, promoting sustainable management for this fragile ecoregion. Google Scholar identified journal articles using the keywords *'study site selection for environmental assessment'* and about 78,300 articles. A 10-year coverage of literature (2011–2021) was adopted for the study. Selection and rejection criteria (Table 1) were used to select the ideal research for review. The review only analyzed peer-reviewed work and excluded grey literature. Using the selection criteria, seven peer-reviewed journals were critically reviewed. A thematic analysis of the selected articles determined the significant factors that contributed to selecting the study site. The complete review of the selected literature led the study to adopt an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to determine (without explicit ranking) the factors influential in selecting a study site.


**Table 1.** Literature selection criteria to determine factors that contribute to study site selection.

#### *3.2. Exploratory Factor Analysis*

Several factors influencing the selection of a study site were obtained from the desktop review and were used to inform the selection criteria for this study. These included accessibility, availability of funds, familiarity with the area, and research gap. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was implemented to reduce the identified factors to only those regarded as crucial to achieving the aim and objectives of the study. A factor-scoring criterion was developed to select the variables that could comprehensively address the aim of the study and the associated specific objectives. The variables were scored in importance from very important to not important.

## *3.3. Expert Opinions*

Valuable expert opinion was solicited from knowledgeable practitioners with extensive work experience within the VBR. The definition of an expert, in this case, is rather loose and much more encompassing than the normal dictionary one. Experts included academics, researchers working or who had worked in the area and were assumed to possess valuable in-depth knowledge of the area's processes, functions, and importance. The definition was extended to include people who have resided in the confines of the biosphere and have a wealth of knowledge accumulated over many years of observation of relevant phenomena in the area and can therefore discuss and share valuable insights on the scientific queries.
