Forest resources of the world

Former estimates of forest resources
Preparations for the forest inventory, 1947
Some definitions
Principal elements of the inventory
Presentation of the results
Summary and conclusions

THE whole world is suffering from shortages of forest products. In some regions the deficits are of long standing; in others, they date from the outbreak of the Second World War. Everywhere they retard progress toward greater prosperity and improved standards of living. Are the forests of the world inherently capable of yielding more bountiful supplies of their products in the years to come, or must man forever resign himself to the present situation?

RESPONSE TO FOREST INVENTORY, 1947

From the earliest times to the present day the greater part of the world's people have relied on the forests for their fuel. Timber has always been one of the most important building materials. The modern industrial age brought with it new demands for wood for direct use in manufacturing industries and for making the crates and boxes which protect their products in transit. Phenomenal developments in the use of wood pulp during the past century have made the forests the primary source of most of the world's paper and of a substantial proportion of its textiles. Wood chemistry is constantly developing entirely new products derived from wood. Thus, the need for products of the forest has increased rather than decreased with each advance of civilization.

The forest is a renewable resource, but it is also destructible. Given skillful management, it can yield annual crops of wood in perpetuity; but, if the rate of exploitation is allowed to become too high, destruction of the resource itself may follow. Uncontrolled exploitation, carried out with no thought for the future or regeneration of the growing stock, still continues to reduce the forest areas of the world.

The situation would be less serious if unwise harvesting of forest products were the only source of devastation. Unfortunately, there are many others. Misguided removal of forests from true forest soils in order to make room for poor and unproductive farms still continues; in the tropics, vast areas of forests have been degraded or destroyed by the cycle of shifting cultivation; excessive grazing by livestock has all but eliminated the last vestiges of forest cover in some regions; repeated fires have reduced former forest areas to barren wastes; and disturbance by man of the delicately adjusted balance of natural forces within the forest has often set the stage for disastrous outbreaks of injurious insects and tree diseases.

If the volume of standing timber in existence today constituted the sole resource for the future, the forests of the world would probably be destroyed within a few decades. But the ability of forests to reproduce themselves and to grow tends to offset the destructive forces and makes possible the harvesting of recurrent crops of wood from any area of productive forest land. Hence, in a study of the forest resources of the world, determination of the extent of productive areas and, above all, determination of the rates at which they can produce wood in perpetuity are far more important than the estimation of present volumes of standing timber. Yet estimates of volume are necessary as a guide to present policy and as a basis for future comparison.

In many localities the lack of forests, as such, is even more serious than the shortage of their products. Important regions that once supported large populations and highly developed civilizations have been transformed into desert wastes by the forces of soil erosion which, in their turn, were unleashed by the reckless destruction of protective forest cover. Extreme examples can be found in the Middle East, but different stages of the same disastrous progression are to be seen in many other lands.

Forests must be maintained to protect watersheds and drainage basins, to regulate stream flow and prevent erosion, and to protect agriculture itself. These protective values of the forest are local in their effects, and cannot easily be summarized in regional or global terms. Nevertheless, the necessity for maintaining certain forests primarily for protective purposes, together with the increasing social desire to reserve still others for recreational use, are factors affecting world supplies of wood.

Since an adequate supply of wood is essential to the well-being of any community, regardless of its stage of industrial or cultural development, the current world-wide shortages of forest products and local shortages of forests give rise to questions of far-reaching significance. Although some shortages have been accentuated by the dislocations of war, their underlying causes may be of a more permanent nature. Three factors, namely, the rapid rate of increase of the world's population, the universal desire to improve living standards, and new technical developments, foreshadow increased demands. The urgency of the question as to whether or not the world's forest resources are sufficient in extent and in productive ability to sustain present and prospective needs for their products is increased by the feet that overexploitation inevitably leads to devastation. Once the forest is destroyed it can be restored only at great expense, and, under some conditions, reestablishment may be impossible. These facts amply demonstrate the importance of an accurate assessment of the world's forests and of the volume of production which can reasonably be expected from them.

Former estimates of forest resources

The first comprehensive attempt to estimate the forest resources of the world was made by Dr. Raphael Zon and Mr. William A. Sparhawk of the United States of America immediately after the First World War. The results of their inquiry were published in 1922 and served as a standard source of reference throughout the interwar period. Professors Ilvesallo and Jalava of Finland made further investigations in 1928, and in 1931 Professor Thorsten Streyffert of Sweden published an important study of the coniferous (softwood) resources of the world. The next step was taken by the International Institute of Agriculture at Rome, which published estimates supplied by national governments in a series of yearbooks which appeared from 1933 to 1938. In 1946, available information respecting the forests was summarized in a report submitted to the Second Session of the Conference of FAO under the title Forestry and Forest Products - World Situation, 1937-1946. In the same year Sir Hugh Watson of Great Britain made an independent study which appeared in the [British] Empire Forestry Handbook.

All these investigations made valuable additions to our knowledge, but all suffered from certain fundamental difficulties. Most important of these were the lack of reliable forest inventory information, which existed and still exists in many countries, and the lack of commonly accepted definitions of some of the more important forestry terms. Hence, to the weakness of some of the quantitative estimates there was added doubt as to the real meanings of some of the qualitative descriptions.

The question of forestry definitions was considered by a joint committee appointed by the International Institute of Agriculture and the International Institute of Statistics. The committee's report was published in the proceedings of the IIS in 1936. Its findings do not appear to have received any considerable measure of international acceptance, and it has become evident that a comprehensive inventory of the world's forests requires a truly international approach, entailing international acceptance of definitions as well as concerted and sustained efforts to encourage completion of adequate surveys of those forested areas for which reliable data are lacking. The organization and promotion of this important task has been entrusted to the Forestry and Forest Products Division of FAO.

Preparations for the forest inventory, 1947

At the First Session of the Conference of FAO, in the autumn of 1945, the need for up-to-date information respecting the forest resources of the world was fully recognized, and it was recommended that an inventory should be undertaken as soon as possible. In May 1946 the Forestry and Forest Products Division of the Organization came into existence, and work was immediately commenced on the report on the world situation previously mentioned. Statistics regarding forests and forest products were summarized and a thorough discussion of conditions as they then appeared was presented. Recognizing that most of the forest statistics then available were incomplete and out of date, the Second Session of the Conference recommended that

"All countries should be requested to supply to FAO as soon as possible their most recent statistics on forest resources, annual growth, annual drain, and forest products."

In accordance with the recommendation of the Conference, a draft forest inventory questionnaire was prepared by the Division. Only those questions which are essential to an appraisal of the forestry situation in each country were included, and a special effort was made to avoid questions which many countries could not reasonably be expected to answer. Explanatory notes were provided with each question. Selection of the questions and definition of their meanings were difficult because, from the nature of the undertaking, they had to be applicable insofar as possible to all parts of the world and to a very wide variety of forestry and administrative conditions.

The inquiry was deliberately restricted to areas now bearing forests and areas recently clear-cut or burned but which will be reforested promptly. It was recognized that there are, in many lands, large areas of denuded soils which ought to be reforested as soon as possible for reasons of production or protection. The future progress of reforestation in individual countries, however, must depend so largely upon public policy, general economic conditions, competition of other activities such as grazing, and financial considerations that it seemed impossible to write and define questions for universal application which could be relied on to secure information on this subject more conclusive than the personal opinions of the respondents.

While preparing the draft questionnaire, the Division had the benefit of advice from the Economics, Marketing, and Statistics Division of the Organization. Later, the draft was submitted to the criticism of two special international conferences on forest statistics. The first of these met at Washington in February 1947 and was attended by representatives of fifteen countries of North and South America, the Far East, and Oceania, and by a representative of the Caribbean Commission. The second meeting was held in Rome at the end of March and was attended by representatives of thirteen countries of Europe and the Middle East and by the secretary of the Timber Subcommittee of the Emergency Economic Committee for Europe. These two conferences approved the general arrangement of the questionnaire, but proposed certain amendments which were subsequently incorporated in the printed document. Finally, the questionnaire was submitted to, and approved by, the Third Session of the Conference of FAO in August 1947. Thus the form as finally issued had received a wide measure of international approval.

Copies were prepared in English, French, and Spanish and sent to the governments of all countries by the Director-General of FAO with a request that they should be completed and returned to Washington by 31 December 1947. Although a number of countries are not yet in a position to answer all the questions asked, and some have not replied, it is hoped that all will accept the outline included in the FAO questionnaire as the basic minimum schedule of information which should be provided for in any national scheme for a forest survey and inventory. Many countries will build up a far greater degree of detail on this foundation, and some have already done so.

It is intended that the forest inventory investigation should be repeated periodically in the future. This procedure will make it possible to show changes in the forestry situations of those countries which already have reasonably reliable forest inventory data. For other countries, where information respecting the forest resources is now inadequate, future questionnaires will show the progress made in obtaining new knowledge.

No final decision has been made as to the date of the next world-wide inquiry. It is known that a considerable amount of survey work is being conducted and that valuable data respecting the small forests incorporated within the boundaries of farms are likely to be collected in connection with the World Census of Agriculture in 1950. Possibly progress in these directions will justify a second inventory inquiry by FAO in 1952.

On the whole, the questionnaire used in the present inquiry has served its purpose well. It is evident, however, that some revision will be desirable before the inquiry is repeated, and FAO will welcome and most carefully consider suggestions for improvements.

Some definitions

One of the most difficult problems encountered in a world-wide study such as the present one arises from differences in meanings assigned to specific terms in different regions. These difficulties are increased by the necessity for translating each term into several languages. For example, it has been found that in one country the term "forest inventory" may include forest areas, timber volumes, and annual growth, while in another it may be used in a more limited sense and refer solely to the measurement of standing timber. As used by FAO, the term " forest inventory " includes information regarding the extent and classification of forest areas, the distribution of different forms of forest ownership, estimates of volumes of standing timber, and comparisons of annual growth in the forest with annual drain due to natural causes and fellings.

Some confusion exists because of variations in local usages of the terms "softwoods" and "hardwoods." In this case differences may be found not only between countries but even between localities within a single country. Sometimes the word "softwood" is considered to embrace wood from all coniferous species, even though some conifers may be harder physically than certain woods taken from broadleaved species. Elsewhere, "softwood" means all conifers and, in addition, the woods of certain broadleaved species which are physically soft, e.g., poplars and willows. In the English language FAO uses the terms " Conifers (softwoods) " and "Broadleaved species (hardwoods) " as defined below:

Conifers (softwoods) - All trees classified botanically as Gymnospermae (e.g., pine - Pinus, fir - Abies, spruce - Picea, larch - Larix, Parana pine - Araucaria, and ginkgo - Ginkgo) have been included in this category.

Broadleaved species (hardwoods) - All trees classified botanically as Angiospermae. The species belonging to this group are generally broadleaved (e.g., oak - Quercus, beech - Fagus, maple - Acer, lignum vitae - Guiaicum, ebony - Diospyros, balsa - Ochroma, and poplar - Populus).

No forestry terms have been used more loosely than " growth " (or " increment ") and " yield. " Yet, in international forestry statistics, none so urgently require explicit definition. In the forest inventory questionnaire, use of the term " yield " was deliberately avoided in order to eliminate one possible source of confusion. Nevertheless, it may be well to set down the meanings assigned to it by this Division. The important point is that the words "growth" and "yield" are not synonymous. "Growth" is a function of trees and forests; "yield" is a measure of the output of forest products.

Yield - The quantity of products taken from the forest.

Sustained yield - Annual or periodic output of a constant volume of products in perpetuity. (Sustained yield is only possible if sustained growth is maintained within the forest.)

Potential yield (of an undeveloped forest) - The estimated volume of products which might be obtained annually if the forest were managed in accordance with sustained yield principles.

The terms "overexploitation" and "underexploitation" are also subject to various interpretations. In this report "overexploitation" is considered to exist when the forests are being felled at a rate too high to be sustained indefinitely. If the distribution of age-classes in the forest is normal, the rate of fellings may correctly approximate the rate of net growth; but if younger age-classes predominate, a rate of felling considerably lower than the growth rate may be all that is justified at present. "Underexploitation" means that the rate of fellings could safely be increased.

Principal elements of the inventory

The information which should be provided by any national forest inventory, regardless of the amount of detail which may be desired, may be grouped under five main headings. These are concerned with forest areas in relation to other classifications of land, classification of productive forests, forms of forest ownership, volumes of standing timber, and the relationship between annual growth and annual drain. Each of them is covered by a separate table of questions in FAO's questionnaire. In order that the considerations governing the selection of specific questions may properly be understood, each heading is discussed separately hereunder. Definitions relating to individual questions immediately precede the detailed tables (Tables 4-10). land Classification

The first step in describing the forest resources of a country must be the determination of total forest area. Until the area is known with at least approximate accuracy, formulation of a national forest policy is virtually impossible. However, an estimate of the total area on which the dominant vegetation is composed of trees is not sufficient, because not all forests are susceptible to management on a sustained yield basis. Two broad general classes must be recognized, namely, "productive forests" and "other forests." It is the productive forests upon -which reliance for the wood supplies of the future must be placed. The "other" forests comprise areas which bear a greater or lesser degree of tree cover, but where site conditions are so unfavorable that the trees are of very slow growth and of dwarfed and stunted form. Forests -kind occupy vast areas near the southern margins of the treeless tundras or "cold deserts" of the far north and in the arid savannah formations fringing the "hot deserts" of Africa. Others are to be found at high altitudes near the upper limits of tree growth and on poorly drained sites of high acidity. Some of the last-mentioned group may eventually be transformed into productive forests by drainage, but it is highly improbable that the other groups will ever be able to provide forest products other than small and irregular supplies of fuelwood. In some continents the total forested area (meaning the whole area bearing tree cover) is useless as an indication of potential forest productivity because of the preponderance of areas which properly fall into the nonproductive category just described.

In order to appreciate the relative importance of forests within a country, it is necessary to know the areas of cultivated lands and grasslands and of other lands which are not being used for any productive purpose. It is also necessary to know how many people the forests may be called upon to serve. Population figures used in this report were obtained from official sources other than the forest inventory questionnaires.

Classification of Productive Forests

Division of the productive forest into accessible and inaccessible areas is needed as a general guide to forest policy, because the former class provides all of the current supply of forest products while the latter constitutes the potential reserve which may be developed in future. Nevertheless, the classification itself is relative rather than absolute. Many different degrees of accessibility exist, and the status of any particular forest may change suddenly because of the introduction of new technical devices or because of changes in the prices obtainable for forest products. Within a given country accessibility may be influenced quite as much by the distribution of the population and the degree of development of transportation systems (roads, railroads, etc.) as it is by topographical and other physical conditions in the forest. It is to be expected that most of the areas now classed as inaccessible will eventually be opened up for exploitation, although some are surrounded by physical conditions so difficult that it may never be economically possible to harvest and transport their products.

Subdivision of the productive forests into their component areas of coniferous, broadleaved, and mixedwood types is essential because of the differences between the demands for coniferous and broadleaved woods. Some of the tropical broadleaved forests provide the most valuable species of wood known to commerce, and both in the tropical and temperate zones broadleaved trees are the principal sources of fuelwood. However, more than 70 percent of the wood used for construction, packaging, the manufacture of wood pulp, and other industrial purposes is provided by the coniferous species.

Forest Ownership

Information respecting the distribution of different forms of ownership of productive forest lands helps to determine the kind and extent of the problems likely to be encountered if more intensive forest management is to be introduced on a nation-wide basis. For example, methods of administration and forest regulation entirely suitable for large forest areas under public ownership might be quite impracticable in another region where the individual forests are small in area and privately owned.

Volume of Growing Stock

Among those countries in which the practice of systematic forestry has reached a high stage of development, and where statistics relating to forest resources may in general be classed as good, there is great diversity in the completeness and detail of statistics relating to the volume of standing timber. In some countries estimates of volume are considered to be of cardinal importance; in others, where annual yields per hectare have been established on the basis of long experience, less attention has been paid to estimates of volumes as such.

It is to be hoped that estimates of volume will be improved in future, for several reasons. Direct comparison of volume estimates taken at the beginning and end of a period of years provides the most reliable cheek on the results obtained from current forest management policies. Such comparisons have been known to yield results quite different from those which had been predicted on the basis of direct measurement of annual growth, and have furnished timely warnings leading to the introduction of revised policies. Some modern thought seems to be tending toward the view that maximum yields per hectare depend on the maintenance of relatively large volumes of growing stock, because "wood grows only on wood." Here again better statistics of volume seem to be indicated.

It is quite possible for a nation to show a favorable balance between total growth and total drain in the forest while deterioration in the quality and kinds of wood available is steadily progressing. Reports received by FAO indicate that this has actually occurred in certain countries. Hence, it is important that periodic inventories of growing stock should show separately the volumes of conifers and of broadleaved species, and that these volumes should be further subdivided to show the amounts of wood contained in trees large enough to be acceptable for sawing into lumber and in trees of smaller dimensions.

In some countries estimates of standing timber show the total volumes in all trees, including the wood which will be left in stumps and tops. In others, it is the practice to exclude volumes contained in stumps of a given height and in the tops of trees above a selected minimum diameter of the bole. In the case of broadleaved species some countries include volumes of branchwood in their estimates and some do not. These differences in established practices introduce certain incongruities when total volumes of standing timber are compared from country to country. In themselves, these differences are not considered to be particularly significant, but it is most desirable that estimates of annual growth and drain in each country should be computed on the same basis as the volumes of standing timber

Annual Growth and Annual Drain

A comparison of the rate at which wood is produced in the forest and the rates at which it is destroyed by natural causes and removed by man should be the most important feature of any forest inventory. It may show that the forests are being felled too heavily or that the wood they grow is not being fully utilized. If overexploitation persists, destruction of the forest and loss of future production will follow. On the other hand, underexploitation indicates failure to make full use of the productive power of the forest soil. Since it is recognized that attainment of the highest degree of well-being lying within the reach of any society depends upon wise use of all the natural resources at its disposal, overexploitation or underexploitation of the forests presents problems of major importance demanding the attention of public authorities and of the people at large.

To recognize the importance of a comparison of growth and drain is easy; but to secure the information for making it may be extremely difficult. Measurement of forest growth is a complex undertaking requiring a high degree of technical skill and the correct application of suitable methods of statistical analysis. Measurement of losses due to natural causes is almost equally difficult, and satisfactory estimates of quantities felled must depend on adequate arrangements for the collection of national production statistics within the country concerned. Fluctuations in climatic and business cycles make short-term averages unreliable; hence, average rates of growth and drain should be computed for periods of at least ten years.

The matter becomes much more complicated when an attempt is made to secure comparable statistics on growth and drain for a whole continent, because the underlying assumptions on which statistics of this sort must be based may differ from country to country. Thus, regional totals can only be compiled by bringing together national figures which are not likely to be precisely comparable.

Still greater difficulties are met in a comparison of total growth, net increment, and total yield of forest products for the world as a whole. Here the difficulties outlined in the previous paragraph are multiplied because of differences in the nature of the forests of different regions, differences in the distribution of population and in consumption habits, and differences in the degree of development of scientific forest management. Indeed, these differences are so great as to affect the meanings which can be assigned to some commonly used forestry terms. Furthermore, comparison of figures representing annual growth and annual fellings may or may not lead to a correct determination of the actual forestry situation within a country or region, because of local differences within a single country. For these reasons it is considered to be impossible, in the present state of our knowledge, to compile truly comparable regional estimates of growth and drain which in turn could be combined in world totals. Instead, we are forced to rely on approximate estimates of the quantities of wood which the forests of the world might yield if all of them were given a reasonable measure of management according to correct forestry principles.

Even though they cannot be combined in world totals, estimates of the growth-drain situations in individual countries are of great interest. In this case formulation of a series of questions which could be interpreted and answered in all regions with a reasonable degree of consistency presented problems of considerable difficulty. It was decided to ask each national authority to state the total volume of annual growth within its forests, treating conifers and broadleaved species separately if possible, and to subtract the volumes of natural losses caused by fire, insects, and tree diseases in order to obtain figures representing net growth. The annual volume of fellings was then to be subtracted from net growth, the result being a positive or negative balancing item which, within the limits indicated above, should give some indication as to whether the forests have been overexploited or not. These calculations were confined to forests classified as productive and accessible. In addition, an approximate estimate of total growth in the inaccessible forest, regardless of offsetting natural losses, was requested in order to obtain an approximate idea of the yields which may be secured in future if and when these forests are opened up and rationally managed.

Tables 8, 9, and 10, which present the results of this part of the inquiry, should be read in the light of comments presented in the immediately preceding paragraphs.

RESPONSE TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE

Official statements respecting the forest resources of 101 countries and nonself-governing territories were received up to the date of publication. Additional questionnaires may yet arrive, but widespread interest in the results of the inquiry justifies publication of the information contained in this report without further delay.

The response is summarized in terms of total land area in Table 1. Here and in subsequent tables the information is grouped by continents, except that the U.S.S.R. is treated as a separate unit in order to avoid division of a single national entity between Europe and Asia. Islands of the Caribbean are included under North America. Japan, the Philippines, and the Netherlands Indies are included under Asia, but the- eastern half of New Guinea is considered to be part of Oceania.

TABLE 1. - RESPONSE TO THE INVENTORY QUESTIONNAIRE

Continent or Country	Total Land Area	Area of Reporting Countries	Percentage Response
	(Million hectares)	(Million hectares)	(Percent)
Europe (excl. U.S.S.R.)	482	332	69
U.S.S.R.	2,255	...	...
North America	2,347	1,854	79
South America	1,755	1,487	85
Africa	3,060	2,245	73
Asia (excl. U.S.S.R.)	2,591	1,609	62
Oceania	855	802	94
TOTAL	13,345	8,329	62

If the estimated area of Antarctica is included in the calculations, the replies received cover 58 percent of the net land area of the world. On the other hand. because very large areas such as Greenland and most of the Arabian peninsula, are practically devoid of forests, the replies cover 66 percent of the total forest area, and about the same proportion of the productive forest area.

As was to be expected, there was a great deal of variation in the completeness with which the questionnaires could be answered. Although all reporting countries provided the information summarized in Table 4, Land classification, a considerable number were unable to furnish data for one or more of the succeeding tables. Responses, calculated on the basis used in Table 1, were as follows: Table 5, Classification of Productive Forests, 61 percent; Table 6, Ownership, 59 percent; Table 7, Growing Stocks, 47 percent; and Table 8, Growth and Drain, 44 percent It must be recognized that, whereas the replies from countries in which the practice of forestry is highly developed summarize a great wealth of accurate and detailed knowledge, answers from some other lands rest upon a very narrow basis of exact information. At the present stage of affairs general estimates, prepared by the national authorities in the best position to make them, are unquestionably of great value, but a vast amount of forest surveying remains to be done.

For many countries, and perhaps especially for those that maintain the most complete and detailed records, completion of FAO's questionnaire was not an easy task because of differences between the form and arrangement of national statistics and the standardized outline in the questionnaire. For example, a reappraisal of the forest resources of the United States of America had been completed in great detail shortly before the FAO inquiry was launched, and conformity with the internationally accepted outline in the questionnaire entailed a considerable amount of rearrangement and regrouping of figures in a manner somewhat different from anything that had previously been made public. What was true in the United States applied equally in other cases.

Presentation of the results

The detailed information relating to individual reporting countries is summarized in Tables 4-10 which appear at the end of this report. These detailed tables are immediately preceded by definitions relating to the headings used. Because complete returns were not received from any continent, no totals appear in these tables.

The detailed tables present the maximum amount of information which it was possible to compile from the inventory questionnaires on a reasonably consistent basis. A certain amount of condensation has been necessary and replies to some of the individual questions do not appear in the tables, partly because of the paucity of replies. A relatively small amount of variation in the interpretations of certain questions also affected final decisions regarding the headings selected for these tables.

Since official reports have not been received from all countries, the forestry situation in each continent cannot be summarized directly from the tabulated data. It is essential, however, to arrive at the closest possible approximation to the correct total estimates for continents and for the world. For this reason the staff of FAO has searched all available records bearing upon the forest resources of countries which have not yet replied, and has prepared tentative estimates for each of them. These estimates were necessarily restricted to forest areas because data relating to forest ownership, growing stocks, and growth in the countries concerned were inadequate. Estimates for individual nonreporting countries are not published, but are included in continental totals for the group.

TABLE 2. - FORESTED AREAS OF THE WORLD

Continent	Population	Total Land Area	Productive Forests	Other Forests	All Forests		Productive Forest Area per Caput
					Area	Percentage of Total Area
	(Millions)	(...Million hectares...)				(Percent)	(Hectares)
EUROPE AND U.S.S.R.
Reporting Countries	278	332	92	6	98	30	0.3
Nonreporting Countries	300	2,405	635	313	948	39	2.1
Estimated Totals	578	2,737	727	319	1,046	38	1.3
NORTH AMERICA
Reporting Countries	167	1,854	465	203	668	36	2.8
Nonreporting Countries	34	493	42	18	60	12	1.2
Estimated Totals	201	2,347	507	221	728	31	2.5
SOUTH AMERICA
Reporting Countries	90	1,487	561	78	639	43	6.2
Nonreporting Countries	13	268	103	13	116	43	7.9
Estimated Totals	103	1,755	664	91	755	43	6.4
AFRICA
Reporting Countries	138	2,245	290	527	817	36	2.1
Nonreporting Countries	53	815	16	16	32	4	0.3
Estimated Totals	191	3,060	306	543	849	28	1.6
ASIA (EXCL. U.S.S.R.)
Reporting Countries	990	1,609	264	124	388	24	0.3
Nonreporting Countries	234	982	94	38	132	13	0.4
Estimated Totals	1,224	2,591	358	162	520	20	0.3
OCEANIA
Reporting Countries	10	802	24	16	40	5	2.4
Nonreporting Countries	2	53	26	14	40	76	13.0
Estimated Totals	12	855	50	30	80	9	4.2
ESTIMATED TOTALS (SIX CONTINENTS)	2,309	13,345	2,612	1,366	3,978	30	1.1
ANTARCTICA	...	1, 388	...	...	...	...	...
GRAND TOTAL	2,309	14,733	2,612	1,366	3,978	27	1.1

In Tables 2 and 3 forest areas of the reporting countries, computed from the detailed tables, are combined with estimated totals for the nonreporting countries to obtain estimated totals for each continent and for the world. In preparing the summary statement of distribution of conifers and broadleaved species which appears in Table 3, one half of the mixedwood areas reported in Table 5 was treated as coniferous and the other half as broadleaved.

Summary and conclusions

It is evident that the figures presented in this report do not represent final answers to questions relating to the extent and productivity of the forest resources of individual countries. Incompleteness of returns and the preliminary nature of some of the estimates suffice to show that further inquiries will be needed in future. An even more important obstacle to the preparation of final estimates lies in the nature of the forests themselves, because of their susceptibility to damage, their ability to grow, and the possibilities for extension of their boundaries by artificial means. Nevertheless, and within these limitations, it seems probable that the figures here presented constitute reasonably accurate approximations to the world forestry situation as it now exists. Certain important deductions which can be drawn from them are treated separately hereunder.

FORESTED AREAS

Table 2 shows that the total forested area of the world is estimated to be 3,978 million hectares, of which 2,612 million hectares (66 percent) is classed as productive. Since no less than 1,366 million hectares of forested land are excluded from the productive category, it is evident that the subdivision of total forest area into "productive" and "other" classes was a most important feature of the questionnaire. The "other forests" category accounts for significant proportions of the total forests in all continents, but in Africa it reaches the astonishing proportion of 64 percent of the whole.

Table 3 indicates that the productive forest area is made up of 942 million hectares (36 percent) bearing conifers and 1,670 million hectares (64 percent) bearing broadleaved species. About 58 percent of the coniferous forests and 52 percent of the broadleaved areas are classed as accessible. Thus, there remain nearly 400 million hectares of conifers and 800 million hectares of broadleaved species which are as yet untapped and most of which constitute reserves for the more or less distant future.

The forest areas per caput shown in Tables 2 and 4 are calculated on the basis of productive forest area, rather than total forest area, because only the former class is capable of yielding continuing and diversified supplies of forest products. In Asia, the home of more than half of the world's people, there are only 0.3 hectares of forest land per person, while the corresponding figure for South America, 6.4 hectares, is 21 times greater. The average for the reporting countries of Europe, 0.3 hectares per caput, is the same as for Asia, but the nonreporting European countries and the U.S.S.R. taken together have 2.1 hectares per caput, In North America and Oceania there are 2.5 and 4.2 hectares per caput, respectively, but Africa, often referred to as an undeveloped continent with vast untouched forest resources, has only 1.6 hectares of productive forest for each member of its population.

The forest areas per caput, do not, by themselves, give an adequate idea of the relationship between forest areas and population in the different parts of the world. For example, although the forest area per caput, appears to be about the same for the reporting countries of Europe and for Asia, practically all the European forest is accessible while a little more than one half of the Asian forest is not. On a continental basis, this factor alone reduces the forest area effectively available in! Asia to 0.15 hectares per caput. Reference to Table 4 will show that in some Asiatic countries the available forest area is even less.

TABLE 3. - CLASSIFICATION OF PRODUCTIVE FORESTS

Continent	Accessible Forests			Inaccessible Forests
	Conifers	Broadleaved	Total	Conifers	Broadleaved	Total
	(...Million hectares...)
EUROPE AND U.S.S.R.
Reporting countries	60	30	90	2	...	2
Nonreporting countries	256	78	334	210	91	301
Estimated Totals	316	108	424	212	91	303
NORTH AMERICA1
Reporting countries	175	127	302	130	26	156
Nonreporting countries	5	27	32	5	12
Estimated Totals	180	154	334	135	38	173
SOUTH AMERICA
Reporting countries	8	248	256	4	301	305
Nonreporting countries	2	49	51	1	51
Estimated Totals	10	297	307	5	352	357
AFRICA
Reporting countries	1	136	137	...	153	153
Nonreporting countries	1	12	13	...	3	3
Estimated Totals	2	148	150	...	156	156
ASIA (EXCL. U.S.S.R.)1
Reporting countries	24	98	122	36	93	129
Nonreporting countries	7	45	52	7	48	55
Estimated Totals	31	143	174	43	141	184
OCEANIA
Reporting countries	3	13	16	...	8	8
Nonreporting countries	1	7	8	4	14	18
Estimated Totals	4	20	24	4	22	26
ESTIMATED GRAND TOTALS	543	870	1,413	399	800	1,199

¹ The total area of productive forest in Table 3 corresponds with that in Table 2. However, because a few countries reported productive area but did not report details given in Table 3, there are slight differences between the tables with respect to reporting and nonreporting countries.

FOREST OWNERSHIP

According to Table 6 the distribution of different forms of forest ownership varies widely from country to country. A great deal has been said and written regarding the respective merits of public and private ownership from the point of view of good forestry, but the evidence shows that the relative emphasis which should be placed on public ownership depends far more on the general political and social conditions within individual countries than it does on any absolute virtues inherent in any particular form of ownership. Although it is known that in certain countries the standard of forest management on public lands is far better than on private holdings, other instances can be found where publicly owned forests get little attention. On the other hand, reference to the table will show that in a number of countries of northwestern Europe, where general forestry standards are admittedly high, private ownership predominates.

VOLUMES OF STANDING TIMBER

Volumes of standing timber and average stands per hectare in reporting countries are shown in Table 7. Volumes per hectare for conifers and broadleaved species are based on the areas on which such species grow, rather than on total productive forest area. Here it should be pointed out that comparisons of average volumes per hectare from country to country are significant only if site conditions are more or less similar and if the status and methods of forest management are reasonably comparable. Quantities given in the table are averages in which areas of very young forests bearing little or no measurable volume may be lumped together with areas of mature timber. If the larger part of the forests is not actively being worked, even though classed as accessible, it is likely that the average volume per hectare will be higher than that in a country with forests of a generally similar type but all of which are being used.

Available estimates of growing stock in many tropical countries are concerned solely with species which are now marketable. Rapid advances in the adaptation of previously unused species to commercial purposes in the North Temperate Zone suggest that it may be advisable to make at least approximate estimates of the volumes of tropical species for which there is, as yet, no commercial demand.

SUSTAINED PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY OF THE FOREST

The reasons why preparation of a direct estimate of the relationship between current growth and current drain on a world-wide basis is not considered possible have already been discussed. It is possible, however, to estimate in a very general way the productive capacity of the world's forest soils. Indeed, such an estimate must be made to serve as a guide to the formulation of long-range policies looking toward the most effective use of the world's forests.

Coniferous Forests

About 36 percent of the productive forests are coniferous, but more than 70 percent of the demand for wood for use in construction and for industrial purposes is for coniferous species. It is to be expected, therefore, that it is in connection with the coniferous forests that a critical situation may be found to exist.

The three great conifer-producing regions are Europe, the U.S.S.R., and North America. In Europe the principles of forest management have been applied for a long period of time and much information regarding the yields obtained from coniferous forests has been accumulated. Nevertheless, it is known that many forests are not fully stocked, and that considerable opportunities for improving average yields still exist.

Table 9 shows that average growth rates for conifers in the reporting countries of Europe range downward from 7.3 m³ ® per hectare for Denmark to less than 2 m³ ® per hectare for several other countries The low figures shown for Great Britain and Poland are estimates of actual growth at the present time in forests which suffered exceptional devastation during the war. The average of the rates actually reported for Europe is about 2.2 m³ ® per hectare but it seems possible to assume, without undue optimism, that it will be possible to increase this rate to about 3 m³ ® per hectare.

It has been estimated that the average rate of growth in forests of the U.S.S.R. is 2 m³ ® per hectare. In view of the northerly location of many of the coniferous forests of that country, it might be unwise to assume a higher average rate for the future.

The average growth rate reported for conifers in the United States is 2.3 m³ ® per hectare, and it is believed that in Canada the corresponding figure is in the order of 1 m³ ® per hectare. These figures, however, are different in character from the figures for Europe. In brief, they are based on the volumes which can be harvested at the end of a rotation and make little or no allowance for intermediate yields which, in Europe, would be harvested during the life of a stand. Introduction of better standards of forest management should make possible average rates of growth of 4 m³ ® in the United States and 2 m³ ® in Canada.

For present purposes an average rate of 2 m³ ® per hectare may be assumed for areas of coniferous forests found in other parts of the world, although it is known that some plantations of exotic conifers established in the South Temperate Zone are growing at rates five times as high.

In accordance with the above assumptions, and allowing for losses from natural causes of about 10 percent, it is estimated that, given reasonably adequate management, the accessible coniferous forests of the world could yield about 1,200 million m³ ® of wood annually, which is equivalent to a world-wide average net rate of 2.2 m³ ® per hectare of accessible coniferous forests.

On the whole, the coniferous forests now classed as inaccessible occupy localities where growing conditions are likely to be somewhat less favorable than in the accessible areas. Furthermore, it is possible that some of them are so difficult of access that they should not be considered as potential reserves for the future. Hence, it would be unwise to expect an average rate of yield better than two thirds of the rate in the accessible areas. On this basis it is estimated that the presently inaccessible coniferous forests can eventually provide about 600 million m³ ® annually.

It may be felt that the above calculations are based on rates that are unduly conservative, since many coniferous forests produce wood at much higher rates. But the rates used are based on averages in which growth in the best forests is averaged with that in the poorer stands. It may be possible to increase the growth rate in a small forest very considerably within a single generation, but to increase a national average rate will require great and concerted efforts and a considerable length of time.

Table 9 indicates that the reporting countries as a group consider that the average rate of exploitation of their accessible coniferous forests during the past 10 years has exceeded the actual rate of replacement, but not by a very large margin. On the other hand, it has been calculated that the coniferous forests, accessible and inaccessible, could eventually be made to yield annually a far greater quantity than has ever been taken from them in the past. It cannot be repeated too often or too strongly that this tentative estimate of possible future yields is predicated absolutely on the assumptions that all forests will eventually be managed in accordance with forestry principles and that forest devastation will be brought to a halt. Unless these conditions are fulfilled, the world will fall short of achieving the supplies of coniferous timber which are definitely within the bounds of possibility. However, universal introduction of improved forest management will take time and it must not be assumed that the current rate of world consumption of coniferous timber could safely be expanded at the present time.

Granting the need for larger supplies of coniferous wood than have been available in the past, each country will have to make decisions regarding the method or methods which seem most likely to meet its own particular requirements. For countries without coniferous forests the choice will be restricted to reliance on imports, plantation of new forests, or a combination of the two. Countries possessing large areas of conifers, though more fortunately situated, will be faced by problems of much greater complexity. Should the principal effort be directed toward increasing yields from forests now being exploited, toward establishment of new plantations, or toward opening up forests as yet inaccessible? If a combination of these methods seems desirable, in what proportions should available funds be divided among them? Here lie problems of the first magnitude in the field of forest economies.

It is obvious that decisions regarding future development of the forests of each country will be taken by its own government. It is equally obvious that, with regard to problems of supply for a whole continent in which the forests and forest industries of individual countries are complementary to one another, unilateral action by national governments cannot be expected to arrive at the best possible solutions. On the contrary, some measure of consultation between governments will be necessary in the common interest. Machinery: for facilitating such consultation in Europe already exists in the newly established Commission for Forestry and Forest Products. A similar form of organization is already planned for Latin America and is likely to be needed in other regions.

Broadleaved Forests

About 64 percent of the total productive forest area of the world consists of broadleaved species. Of this proportion, so-called temperate hardwoods account for 14 percent and tropical hardwoods make up the remaining 50 percent. The general situations with respect to these two groups differ widely.

The average rate of growth for the temperate broadleaved forests of Europe is shown in Table 10 to be 2.0 m³ ® per hectare, or nearly the same as for conifers. A corresponding similarity exists in North America. In Europe there are indications of a moderate degree of overexploitation and it is known that the broadleaved forests in the Mediterranean area have been very heavily overcut in recent years in an effort to meet extreme shortages of fuel. The temperate broadleaved forests of North America, on the other hand, are not being fully exploited. Although there are local shortages of broadleaved woods within the Temperate Zone, it seems certain that these forests could provide substantially larger quantities of wood than are now being taken from them.

The situation in the tropical broadleaved forests is quite different. In most of the areas which are being exploited, only a few of the many species present have established places in the markets of the world and, in consequence, felling operations are highly selective. In general, the rate of utilization in the tropical forests is low, although overexploitation of certain individual species has undoubtedly occurred. The chief threat and source of damage arises, not from overexploitation for forest products, but from the practice of shifting cultivation and the uncontrolled use of fire to clear lands for planting and to improve grazing. These sources of destruction cannot be measured in terms of forest products, but they have caused and are still causing prodigious devastation. An eminent authority has recently stated that, "It seems reasonable to say that in tropical Africa today the forest area is about a third of what it could have been except for the ravages of fire and the destructive practices of the agriculturists."¹

¹ H. L. Shantz, UNASYLVA, Volume II, No. 2, page 67.

Estimates have been received showing average rates of total growth in the equatorial rain forests as high as 7 m³ ® per hectare per annum, with lower rates for the moist deciduous and dry deciduous types. Such estimates are based on total growth of all species regardless of their present marketability.. Other estimates, confined to species which are now merchantable, show annual growth rates ranging from 0.3 to 1.5 m³ ® per hectare. Under existing circumstances it is virtually impossible to make rational estimates of the possible future productivity of the tropical forests. Before that can be done practical uses must be found for many more tropical species and, most important of all, the rate of forest destruction must be reduced to manageable proportions.

SUPPLY VS. DEMAND

Estimates of over-all world consumption of forest products during the decade preceding the Second World Wear indicated an annual rate of about 1,500 million m³ ® per annum. Recent estimates by FAO for the year 1946 indicated a figure about 6 percent lower, but for purposes of the present discussion the quantity quoted may be accepted as representing more or less normal consumption. Information on fellings obtained from the forest inventory inquiry is far from complete, but valuable additional data are available in the FAO Yearbook of Forest Products Statistics, 1947. From these and other sources certain general conclusions can be reached.

It is estimated that slightly less than 50 percent of the world consumption of wood is used for construction and for industrial purposes, and slightly more for fuel. Also, total consumption is almost equally divided between coniferous and broadleaved species. Of the coniferous wood, a little over 70 percent goes to building and industry and nearly 30 percent is burned. For the broadleaved species these proportions are almost exactly reversed.

It has been shown that, given reasonably good forest management, the accessible coniferous forests of the world should be capable of yielding about 1,200 million m³ ® of wood annually and that the inaccessible conifers may eventually yield an additional 600 million m³ ®. In other words, it should eventually be possible to increase the output of conifers to two and one-half times its present volume. With respect to the broadleaved species the ultimate possibilities are still greater, although their realization depends on great technological advances and even greater changes in agricultural practices in the tropics.

Prewar estimates indicate that the average per caput, consumption in North America was about 2.7 m³ ® of wood annually while that in Europe was slightly under 1.0 m³ ®. These figures are indicative of the variation in rates of consumption which can exist in normal times between highly industrialized regions lying in the same general climatic zone. For the average inhabitant of densely populated Asia only 0.3 m³ ® was available. It is, then, very difficult to determine what average consumption rate is necessary to a reasonable standard of living. Perhaps the best tentative guide should be based on the relatively stabilized experience of prewar Europe, that is, about 1.0 m³ ® of wood per person. It seems evident that the forests of the world can be caused to yield that much wood in perpetuity for each member of a world population larger than the present one.

REGIONAL PROBLEMS

The foregoing discussion shows that, from a global point of view, the productive forests of the world are inherently capable of yielding reasonably adequate supplies of forest products to meet the world's needs. There are, however, great obstacles to be overcome. One of the greatest of these arises from the differences between the distribution of populations and of forests.

Wood in its natural state is a bulky material and, in comparison with some other commodities, its value per unit of volume is low. These qualities place definite limitations, both physical and economic, on the distances over which large quantities of wood can be transported. Fuelwood, the cheapest of all forest products. usually must be grown near the point of its ultimate consumption. Logs and pulpwood to be processed by forest industries are frequently transported across the boundaries of-adjacent countries, but the quantities which can be shipped from continent to continent are limited by considerations of cost as well as by availability of supplies. Sawn lumber, being more valuable than roundwood, can be transported profitably for greater distances, and newsprint paper apparently can be carried for any desired distance.

It seems evident that, although any continent may be able to draw on other continents for a proportion of its lumber and even for all of its wood pulp and bulk supplies of paper, it must provide its fuelwood and most of the wood required for industrial conversion from its own resources. Thus, large-scale industrialization in South America, where coniferous forests are few, would be likely to bring with it the adaptation of certain tropical broadleaved species to uses which in the North Temperate Zone have been served by conifers.

CONCLUSION

This report opens with a question as to whether or not man will be compelled in the future to resign himself to perpetual shortages of forest products. The answer is "No!" It has been shown that the forests of the world are capable of providing reasonably adequate supplies of their products to a population larger than now exists. But the provision of such supplies will entail treatment of all productive forests as renewable crops, opening up of forests which are not yet accessible, and cessation of the widespread devastation of forests which, in this twentieth century, still continues.

EQUIVALENTS, ABBREVIATIONS, AND SYMBOLS

In accordance with FAO's usual practice, the tables in this report are presented in units of the metric system of measurement. For the convenience of the reader more accustomed to English units, certain equivalents are given. Explanations of abbreviations and symbols used in the tables are also presented.

1 hectare = 2.471 acres 1- square mile = 259 hectares 1 cubic meter = 35.31 cubic feet 1 cubic meter per hectare = 14:29 cubic feet per acre m3 ® = cubic meters of roundwood, without bark ___= none, or negligible ... = not available

DEFINITIONS RELATING TO TABLES 4 AND 5

TABLE 4 - LAND CLASSIFICATION

Classification	Definition
FORESTED LANDS	Lands bearing vegetative associations dominated by trees of any size, capable of producing timber or other forest products or of exerting an influence on the climate or on the water regime. Also, lands from which forests have been recently clear cut or burned, but which will be reforested in the near future.
Productive forests	Forested lands physically capable of producing crops of usable wood.
Other forests	Forests incapable of yielding products other than fuel because of ad- verse site conditions. This category includes forests of slow growth and of dwarfed or stunted form.
NONFORESTED LANDS
Cultivated lands and natural grasslands	Lands under cultivation, and natural grasslands whether used for grazing or not.
Other lands	Brush lands, moors, deserts, sand dunes, bare rock, swamps and bogs, also areas occupied by towns! roads, etc.

TABLE 5 - CLASSIFICATION OF PRODUCTIVE FORESTS

Classification	Definition
ACCESSIBLE FORESTS	Accessible forests are those which are now within reach of economic exploitation as sources of forest products, including immature forests. This category includes all productive forest lands owned by corporations or individuals, all publicly owned forests covered by working plans, and other public forests not covered by working plans but considered to be accessible for exploitation now.
Coniferous (softwoods)	Forests in which 75 percent or more of the volume of standing timber is of coniferous species.
Broadleaved. (hardwoods)	Forests in which 75 percent or more of the volume is of broadleaved species.
Mixedwoods	All other forests.
INACCESSIBLE FORESTS
(Subdivisions same as for Accessible Forests)	Forested lands of productive quality which are not yet economically accessible.

TABLE 4. - LAND CLASSIFICATION

TABLE 4. - LAND CLASSIFICATION (Concluded)

TABLE 5. - CLASSIFICATION OF PRODUCTIVE FORESTS

TABLE 5. - CLASSIFICATION OF PRODUCTIVE FORESTS (Concluded)

TABLE 6. - OWNERSHIP OF PRODUCTIVE FORESTS

Continent and Country	Total Productive Forests	Publicly Owned Forests				Forests Owned by Institutions	Privately Owned Forests
		State Forests		Communal Forests1	Total Public
		Fellings Permitted	Fellings Prohibited
	(...1,000 hectares...)
EUROPE
Austria	2,800	420	---	280	700	30	2,070
Belgium	541	57	---	195	252	9	280
Bulgaria	3,076	929	1	1,573	2,503	88	485
Czechoslovakia	3,983	1,835	---	498	2,333	236	1,414
Denmark	348	86	---	9	95	14	239
Finland	20,700	5,900	1,200	320	7,420	---	13,280
France	10,954	1,563	26	2,4412	4,030	...	6,924
Germany	7,548	3,414	---	2,0152	5,429	...	2,119
Great Britain	1,273	207	---	---	207	---	1,066
Greece	600	330	80	110	520	30	50
Hungary	1,107	828	---	25	853	1	253
Ireland	89	37	---	---	37	---	52
Luxemburg	78	2	---	29	31	1	46
Netherlands	250	38	---	37	75	13	162
Northern Ireland	21	8	---	---	8	---	13
Norway	6,100	445	---	391	836	86	5,178
Poland	6,470	5,395	13	320	5,728	---	742
Portugal	2,460	86	2	...	...	...	...
Sweden	22,900	4,340	35	800	5,175	325	17,400
Switzerland	800	45	5	535	585	---	215
NORTH AMERICA
Canada	210,596	178,703	5,180	767	184,650	---	25,946
Cuba	3,4633	878	68	---	946	---	2,517
Newfoundland	3,753	1,0444	---	---	1,044	---	2,709
United States	191,828	40,470	4,857	6,880	52,207	...	139,6212
British:
British Honduras	1,579	541	259	---	800	---	779
French:
Guadeloupe	31	22	---	---	22	---	9
United States:
Alaska	47,755	45,731	1,619	405	47,755	---	---
Panama Canal Zone	56		56	---	56	---	---
Puerto Rico	80	31	4	---	35	---	45
Virgin Islands	8	4	---	---	4	---	4
SOUTH AMERICA
Argentina	22,886	...	2,300	...	...	...	...
Brazil	377,170	---	392	---	392		376,778
Chile	6,682	2,318	540	---	2,858	80	3,644
Colombia	72,000	32,400	10,800	1,440	44,640	---	27,360
Peru	50,000	40,000	7,000	140	47,140	---	2,860
Uruguay	452	5	2	---	7	---	445
British:
British Guiana	13,986	13,7274	...	129	13,856	---	130
Trinidad and Tobago	253	2424	...	---	242	---	11
French:
French Guiana	7,000	7,000	---	---	7,000	---	---
Netherlands:
Surinam	10,500	2,000	---	8,380	10,380		120
AFRICA
Union of South Africa	824	257	---	18	275	---	549
Belgian:
Belgian Congo	119,500	96,740	22,700	---	119,440	---	60
British:
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan	3,497	3,4974	...	---	3,497	---	---
Bechuanaland	194	1554	...	39	194	---	---
Gold Coast	9,065	144	...	9,051	9,065	---	---
Kenya	552	4694	...	70	539	---	13
Mauritius	21	7	2	---	9	---	12
Nigeria	6,983	6,8514	...	60	6,911	---	72
Nyasaland	1,166	4204	...	657	1,077	---	89
Southern Rhodesia	7,107	7,0984	...	---	7,098	---	9
Sierra Leone	219	1594	...	60	219	---	---
Swaziland	21	---	---	18	18	---	3
Tanganyika	34,075	33,8764	...	32	33,908	---	167
Uganda	503	4774	...	---	477	---	26
French:
Cameroon	18,800	18,300	500	---	18, 800	---	---
Equatorial Africa	27,047	26,297	750	---	27,047	---	---
Madagascar	2,500	1,100	1,000	---	2,100	---	400
Morocco	2,450	2,430	---	---	2,430	---	20
Somaliland	2	---	2	---	2	---	---
West Africa	50,000	48,530	1,200	---	49,730	---	270
Under Military Govt.:
Eritrea	24	9	13	---	22	---	2
Somalia	64	---	64	---	64	---	---
Tripolitania	8	---	---	4	4	---	4
ASIA
Burma	25,372	25,372	...	...	25,372	---	---
Ceylon	1,051	1,0514	---	---	1,051	---	---
China	56,307	...	...	...	31,870	---	24,437
Japan	22,275	8,026	1	2,555	10,582	224	11,469
Palestine	8	4	---	---	4	4	---
Philippines	13,198	11,172	1,396	285	12,853	---	345
Siam	32,431	32,431	---	---	32,431	---	---
Syria	100	70	---	20	90	---	10
Trans-Jordan	28	---	27	---	---	---	1
British:
North Borneo	1,036	1,0104	...	---	1,010	---	26
Cyprus	145	1374	...	2	139	---	6
Malayan Union	7340	7,3404	...	---	7,340	---	---
Sarawak	3,885	6224	...	3,263	3,885	---	---
Netherlands:
Netherlands Indies	70,000	62,000	---	8,000	70,000	---	---
OCEANIA
Australia	20,253	14,0024	...	243	14,245	---	6,008
New Zealand	1,971	1,5184	...	52	1,570	---	401
French:
New Caledonia	75	8	8	25	41	...	...
United States:
Hawaii	773	---	303	---	303	...	470

¹ Includes forests reserved for the use or benefit of native tribes.
² Includes forests owned by institutions.
³ Includes both "productive" and "other" forests.
⁴ Includes forests in which fellings are prohibited.

TABLE 7. - GROWING STOCKS IN ACCESSIBLE PRODUCTIVE FORESTS

	Total Volume			Average Stand per Hectare
	All Species	Conifers	Broadleaved	All Species	Conifers	Broadleaved1
	(...Million m3 ®...)			(...m3 ®...)
EUROPE
Austria	348	310	38	139	163	63
Belgium	41	21	20	76	105	59
Bulgaria	152	42	110	51	136	41
Czechoslovakia	388	257	131	97	99	94
Denmark	19	11	8	55	55	54
Finland	1,006	807	199	49	51	42
France	700	266	434	64	90	54
Germany	819	562	257	109	107	113
Great Britain	62	23	39	49	41	55
Greece	44	30	14	88	95	76
Hungary	75	5	70	68	70	67
Ireland	3	2	1	34	45	22
Luxemburg	10	2	8	128	105	136
Netherlands	10	9	1	40	52	13
Northern Ireland	1	1	---	41	62	21
Norway	284	252	32	55	56	44
Sweden	1,175	1,007	168	53	58	33
Switzerland	170	120	50	243	240	250
NORTH AMERICA
Canada	5,419	3,753	1,661	48	52	42
Newfoundland	87	87	---	23	23	---
United States	12,149	8,128	4,021	71	92	49
British:
British Honduras*	7.9	0.6	7.3	5	22	5
French:
Guadeloupe	2	---	2	200	---	200
United States:
Alaska	1,076	850	226	95	105	70
Puerto Rico	16	---	16	210	---	210
Virgin Islands	0.2	---	0.2	22	---	22
SOUTH AMERICA
Chile	1,792	182	1,610	360	480	350
Peru	3,540	---	3,540	236	---	236
Uruguay	46	1	45	122	111	122
British:
British Guiana*	366	---	366	100	---	100
AFRICA
Union of South Africa*	46	16	30	56	130	43
Belgian:
Belgian Congo	28,700	---	28,700	416	---	416
British:
Bechuanaland*	0.2	---	---	1	---	---
Gold Coast*	123	---	123	30	---	30
Kenya*	32	8	24	58	33	77
Mauritius*	3	---	3	282	135	282
Nigeria*	23	---	23	25	---	25
Southern Rhodesia*	53	---	53	10	---	10
Sierra Leone*	0.3	---	0.3	27	---	27
French:
Cameroun*	57	---	57	25	---	25
Equatorial Africa	3,203	---	3,20.3	266	---	266
Madagascar	375	---	375	250	---	250
Morocco	81	29	52	33	53	27
West Africa	1,050	---	1,050	42	---	42
Under Military Government:
Somalia	2.4	---	2.4	37	---	37
Tripolitania	0.4	---	0.4	53	200	51
ASIA
Ceylon	142	---	141	140	---	140
China	6,3462	5,330	1,016	113	110	128
India and Pakistan*3	650	208	442	20	63	15
Japan	1,224	645	579	62	83	48
Siam	2,150	6	2,144	199	125	199
Trans-Jordan	1	0.4	0.9	50	133	39
British:
Cyprus*	3.6	3.6	---	26	26	---
North Borneo*	11	---	11	42	---	42
Netherlands:
Netherlands Indies	1,012	2	1,100	100	200	100
OCEANIA
Australia	340	17	323	249	105	268
New Zealand	50	31	19	70	47	316
French:
New Caledonia*	0.1	---	0.1	13	---	13
United States:
Hawaii*	5	---	5	11	---	11

* Commercially exploitable species only.

¹ Based on areas actually bearing these species. One half of the Mixedwood areas reported in Table 5 is treated as coniferous and one half as broadleaved.

² Includes volumes in accessible and inaccessible productive forests.

³ See footnote 4, Table 4.

TABLE 8. - AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH AND ANNUAL DRAIN All Species

TABLE 9. - AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH AND ANNUAL DRAIN Coniferous Forests

TABLE 10. - AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH AND ANNUAL DRAIN Broadleaved Forests

DEFINITIONS RELATING TO TABLES 6-10

TABLE 6 - OWNERSHIP OF PRODUCTIVE FORESTS

Classification	Definition
PUBLICLY OWNED FORESTS
State forests	Productive forested lands owned by national, state, provincial, and cantonal governments, etc., and forests of government-owned corporations.
Forests in which felling is prohibited	National parks and other recreational forests and forests maintained for the protection of watersheds, etc., from which removal of forest products is prohibited.
Forests in which fellings are permitted	National, state, provincial, and cantonal forests in which fellings, either by the state or by private operators, may be permitted.
Communal forests	Forests belonging to towns, villages, and communes. This heading also includes forests reserved for the use of native tribes or managed for their benefit.
FORESTS OWNED BY INSTITUTIONS	Forested lands owned by religious or educational institutions.
PRIVATELY OWNED FORESTS	Forested lands owned by industrial partnerships, corporations, and co-operative societies; forested estates, owned by individuals or single families; and forested areas within the boundaries of farms.

TABLE 7 - GROWING STOCK IN ACCESSIBLE PRODUCTIVE FORESTS

Classification	Definition
TOTAL VOLUME	The total volume of wood, without bark, contained in all trees 10 cm. or more in diameter measured over bark at a point 1.3 meters above ground level. Volume is expressed in cubic meters of roundwood, rep- resented in the table by the symbol m3 ®.
VOLUME PER HECTARE	In computing volumes per hectare of conifers and broadleaved woods, one half of the mixedwood areas reported in Table 5 was considered to bear conifers and the other half broadleaved species.

TABLES 8, 9, AND 10-AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH AND ANNUAL DRAIN

Classification	Definition
GROWTH AND DRAIN IN ACCESSIBLE PRODUCTIVE FORESTS
Total annual growth (gross increment)	The total volume of wood produced by all trees in the forest computed as an annual average for a 10-year period.
Losses from natural causes	Average volume of roundwood rendered unusable annually during the past 10 years by forest fire; by insect pests and tree diseases; and by climatic factors such as windstorms, ice, etc.
NET AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH	The net volume remaining after subtracting natural losses, as defined above, from total annual growth.
AVERAGE ANNUAL FELLINGS	Average volume of roundwood, exclusive of bark, felled annually in the forests during the past 10 years, whether removed from the forest or not.
BALANCE OF GROWTH AND DRAIN	The difference between the volumes of annual fellings and net, annual growth. The plus sign means that growth exceeded fellings, and the minus sign that fellings exceeded growth.
GROSS INCREMENT IN INACCESSIBLE FORESTS	Estimated total annual growth in inaccessible forests without deductions for natural losses. This estimate is requested as a rough indication of the supplies which might be obtained in the future if forests now unused were to be placed under management.
ESTIMATED AVERAGE VOLUME TAKEN FROM TREES OUTSIDE THE FOREST	Average volume of wood used annually which is not secured from the forests, but from "field" trees, roadside trees, etc.