Preparing the National Reporting Tables for FRA 2005 is an important task. Data provided in the country report will be compiled and published by FAO and will be widely used as a reference information regarding the world’s forests. The reporting tables for FRA 2005 are comprehensive, and in many cases it will be necessary to form a multidisciplinary team in order to cover all aspects of the report. It may also take some time to identify and locate national data; it is therefore recommended that National Correspondents take the necessary steps for getting started with the process as soon as possible in order to not delay the submission of the country report.
Considering the scope of the national reporting tables, it will frequently happen that national data are either incomplete, weak or missing. The national correspondent has to decide, on a case to case basis, how to handle this, but as a general guidance, the following should be considered.
• Knowing that no national data are available is in itself very important information and should be documented in the country report.
• It is important to fill in all reporting tables even when national data are incomplete or non-existent. Where national data are missing or so weak that they cannot be used for generating requested information, countries may write “Insufficient Data (ID)” in corresponding fields of the reporting table. When Insufficient Data is reported, it should always be accompanied by a footnote that explains in what sense data are insufficient (e.g. missing, weak or incomplete, incompatible definitions, etc.).
• For some of the national reporting tables it is very important to get a complete coverage of country information (e.g. T1 and T5) and for these tables countries should provide their best possible estimate, even if this is a subjective expert estimate.
National correspondents are encouraged to contact the FRA team for advice if they are in doubt on how to proceed when available data do not allow for compiling requested information.
This table is one of the most important tables for FRA 2005. Strong efforts should, therefore, be made to provide as reliable figures as possible. This table also constitutes the basis for the estimate of changes in global forest area, which always attracts much interest from the international community.
The FRA 2005 categories for this table are based on both land cover and land use. Countries may need to combine land cover and land use maps in order to provide information for this national reporting table. National forest inventory (NFI) data are good sources of information, if land cover and/or land use have been recorded.
For table T1, data sources are likely to include (but not restricted to) the following:
For each year of available data from selected data sources, the country should report relevant original figures from the data source. This might be done in one or several tables, depending on the complexity of the data. There is no predefined format for these tables, as data structures may vary between countries.
The countries must report areas on the four main categories (Forest, Other wooded land, Other land and Inland water). The sub-category “Other land with tree cover (OLWTC)” forms part of the category “Other land” and its area is thus included in “Other land” and should not be counted double when adding the areas. If countries have weak or missing information on this sub-category, they may choose to report Insufficient Data (ID) with a note that explains in what sense data was considered to be insufficient.
The area estimates for all years should be based on the current borders and area of the country. If borders and country area have changed during the period of reporting, figures should be calibrated to correspond to actual borders and area. If a country did not exist at the time of an earlier reporting year, Not Applicable (NA) should be reported for that year.
If there is no information on area of “Other land”, but good estimates of areas of “Forest” and “Other wooded land”, the area of “Other land” can be estimated by using Total land area and subtracting area of “Forest” and “Other wooded land”.
When compiling country data for table T1, it is important that the figure on total area for the country matches with the latest official UN statistics for country area as maintained by FAO (See FAOSTAT, http://faostat.external.fao.org.) Please check the respective area for your country according to FAOSTAT (see Appendix 2) and in case that area figures do not match, perform a calibration as explained in Chapter 3.3. For the calibration, it is generally recommended to use total land area as the basis. Area of inland water can then be taken directly from Appendix 2.
Appendix 1 contains a complete example of country reporting for table T1. Although it addresses some specific issues for table T1, it also serves as a general example for reporting.
If available national data do not match with the reference years requested by FRA, it is necessary to perform an estimation / forecasting of data according to the procedure set out in chapter 3.3. See also the example in Appendix 1.
If time series indicate trends that, according to the professional judgment of NC and other specialists taking part of the FRA reporting process, do not reflect the real situation, this must be documented in the country report. If necessary, the country may decide to make an adjustment of the estimated / forecasted data, but if so, this adjustment must be clearly documented and justified in the country report.
For table T2, data sources are likely to include (but not be restricted to) the following:
• NFI data, if information on ownership is collected
• National Forestry Statistics
• Register of land titles
• Maps on land ownership
Once the data sources are analyzed and selected, the country should document the existing national data, sources of data and definitions used.
Reclassification
It is important to recall that information on ownership only is requested for land that has been classified as Forest or Other wooded land. If available national data do not provide figures for Forest and Other wooded land respectively, a reclassification must be made.
The reclassification can be done in different ways, depending on available data. To ensure consistency in the country report regarding total area of Forest and Other wooded land, it is recommended to perform a reclassification so that the sum of the percentages for each of these two categories will be 100%. This may, however, result in totals for the ownership categories that do not completely match the original data.
Example: Reclassification of ownership categories
If a country reports area figures under the category “other ownership”, the country should specify what kind of ownership applies to this area.
In case it is difficult for a country to give good estimates for Forest and Other wooded land separately, while there are good figures for these two areas together, a country may report for these as a group. However, this must be clearly documented in the country report.
This table is a complement to table T1, as it further breaks down the areas of Forest and Other wooded land according to their designated function. The term Designated function is defined as “the function or purpose assigned to a piece of land either by legal prescriptions or by the land owner/manager”.
Note that for FRA 2005 information is requested for areas with “Primary function” and for “Total area with function”. The areas which are recorded as “Primary functions” are exclusive and should only be counted once – consequently the total areas for Forest and Other wooded land should match the respective totals from table T1.
The “Total area with function” should report the total area that has a specific function, regardless of whether it is primary function or not. Areas that have more than one function will consequently be counted once for each function they are designated to provide. For example, the “Total area with function” for the category “conservation” will be calculated by assessing and adding all areas that are designated to provide the function “conservation”, independently of whether it is the designated primary function (see further the example below).
The complexity of this table makes it difficult to strictly follow the general methodology as outlined in chapter 3. Particularly, the reclassification is more complex. When applicable, the calibration, estimation and forecasting should be performed before making the reclassification.
When completing the table it is advisable to begin with compiling the area of “Primary function” (steps 1 to 3 in the example below). Normally the process will be carried out in several steps as further explained in the following example:
Table T4 intends to characterize the structure and composition of forest ecosystems and the degree of human impact on these. The division into different categories of characteristics involves a number of criteria, like visibility of human activities, presence of native and/or introduced species, regeneration methods, etc.
In the following figure, a matrix is presented to serve as reference for the classification used for FRA 2005. Some exceptions may occur as explained below the figure.
Human impact |
No / Very little |
Yes |
Yes |
Regeneration |
Natural regeneration |
Natural regeneration |
Assisted natural reg. / planting / seeding |
Native species |
Primary |
Modified Natural |
Semi-Natural |
Introduced species |
|
Semi-Natural |
Plantation |
Native species
In the case of native species, the distinction between “Primary” and “Modified natural” is based on the degree of human impact. In order to classify a forest as “Primary” there should be no clearly visible indications/signs of human activities.
The distinction between “Modified natural” and “Semi-natural” is based on the regeneration method. If the forest/OWL is established by natural regeneration, or if it is not possible to tell whether it was assisted/planted/seeded, it should be classified as “Modified natural”. If it is clearly visible that the land was regenerated through assisted natural regeneration (soil treatment or planting/seeding) then it should be classified as “Semi-natural”.
Planted areas of native species, here listed as Semi-natural, may also in some circumstances be classified as “Plantations”. Such planted areas must then be characterized by even-aged stands of few species planted in a regular pattern. If countries decide to include areas with planted/seeded native species under “Plantations”, the criteria used to distinguish these areas from “Semi-natural” must be clearly documented.
Introduced species
In the case of introduced species, the general classification is as “Plantation”. However, if there are species that were introduced a long time ago, and there are stands of these species of subsequent generations that were naturally regenerated, these can be classified as “Semi-natural”.
For plantations, countries should also report on the type of plantations (productive or protective) depending on the purpose of these.
The growing stock is one of the basic and very important tables of the FRA 2005 report. In most cases it also constitutes the basis for the calculation of biomass and carbon stocks. Table T5 is closely related to tables T6, T7 and T10 and it is recommended that the estimations of growing stock needed for all these tables be undertaken simultaneously, as this may save time and efforts. By starting to compile information on growing stock by species, it will be easier to estimate biomass for table T6 as wood densities vary considerably between individual species. The information needed for T10 on the composition of growing stock will also come out directly when growing stock is compiled species-wise.
Data sources for growing stock estimates are usually forest inventories. Sometimes data from national forest inventories are available, but frequently inventory data do not completely represent the total area of forest and other wooded land respectively.
After selecting the data sources, countries should present the national data that constitute the basis for the estimates in table T5. Countries should clearly describe the national definition of growing stock and how it has been calculated, and also the geographical coverage of national data and how well the information represents the total area of forest and other wooded land.
If a country has a national forest inventory, it should be possible to estimate the growing stock directly from the inventory data. This is the preferred method whenever possible.
If a country has only partial inventories, a decision has to be made on how the inventory data can be “expanded” to national estimates. One approach is to divide the total area of Forest and Other wooded land into broad classes of “forest types” or into eco-regions, and then use available inventory data to estimate per-hectare figures of growing stock for each of these broad classes. The totals for each class are then calculated and added together to obtain the requested estimates for Forest and Other wooded land (see example below).
In some cases, countries may have inventory data that does not directly include tree volume, but rather basal area or number of trees in different diameter classes. In those cases, countries will need to convert basal area or number of trees to volume. This can be done in several ways depending on the inventory data and any available complementary information, but it is difficult to provide any general guidance on how to perform these conversions. If in doubt, please contact the FRA team for advice. National correspondents must provide a description in the country report on how the calculations of growing stock were made and what volume equations or other factors were used.
Example: Growing stock estimates when only partial inventory data are available
The following area estimates are available (1000 hectares)
Total Forest area: 10 000
Pine plantations 1 500
Eucalyptus plantations: 500
Total Area of OWL 3 500
Inventory data give the following estimates:
Tropical moist forests: 95 m3/ha
Pine plantations 130 m3/ha
Eucalyptus plantations: 150 m3/ha
Other wooded land 20 m3/ha
Total growing stock can then be calculated as follows:
Forest: ( (95 × 8000) + (130 × 1500) + (150 × 500) ) × 1000 = 1 030 million m3.
OWL: (20 × 3500) × 1000 = 70 million m3
If it is difficult for a country to provide good estimates for Forest and Other wooded land separately, while there are good figures for these two areas together, a country may report for these as a group, as long as this is clearly documented in the country report.
The commercial growing stock is a sub-set of the total growing stock. In order to calculate the commercial growing stock, the country must select a sub-set of data according to the following:
• Include only the areas where removal of wood is permitted and economically feasible
• Include only the commercial and potentially commercial species for domestic and international markets, given the current market conditions
• Include only the trees above the minimum diameter at breast height (DBH) for commercial trees, as defined by the country.
Once these selections have been made, inventory data can be used to obtain new estimates. In the case of partial inventories, the same procedure as outlined in the example above can be used.
Apart from these calculations, calibration and estimation/forecasting may also be needed in order to obtain figures for the requested reporting years and consistent with the areas of Forest and Other wooded land reported in table T1. These procedures are described in detail in chapter 3.
Finally, countries are requested to present some country-specific values as an appendix to the national reporting tables. It is very important to report these values as they are needed in order to harmonize data between countries for global reporting. These values are:
• Minimum diameter at breast height of trees included in growing stock (cm)
• Minimum diameter at the top end of stem for calculation of growing stock (cm)
• Minimum diameter of branches included in growing stock (cm)
• Minimum diameter at breast height of trees included in commercial growing stock (cm)
• Volume refers to “Above ground” or “Above stump”?
• Have any of the above thresholds changed since 1990 (yes/no), and if yes, then attach a separate note giving details of the change
Data on biomass stock of Forest and Other wooded land are included in FRA 2005 since they respond to international reporting requirements for the climate convention and the Kyoto protocol, as well as for development of national policies.
For estimations of biomass and carbon, the FRA 2005 process relies on the methodological framework developed by the IPCC and documented in the Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry that will be published by IPCC during 2004. The methods described here and the default conversion factors for biomass and carbon as presented in tables in Appendix 5 are all based on the Good Practice Guidance. What is presented in this document for tables T6 and T7 is only a summary of those parts of the Good Practice Guidance that are relevant to FRA 2005.
Methodological aspects
For biomass calculation, irrespective of whether for above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass or dead wood biomass, there is a choice between the following different methods:
1. If national biomass functions and/or country-specific values of wood density (WD)2, biomass expansion factors (BEF) and root-shoot biomass ratio (R) are available, using these should be the first choice
2. If country-specific biomass functions or values of any or all of WD, BEF and R are not available, regional or sub-regional functions or conversion factors should be used whenever available.
3. If neither country-specific, nor regional or sub-regional functions or values of WD, BEF and/or R are available, then the default values provided by the IPCC-GPG and reproduced in Appendix 5, tables 5.2 – 5.5 should be used.
If national biomass data are available directly from recent forest inventories, the data should be documented in the country report, and the standard procedure as described in chapter 3 should be followed.
When biomass is estimated based on growing stock data, countries should document the conversion factors used (WD, BEF, R), but the calculations can be simplified by using the estimated growing stock for the reference years from table T5 as input. Hence, no further calibration or reclassification is necessary.
If no specific biomass functions are available, the following general formulas are used for calculating biomass from growing stock figures:
SB = GS × WD (1)
AGB = SB × BEF (2)
BGB = AGB × R (3)
Where
SB = Stem biomass (tonnes)
GS = Growing stock (volume) over bark (m3)
WD = Wood Density (Dry weight / green volume expressed in tonnes/m3)
AGB = Above-ground biomass (tones)
BGB = Below-ground biomass (tonnes)
BEF = Biomass expansion factor (Above ground biomass / stem biomass)
R = Root-shoot ratio (Below-ground biomass / Above-ground biomass)
The starting point for the calculations is a list of growing stock (volume over bark) for individual species/species groups. This should be taken from the same set of national data as used for tables T5 and T10. Note that the sum of growing stock for all species should match the total growing stock in table T5.
The first step is to calculate the stem biomass. This is done by applying species-wise wood densities. If no national or local data on wood densities are available, default wood densities according to Tables 5.2 and 5.3 in Appendix 5 should be used (see example 1 below).
The second step is to calculate above-ground biomass. This is done by multiplying stem biomass with a biomass expansion factor (BEF). If no national or local data on biomass expansion factors are available, the default biomass expansion factors according to Table 5.4 in Appendix 5 should be used (see example 1 below).
The third step is to calculate below-ground biomass, multiplying the above-ground biomass by the root-shoot ratio. If no national or local data on root-shoot ratios are available, the default root-shoot ratios according to Table 5.5 in Appendix 5 can be used (see example 1 below).
Example 1: Calculation of living biomass
If the country has estimates of dead wood biomass based on country-specific data and/or conversion factors, these estimates should be reported. If no national data on dead wood biomass are available, countries may choose to either use the conversion factors provided by IPCC (Appendix 5, table 5.6) or to report Insufficient Data (ID) for dead wood biomass in the National Reporting Table. Note that the conversions factors provided by IPCC – dead-live ratios - are considered by IPCC to be very weak and they do not recommend to use them generally as default factors.
Like other data, biomass figures should be reported for 1990, 2000 and 2005. However, where the species composition of the growing stock has not changed significantly over the last 15 years, much time and effort can be saved by completing the species-wise calculation for one year, as indicated in the example above, and then calculate the weighted conversion factors for biomass as follows
WCFagb = AGB / GS
WCFbgb = BGB / GS
Where WCFagb = weighted conversion factor for above-ground biomass
WCFbgb = weighted conversion factor for below-ground biomass
GS = Growing stock (volume) of all species
AGB = Above-ground biomass stock of all species
BGB = Below-ground biomass stock of all species
These weighted conversion factors can then be applied directly to the total growing stock figures for the other reporting years as follows:
AGBy = GSy × WCFagb
BGBy = GSy × WCFbgb
Where GSy = Total growing stock for year y
AGBy = Total above-ground biomass for year y
BGBy = Total below-ground biomass for year y
Note that the calculations must be made separately for Forest and Other wooded land as species composition is different.
The countries should also document the threshold values used for fine roots and dead wood. If no specific threshold values have been defined (as when countries use the default conversion factors), the default values of 2 mm for fine roots and 10 cm for dead wood should be used.
Example 2: Using weighted conversion factors to calculate biomass for several years
Suppose that the figures from the table in the example above represent year 2000, and we have the following information from table T5:
First calculate the weighted conversion factors from the table in Example 1 above:
WCFagb = AGB / GS = 738.71 / 1080 = 0.684
WCFbgb = BGB / GS = 255.65 / 1080 = 0.237
Then apply these factors to the growing stock figures for 1990 and 2005 respectively
AGB1990 = 1200 × 0.684 = 820.78
BGB1990 = 1200 × 0.237 = 284.05
AGB2005 = 1020 × 0.684 = 697.67
BGB2005 = 1020 × 0.237 = 241.44
...and complete the national reporting table
Carbon stock, like biomass stock, is estimated using the methodological framework provided by the IPCC Good Practice Guidance as explained in chapter 4.8.
The calculation of carbon stock will in most cases be based directly on the biomass data presented in table T6. However, if a country has made estimations of the carbon stock using other methods and obtained national data that provides more accurate estimates than by using the default conversion factors, these estimates as well as the methods and conversion factors used should be reported.
The following text and example illustrate the methodology of calculating carbon stock based on biomass data from table T6, using the default conversion factors and values provided by the IPCC-Good Practice Guidance (see Appendix 5, tables 5.7 and 5.8).
If national data on carbon content of living biomass are available, these should be used. If not, the carbon stock is calculated by multiplying the IPCC-GPG default value for carbon content of living biomass (50%) with the above-ground biomass and below-ground biomass respectively.
If data on dead wood biomass are available, the carbon stock can be calculated by multiplying the dead wood biomass with the IPCC-GPG default value for carbon content (50%); however national carbon content values should be used whenever possible. If a country has no data on dead wood biomass and carbon content, it may choose to either use the default factors provided by IPCC (Appendix 5, table 5.6) or report Insufficient Data (ID).
If national or regional data on carbon in litter are available, these should be reported. If no national or regional data are available, countries may choose to estimate carbon in litter by multiplying the IPCC-GPG default value per hectare with total area (see Appendix 5, table 5.7) or report Insufficient Data (ID).
If national or regional data on soil carbon are available, these should be reported. Note that countries have to specify the soil depth that has been used for the soil carbon stock estimates.
If no national or regional data are available, countries may choose to estimate soil carbon by multiplying the IPCC-GPG default value per hectare with total area (see Appendix 5, table 5.8) or report Insufficient Data (ID). If the IPCC-GPG default values are used, a soil depth of 30 cm should be reported.
Example: Calculation of Carbon Stock using the IPCC-GPG default factors.
In this example, data for biomass stock from Table T6 are used
Carbon stock of biomass for year 1990 can then be calculated as follows:
Carbon stock of above-ground biomass = 820.8 × 50% = 410.4 million tonnes
Carbon stock of below-ground biomass = 284.1 × 50% = 142.05 million tonnes
Carbon stock of dead wood biomass: = 121.5 × 50% = 60.75 million tonnes
Furthermore, assume that the country in this example is located in the Tropical moist zone with evergreen forests and with the following soil conditions of the Forest area.
Carbon content of litter and soil can be found in the Appendix 5, tables 5.7 and 5.8 and are as follows for the above conditions:
Soil carbon content, HAC soils 65 tonnes C per ha
Soil carbon content, LAC soils 47 tonnes C per ha
Soil carbon content, Sandy soils 39 tonnes C per ha
Litter carbon content 5.2 tonnes C per ha
Litter carbon for year 1990 can then be calculated as 5.2 × 15000 / 1000 = 78 million tonnes
Soil carbon must be calculated separately for each soil type, and for year 1990 will be:
[(8000 × 65) + (4000 × 47) + (3000 × 39)] × 1000 = 825 million tonnes
This calculation must be repeated for each reporting year and also separately for Other wooded land.
Table T8 aims at providing information on areas affected by disturbances that have an impact on the health, vitality and productive capacity of Forest and Other wooded land. Three main categories are defined: areas disturbed by fire, by insects and by pests. There is also a category for “Other disturbances” where countries may report areas affected by drought, flooding, wind, acid rain, etc. If a country reports areas under “Other disturbances” the type(s) of disturbance should be specified in the report.
As these kinds of disturbances usually do not follow any regular pattern, there may be considerable variations over the years. The countries are therefore requested to report the annually affected area calculated as a 5-year average.
It may often be difficult to define whether a disturbance should be considered to have a significant impact on the health, vitality and/or productive capacity and thus be included in the reporting for table T8. Countries should be aware of this and report what criteria they have used for including and/or excluding certain disturbances.
In some cases, areas have been affected by different disturbances simultaneously, each of which is contributing to reduce the health and vitality of the ecosystem. For example there are areas affected by storm and insects, or flooding and diseases. In such cases the areas should be reported for each relevant disturbance, not only the dominating one. This implies that there is no reason to sum the areas in the reporting table.
As stated in the specification to the table, a disturbance should cover an area of at least 0.5 hectares and generate an impact that significantly affects the health and vitality of the forest in order to be included.
The data sources and availability of data for this table may vary between countries. If there are data available, although only partial, these data should be used as far as possible in order to provide the requested information. However, there will still be many countries where no information is available for any of the disturbance categories. In such cases, countries should report “Insufficient data”(ID).
Table T9 on tree species diversity aims at giving an indicator of the biodiversity of the country and also to specify the number of tree species included in the IUCN red list of endangered species. Note that this table only requests data for year 2000.
First, the total number of identified native tree species should be reported. In countries with a large number of tree species, it will be necessary to collaborate with botanical institutions in order to obtain this number.
In this context it is important to emphasize the definition of the term “Tree”. For the FRA reporting, a tree is considered to be “a woody perennial with a single maim stem, or in the case of coppice with several stems, having a more or less definite crown”. Bamboo’s and palms meeting these criteria are also considered as Trees. A tree should under normal conditions be able to reach the height of 5 m at maturity in situ, although this limit must be interpreted with flexibility.
Second, the number and a list of tree species included in the IUCN red list of endangered species should be reported for the following three categories:
• Critically endangered tree species
• Endangered tree species
• Vulnerable tree species
These categories (and some additional categories) were adopted by IUCN in 1994 and have since then become an internationally recognized standard for classifying endangered species. More information on the IUCN categories and their exact definitions can be found at the following website:
Where national red lists are lacking or difficult to access, country-specific lists of endangered plants and animals can be accessed through the FRA website at the following address:3
http://www.fao.org/forestry/site/20747/en
Opening this website, the first thing to do is to select the country for which the species lists are to be compiled. Next, select “Critically endangered” in the menu to the left. In the window to the right will appear a list of species or a message that “No results were found.” Print and/or save the list and proceed to the “Endangered” and finally to the “Vulnerable”. Note that by using the categories under the heading “Redlist species – PLANTAE” you will restrict the search to plants and consequently get fewer species in the list. If you select the categories under the heading “Redlist species – All” the resulting list will also contain animals.
The lists compiled on this website include all plants. For the purpose of FRA 2005, countries should extract and compile a list of the tree species for each of the three reporting categories, to be included as an Appendix to the country report.
In the rightmost column of the list is an indication of the year when the species was included in the red list. Only species included before and up to year 2000 should be included in the report for FRA 2005.
Another data source for the number of redlisted tree species is the database of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Here, the number of tree species according to the IUCN categories are presented country-wise. No list of species names are currently available. This information is available at the UNEP-WCMC website:
http://www.unep-wcmc.org/trees/Background/country_stats.htm
In this table, countries are requested to report the growing stock of the ten most common species, regardless of their commercial status. This table should preferably be elaborated together with table T5 on growing stock.
Note that the figures in this table only apply to land classified as Forest in table T1.
The reference year for compiling the species list and the order of the species is year 2000. For comparison and trends, the values of growing stock for year 1990 should also be estimated. The totals of growing stock for year 1990 and 2000 should match corresponding values for forest in table T5.
Each species should be identified in the reporting table by both scientific name and common name. Countries may report on genera instead of species if their inventory data do not allow the distinction of individual species within certain species groups.
Table T11 deals with wood removal. Removal should not be confused with “consumption” or “harvesting / felling”. The consumption refers to national domestic production plus net imports and less exports. Harvesting/felling is the national production plus the quantity of the product left in the forest. The wood is considered to be removed when it leaves the forest, so wood harvested and stored on landings in the forest should not be considered as removed until it leaves the landing.
Note that wood removed during one year may originate from trees felled during several years and that the figures on wood removal requested for this table refer to volume over bark.
The reported figures for 1990 and 2000 should be based on an average of a five year period in order to take the annual variations into account. The figure for reference year 1990 will thus be based on the average of 1988 to 1992, and so on. If data are not available to produce five year averages for the reference year this should be documented along with information on how the value for the reference year(s) was reached. It could be the actual value for the reference year, if available, but preferably it should be an average value of two or more years (see section 3.3)
The value for reference year 2005 will be based on forecasting and will therefore not represent a five-year average. Values for the reference years 1990 and/or 2000 may also be based on forecasting if the most recent data are older than the reference year.
To estimate wood removal, there are two basic options. Each country should choose the option that their national experts consider will provide the most reliable estimates.
• Base the estimate on figures on wood removal already reported to international organizations (see e.g. Appendix 3).
• Direct estimation based on available national data, following the general methodology as outlined in chapter 3.
In any case, underlying national data should be documented and presented. That means that where data on wood removal were taken from Appendix 3, countries should report the national data that constituted the basis for the original report to FAO or ITTO.
Estimate wood removal from annual reports to international organizations
FAO, ITTO and EUROSTAT have during the last decades compiled annual statistics on wood removal. During the last five years, these institutions have distributed a Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire (JFSQ) where, among other things, countries are requested to report on wood removal. FAO maintains a global database on forest production, and here all the information on wood removal that countries historically have submitted can be found. Information on wood removal reported to FAO can be found in Appendix 3, where table 3.1 refers to removal of industrial wood and table 3.2 refers to removal of woodfuel.
In order to use the historically reported figures on wood removal as the basis for making the estimates for table T11, it should be kept in mind that there are two fundamental differences between what is to be reported to FRA 2005 and what countries are reporting for the JFSQ.
• FRA 2005 requests information on wood removal as volume over bark while the JFSQ and corresponding figures in Appendix 3 refer to volume under bark.
• FRA 2005 aims at identifying the long term trends and therefore asks for data as five-year averages, while the JFSQ requests annual data.
In order to use data from Appendix 3 to make estimations for table T11, the figures must be converted from volume under bark to volume over bark. This is done by applying a bark factor. Due to considerable regional variations, it is recommended that countries establish national bark factors and use these for the calculations. If no national bark factor can be established, a global default conversion factor of 1.15 can be used as a last resort for converting volume under bark to volume over bark (Source: IPCC Good Practice Guidance).
Making new estimates of wood removal from national data
If a country chooses to make new estimates, the general methodology as described in chapter 3 should be applied. The reason why earlier reported data are not used should then be explained.
National data sources are likely to include- (but not restricted to) any the following:
1. National forestry statistics
2. Trade statistics
3. Transport statistics
4. Statistics on wood consumption
• In some countries where no or limited woodfuel data is available and woodfuel for subsistence represents a major wood removal component, the removal can be estimated on basis of population and studies on woodfuel consumption per capita.
• Estimations can also be made by converting the volume of products produced in the country to the volume of roundwood required to produce that volume (the roundwood equivalent). (Source: FAO forestry statistics Series 171, FAO, 2001).
If needed, comment on units of reporting. The units of reporting must be comparable between reporting years. When conversion factors are used, these must be documented in the country report. Some conversion factors are listed in Appendix 5, table 5.1.
The unit of the final output (data for national reporting tables) for this table is wood removal in thousands of m3 round wood o.b. (measured over bark). It is important to document any conversion factors that have been used to convert any used national units to m3 round wood o.b.
Calibration may not be necessary unless only partial data are available and/or if there are apparent and documented reasons to believe that available data seriously over- or underestimate the “real” values and thus need calibration.
When national data are not directly available for the FRA 2005 categories, a reclassification is necessary. Below is an example of a reclassification matrix: Indicate the rationale behind the assignment of reclassification percentages.
Industrial Roundwood |
Woodfuel |
TOTAL | |
National class 1 |
100% | ||
National class 2 |
100% | ||
and so on… |
100% |
This step is not necessary if national data are directly compatible with the FRA 2005 categories.
Table T12 is closely related to T11 and aims at showing the economic value of the removed wood.
Note that the value requested for this table should correspond to the market value of the wood at the border of the forest when it is at a roadside landing, loaded on a truck for road transport, or otherwise ready to be transported away from the forest.
The value should be reported in USD using the actual exchange rate for the reference year of the data. In Appendix 4 there is a list of historical exchange rates for most national currencies related to USD. The reported value should exclude taxes.
One method to estimate the value of wood removal, is to estimate a per unit value for industrial round wood and woodfuel and then multiply this value with the respective quantity as reported in table T11. In order to make this estimate, countries should be aware of the following:
• Each category (industrial roundwood and woodfuel) may be composed of different species or types of raw material that have different market values. In such a case, a weighted average value for the whole category must be estimated
• If there is no good information on market value at the border of the forest, a market value can usually be established further down the production chain (at industry gate, at consumer centres, etc.). In this case, transport costs from the forest to the place where the market value is assessed should be deducted. If any further processing has taken place before the value is assessed, processing costs should be deducted and necessary conversions must be made in order to account for processing losses.
• The assessment should also include wood that is removed for subsistence use with the value calculated on the basis of local market prices.
Forests and other wooded lands provide a variety of products other than wood. These non- wood forest products are both socially and economically important. However, data on quantity and value of these products are often difficult to find.
The FRA 2005 report will include global statistics on production and value of non-wood forest products if sufficient information is available. In table T13 countries are therefore requested to provide information on the quantities of non-wood forest products removed, grouped in a number of categories (see table below). The reported figures should cover all removals, both for commercial and for non-commercial use.
Category |
Reporting unit |
Plant products / raw material |
|
1. Food |
Mass (tonnes or kg) |
2. Fodder |
Mass (tonnes or kg) |
3. Raw material for medicine and aromatic products |
Mass (tonnes or kg) |
4. Raw material for colorants and dyes |
Mass (tonnes or kg) |
5. Raw material for utensils, handicrafts & construction |
Mass (tonnes or kg) |
6. Ornamental plants |
Mass (tonnes or kg) |
7. Exudates |
Mass (tonnes or kg) |
8. Other plant products |
Mass (tonnes or kg) |
Animal products / raw material |
|
9. Living animals |
Units |
10. Hides, skins and trophies |
Units |
11. Wild honey and bee-wax |
Mass (tonnes or kg) |
12. Bush meat |
Mass (tonnes or kg) |
13. Raw material for medicine |
Mass (tonnes or kg) |
14. Raw material for colorants |
Mass (tonnes or kg) |
15. Other edible animal products |
Mass (tonnes or kg) |
16. Other non-edible animal products |
Mass (tonnes or kg) |
Data for most categories should be reported in units of mass (weight); only for the two categories “living animals” and “hides, skins and trophies” the report should refer to “units”. The country may choose to report mass (weight) in either tonnes or kg, furthermore there is an option in the reporting table to set a scale factor. Setting the scale factor to 1000 and units to tonnes, means that reported figures are in 1000 tonnes.
If existing national data are reported in terms of volume instead of mass, data should be converted to mass and it must be well documented in the report how this conversion has been done and what conversion factors have been used.
To take annual variations into account, the figures reported should be an average of a five year period (for reference year 1990 an average of the period 1988 to 1992 and for reference year 2000 an average of the period 1998 to 2002). The figures for 2005 will be forecasts.
Only removals from Forest and Other wooded land should be reported. If a country only has figures referring to all types of land for a certain product, it is necessary to either estimate and document the share that correspond to Forest / OWL or report the available figures and document clearly that it applies to all types of land.
Finally, countries are requested to report in an Appendix, the most important species used for each product category. This information is very important in order to improve reporting for future assessments.
If a country does not have any documented information on a specific non-wood forest product category, but there is a general agreement among local experts on rough figures of removals, the country may choose to report these, stating clearly that the data source is “subjective assessment of local experts”. Otherwise, the country may choose to report Insufficient Data (ID).
Table T14 is closely related to T13 and aims at showing the economic value of the removed non-wood forest products.
The values to be reported refer to the market value at the site of collection or forest border. If values are obtained from a point further down the production chain, transport costs and possible handling and/or processing costs should be deducted. In case that the NWFP are removed for subsistence use, the value should be calculated based on the local market value.
The value should be reported in USD using the actual exchange rate for the reporting year. In Appendix 4 there is a list of historical exchange rates for most national currencies related to USD. The value should be reported excluding taxes.
The procedure to calculate the value, is the same as for wood in table T12. First, the per unit value of each category is calculated, taking into account that it might be necessary to estimate a weighted average for the category if the different products that make up the category have considerably different market prices. Then, this average is multiplied with the quantity as reported in table T13.
Alternatively, values are estimated for each individual product and then added together to give consolidated figures for the predefined categories.
Reporting on employment in forestry activities is new within the FRA reporting context. It responds to the request by COFO and member countries that FAO should facilitate access to information on a wider range of goods and services provided by forests and woodlands.
In this table, countries are requested to report on employment in forestry activities related to the primary production of goods and services.
Note that employment refers to work performed or services rendered in exchange for wage or salary under some kind of contract or agreement. Voluntary work, as well as unpaid work performed by individuals or communities for subsistence or commercial purposes are not included (see further the definitions in the document Specification of National Reporting Tables).
Data reported should preferably be based on national statistics on labor and employment. If partial statistics exist, these can be calibrated to apply to national level. If no national information is available, countries may report Insufficient Data (ID).
2 Wood density used for biomass calculations should always be the “Basic density”, which is oven-dry weight per unit of green volume. If country-specific wood densities are used, the country must make sure that these are “basic densities”.
3 If there are any problems to compile the country specific lists from the indicated website, please contact the FRA team in order to get a hardcopy.
