152
Chapter 17
Inventory methods have been developed in order to be able to answer
these and similar questions, and to present a clear picture of the state of
forests and the amount of forest resources. Statistically designed forest
inventories were introduced simultaneously in the three Nordic countries,
Norway, Sweden and Finland at the beginning of the 1920’s. In these
countries, and especially in Sweden and Finland, the utilization of forests has
been of vital importance to the national economy. The first operative,
country-level satellite image-based inventory was carried out in Finland in
the beginning of the 1990s.
2.
TRADITIONAL TYPES OF FOREST
INVENTORIES
Inventories can be divided into operative (small scale), strategic (large
area) and surveying-type inventories.
Operative inventories produce information for localized (usually standlevel) planning of cuttings and silvicultural regimes. An operative forest
management plan is based on this information and is a tool of a forest owner.
The time interval between such inventories often varies from 2 to 15 years.
Inventories for strategic planning produce information for:
large area forest management planning
optional cutting possibilities with future scenarios of forests
level of cuttings and silvicultural regimes
sustainability of wood production
planning of forest industry investments
large area forest and nature conservation policy
forestry legislation
financial decisions
assessing the status of nature conservation.
Surveying types of inventories produce an overview-type picture of the
area of interest, for instance for planning a more thorough forest inventory.
Local forestry organizations are in many cases responsible for operative
inventories, while national agencies, e.g., ministries, forest commissions or
research institutes deal with national inventories. The United Nation’s Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has compiled information on the
world’s forest resources from national data sources since 1947. The next
assessment, FRA 2000, is currently ongoing.
Chapter 17
Inventory methods have been developed in order to be able to answer
these and similar questions, and to present a clear picture of the state of
forests and the amount of forest resources. Statistically designed forest
inventories were introduced simultaneously in the three Nordic countries,
Norway, Sweden and Finland at the beginning of the 1920’s. In these
countries, and especially in Sweden and Finland, the utilization of forests has
been of vital importance to the national economy. The first operative,
country-level satellite image-based inventory was carried out in Finland in
the beginning of the 1990s.
2.
TRADITIONAL TYPES OF FOREST
INVENTORIES
Inventories can be divided into operative (small scale), strategic (large
area) and surveying-type inventories.
Operative inventories produce information for localized (usually standlevel) planning of cuttings and silvicultural regimes. An operative forest
management plan is based on this information and is a tool of a forest owner.
The time interval between such inventories often varies from 2 to 15 years.
Inventories for strategic planning produce information for:
large area forest management planning
optional cutting possibilities with future scenarios of forests
level of cuttings and silvicultural regimes
sustainability of wood production
planning of forest industry investments
large area forest and nature conservation policy
forestry legislation
financial decisions
assessing the status of nature conservation.
Surveying types of inventories produce an overview-type picture of the
area of interest, for instance for planning a more thorough forest inventory.
Local forestry organizations are in many cases responsible for operative
inventories, while national agencies, e.g., ministries, forest commissions or
research institutes deal with national inventories. The United Nation’s Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has compiled information on the
world’s forest resources from national data sources since 1947. The next
assessment, FRA 2000, is currently ongoing.