evidence: This study was conducted in four community-managed forests (Community Forests) of central Nepal; two in each of Makawanpur and Nawalparasi districts. All the sampled forests were similar in terms of geography, climate, vegetation, and management regime; however, the forests in Nawalparasi were more fragmented than in Makawanpur (Table 1, Figure 1). Community forests are the forest categories that are managed by local users formed into legally recognised organizations. Nepal has exemplary success in the sustainable management of forest commons through its Community Forestry program, with over 22,000 Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs) formed and registered (Niraula et al. Reference Niraula, Gilani, Pokharel and Qamer2013, Pandey & Pokhrel Reference Pandey and Pokhrel2021).