Global Forest Resources Assessment

Forest Resources of the World (1948)

In 1946, the year following the founding of FAO, a first global survey was conducted by the Organization. It was published in 1948 as Forest Resources of the World (FAO 1948). The assessment was based on a questionnaire sent to all countries, of which 101 responded, representing about 66 percent of the world's forests. Parameters included in the survey were forest area (total and productive), types of forest by accessibility, growth and fellings. The first world forest inventory report points to a lack of reliable forestry inventory information for many countries and a lack of commonly accepted terms and definitions.

Major findings

• Total forest cover (global): 4.0 billion hectares
• Net forest change (global): not reported

Bibliographic Reference