DEFINITIONS USED IN THE
STATE OF THE WORLD'S FORESTS

FOREST AND RELATED LAND COVER

These terms have been adopted for use in the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000. Further information on definitions has been published in FAO documents (FAO, 1998d; FAO, 2000f), which are available on the FAO Web site at: www.fao.org/FORESTRY/FO/FRA/index.jsp.

Forest

Forest includes natural forests and forest plantations. The term is used to refer to land with a tree canopy cover of more than 10 percent and area of more than 0.5 ha. Forests are determined both by the presence of trees and the absence of other predominant land uses. The trees should be able to reach a minimum height of 5 m. Young stands that have not yet reached, but are expected to reach, a crown density of 10 percent and tree height of 5 m are included under forest, as are temporarily unstocked areas. The term includes forests used for purposes of production, protection, multiple use or conservation (i.e. forest in national parks, nature reserves and other protected areas), as well as forest stands on agricultural lands (e.g. windbreaks and shelterbelts of trees with a width of more than 20 m) and rubberwood plantations and cork oak stands. The term specifically excludes stands of trees established primarily for agricultural production, for example fruit tree plantations. It also excludes trees planted in agroforestry systems.

Natural forest

A forest composed of indigenous trees, and not classified as forest plantation.

Forest plantation

A forest established by planting and/or seeding in the process of afforestation or reforestation. It consists of introduced species or, in some cases, indigenous species.

Other wooded land

Land that has either a crown cover (or equivalent stocking level) of 5 to10 percent of trees able to reach a height of 5 m at maturity; or a crown cover (or equivalent stocking level) of more than 10 percent of trees not able to reach a height of 5 m at maturity; or a shrub or bush cover of more than 10 percent.

Afforestation

Establishment of forest plantations on land that until then was not classified as forest. It implies a transformation from non-forest to forest.

Natural expansion of forest

Expansion of forest through natural succession on land that until then was under another land use (e.g. forest succession on land previously used for agriculture). It implies a transformation from non-forest to forest.

Reforestation

Establishment of forest plantations on temporarily unstocked lands that are considered forest.

Natural regeneration on forest lands

Natural succession of forest on temporarily unstocked lands that are considered forest.

Deforestation

The conversion of forest to another land use or the long-term reduction of the tree canopy cover below the minimum 10 percent threshold (see the definition of forest and the following explanatory note).

Explanatory note: Deforestation implies the long-term or permanent loss of forest cover and implies transformation into another land use. Such a loss can only be caused and maintained by a continued human-induced or natural perturbation. Deforestation includes areas of forest converted to agriculture, pasture, water reservoirs and urban areas. The term specifically excludes areas where the trees have been removed as a result of harvesting or logging and where the forest is expected to regenerate naturally or with the aid of silvicultural measures. Unless logging is followed by the clearing of the remaining logged-over forest for the introduction of alternative land uses, or the clearings are maintained through continued disturbance, forests commonly regenerate, although often to a different, secondary condition. In areas of shifting agriculture, forest, forest fallow and agricultural lands appear in a dynamic pattern where deforestation and the return of forest occur frequently in small patches. To simplify reporting of such areas, the net change over a larger area is typically used. Deforestation also includes areas where, for example, the impact of disturbance, overutilization or changing environmental conditions affects the forest to an extent that it cannot sustain a tree cover above the 10 percent threshold.

Forest degradation

Changes within the forest that negatively affect the structure or function of the stand or site, and thereby lower its capacity to supply products and/or services.

Forest improvement

Changes within the forest that positively affect the structure or function of the stand or site, and thereby increase its capacity to supply products and/or services.

FOREST PRODUCTS

These definitions are an abbreviated form of those used in the FAO Yearbook of Forest Products, which includes full details (FAO, 2000c).

Roundwood

Wood in its natural state as removed from forests and from trees outside forests; wood in the rough.

Commodities include all forms of industrial roundwood and fuelwood.

Woodfuel

Wood that will be used "in the rough" as fuel for purposes such as cooking, heating or power generation; and wood that will be used for charcoal production.

Industrial roundwood

The commodities included in this category are sawlogs or veneer logs, pulpwood and other industrial roundwood. In the case of trade, chips and particles and wood residues are also included.

Sawnwood

Wood (including sleepers) sawn lengthwise or produced by a profile-chipping process, and planed wood.

Wood-based panels

An aggregate term including the following commodities: veneer sheets, plywood, particle board and fibreboard. Particle board includes varieties such as oriented strand board (OSB) and flakeboard. Fibreboard includes hardboard, medium-density fibreboard (MDF) and insulation fibreboard.

Pulp for paper

This includes both wood pulp (mechanical, semi-chemical and chemical) and other fibre pulp (straw, bamboo and bagasse, etc.).

Recovered paper

Used paper and paperboard or residues from paper conversion that are collected for reuse as a raw material for the manufacture of paper, paperboard or other products.

Paper and paperboard

The following commodities are included in this aggregate: newsprint, printing and writing paper, other paper and paperboard.

Non-wood forest products

Goods of biological origin other than wood that are derived from forests, other wooded land and trees outside forests.