Methodology, tools and definitions
Sources of information
The data on forest tenure are collected mainly through national correspondents of the Forest Resources Assesment (FRA) usually based in government agencies or research institutions (list of national correspondents). However, due to the limited availability of information on forest tenure and the existence of often contradictory data, FAO has also resorted to alternative sources of information, such as national non-governmental organizations, international research centres and FAO forestry projects.Forest tenure analysis
FAO analyses forest tenure according to two aspects: different types of ownership, and different levels of control of and access to resources. Information has been collected through a matrix, where the first column describes the different categories of forest ownership, according to five main categories (public, private, collective, indigenous and other) and seven related sub-categories. The first row describes a forest along a gradient of increasing devolution of forest management responsibilities (four categories and six sub- categories). Below is a simplified version of the matrix.
<p><p>Download the full version of the matrix Definitions
All the national focal points, responsible for filling up the matrix, are provided with a detailed description of the categories (ownership and management systems) included in the matrix. The definitions were developed to be understandable and applicable at the global level, even if they do not correspond with national terminology and categories of forest tenure. Definitions english, french.last updated: Thursday, August 31, 2006