A method for distributed spectrum sensing for wireless communication, the method comprising: receiving at a sensing device a control message from a control node, wherein said control message is generated at the control node; modifying at the sensing device one or both of: i) a sensing technique used to generate a signal measurement used in determining the presence of said signal and ii) a threshold used in determining the presence of the signal, in accordance with the received control message; and determining at the sensing device, using the modifications, whether a signal in said wireless channel spectrum is present after said modifying is performed wherein determining comprises determining whether a signal of interest is present in a said wireless channel spectrum; determining a confidence measure, corresponding to the determination; and further comprising transmitting the determination and confidence measure to the control node; and wherein generating the control message at the control node comprises: receiving a plurality of decisions from a plurality of sensing devices with respect to a signal of interest; processing the plurality of decisions to determine whether the wireless channel spectrum includes said signal of interest; and determining based on the processing whether to modify one or both of i) the sensing technique used to generate a signal measurement used in determining the presence of said signal and ii) the threshold used in determining the presence of the signal. receiving at a sensing device a control message from a control node, wherein said control message is generated at the control node; modifying at the sensing device one or both of: i) a sensing technique used to generate a signal measurement used in determining the presence of said signal and ii) a threshold used in determining the presence of the signal, in accordance with the received control message; and determining at the sensing device, using the modifications, whether a signal in said wireless channel spectrum is present after said modifying is performed wherein determining comprises determining whether a signal of interest is present in a said wireless channel spectrum; determining a confidence measure, corresponding to the determination; and further comprising transmitting the determination and confidence measure to the control node; and wherein generating the control message at the control node comprises: receiving a plurality of decisions from a plurality of sensing devices with respect to a signal of interest; processing the plurality of decisions to determine whether the wireless channel spectrum includes said signal of interest; and determining based on the processing whether to modify one or both of i) the sensing technique used to generate a signal measurement used in determining the presence of said signal and ii) the threshold used in determining the presence of the signal. receiving a plurality of decisions from a plurality of sensing devices with respect to a signal of interest; processing the plurality of decisions to determine whether the wireless channel spectrum includes said signal of interest; and determining based on the processing whether to modify one or both of i) the sensing technique used to generate a signal measurement used in determining the presence of said signal and ii) the threshold used in determining the presence of the signal.