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World Forest Inventorylnventaire forestier mondlnventario Forestal Mundia
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
ORGANISATION DES NATIONS UNIES POUR L'ALIMENTATION ET L'AGRICULTURE
ORGANIZACIÓN DE LAS NACIONES UNiDAS PARA LA AGMCULTURA Y LA ALAME.MTACIÒN
Rome, Italy March 1960
FAO LIBRARY AN: 055260
Selected
FA O publications
Yearbook of Forest ProductsStatistics
Annual , publication dateapproximately 1 December.
Includes 46 tables of removals,production, trade and consump-tion statistics, volumes andvalues, exchanges rates, forestareas, descriptive text andcharts, approximately 170 pages;trilingual E F S
Timber Bulletin for Europe
Quarterly, published jointly byFAO and the Economic Com-mission for Europe.
Comprises statistics from coun-tries of Europe and North Ame-rica on production, stock, tradeand prices of selected forestproducts; 31 tables, market re-views Approximately 70 pages;bilingual E F.
UnasylvaAnnual subscription :
Quarterly journal of forestryand forest products, includingstatistical and analytical " com-modity reports ", published inEnglish, French and Spanish.
World Forest Products Statistics
A Ten-year Summary, 1946-1955.
Figures for the main categoriesof forest products for which cur-rent information appears in theYeaibook of Forest Pi oductsStatistics The revised series arein 51 tables covering productionand trade for approximately 150countries. Trilingual English,French and Spanish 197 pages,including descriptive text andcharts.
Sélection depublications de la FAO
Annuaire statistique des Produitsforestiers
Publication annuelle paraissantapproximativement le 1" décem-bre.
L'Annuaire content 46 ta-bleaux statistiques concernant lesquantités enlevées, la production,le commerce et la consomma-ton, en volume et en valeur,les taux de change, les surfacesboisées avec des textes descriptifset des graphiques ; environ 170pages, trilingue: F A E.
Bulletin du bois pour l'Europe
Trimestriel, publié conjointe-ment par la FAO et la Commis-sion Economique pour l'Europe.
Contient des statistiques despays d'Europe et d'Amériquedu Nord concernant la produc-tion, les stocks, le commerce etles prix d'un choix de produitsforestiers, 31 tableaux et desrevues des marchés, environ70 pages, bilingue: F A
UnasylvaPrix de l'abonnement -
Publication trimestrielle desforêts et des produits foresterscontenant des rapports statisti-ques et analytiques sur les maté-res de base, paraissant en fran-çais, en anglais et en espagnol.
Statistiques mondiales des Produitsforestiers
Btlan des dix années 1946-1955
Données concernant les prin-cipales catégories de produitsforesters au sujet desquelles desinformations sont courammentpublides dans l'Annuaire statisti-que des PI oduits forestiers. Lesséries révisées sont réparties sur51 tableaux ayant trait a laproduction et au commerce d'en-viron 150 pays. Trilingue . an-glais français espagnol197 pages, accompagnées de tex-tes descriptas et de diagrammes
Selección de
publicaciones de la FA O
Anuario Estadístico de ProductosForestales
Publicación anual. Fecha apro-ximada de publicación : 10 dediciembre
Comprende 46 cuadros sobreextracciones, producción, esta-dísticas del comercio y del con-sumo, volúmenes y valores, coe-ficientes de conversión, super-ficies forestales, textos descrip-tivos y gráficos. 170 páginasaproximadamente TrilingueE I F.
Boletín de las Industrias Madereraspara Europa
Publicación trimestral editadaconjuntamente por la FAO y laComisión Ecónomica para Eu-ropa
Comprende estadísticas de lospaíses de Europa y de Américadel Norte sobre producción,existencias, comercio y preciosde productos forestales seleccio-nados, 31 cuadros y análisis demercados 70 páginas aproxima-damente Bilingue I F.
UnasilvaSuscripción anual :
Publicación trimestral sobresilvicultura y productos forestalescon informes analíticos-estadísti-cos sobre « productos básicos ».Se publica en inglés, francés, yespañol.
Estadísticas Mundiales de ProductosForestales
Resumen decenal, 1946-1955.
Cifras de producción y decomercio para las principalescategorías de productos foresta-les sobre las cuales aparece unainformación actual en el AnuarioEstadístico de Productos Foi esta-les Las series revisadas se dis-tribuyen en 51 cuadros sobreproducción y comercio paraaproximadamente 150 países Tri-lingue inglés, francés y espa-ñol 197 páginas, Incluyendotexto descriptivo y diagramas.
$ Stg.
2.50 12s. 6d.
1.00 7s. 6d.
2.50 12s. 6d.
3.00 15s. Od.
World Forest Inventory!nventaire forestier mondial
Inventario Forestal Mundial
1958
The third in the quinquennial series compiled by the Forestry and ForestProducts Division of FAO
Le troisième de la sale quinquennale compilé par la Division des foretset produits forestiers de la FAO
El tercero de la serie quinquenal compilado por la Dirección de Montesy Productos Forestales de la FAO
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
ORGANISATION DES NATIONS UNIES POUR L'ALIMENTATION ET L'AGRICULTURE
ORGANIZACIÓN DE LAS NACIONES UNIDAS PARA LA AGRICULTURA Y LA ALIMENTACIÓN
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114
371
GEOGRAPHICAL INDEX
AND REPORTING COUNTRIES
INDEX GÉOGRAPHIQUE
ET PAYS AYANT FAIT RAPPORT
INDEX GEOGRÂFICO
Y PAÍSES QUE HAN INFORMADO
Figure E, page XI:
REMOVALS 1949-1958
Owing to a typographical error, theRED LINES appear three millimetrestoo low. This has been corrected inthe figure below, which replacesFigure E on page XI.
Figure E
REMOVALS 1949-1958
Asia
South America
Africa
Central AmericaPacific Area
100
World Forest Inventory
lnventaire forestier mondial
Inventario Forestal Mundial
1958
CORRIGENDUM
Diagramme E, page XI:
QUANTITÉS ENLEVÉES 1949-1958
Par suite d'un décalage d'impres-sion, les LIGNES ROUGES figurenttrois millimètres trop bas. Les correc-tions ont été apportées dans le dessinci-après, qui remplace le diagramme Ede la page XI.
Diagramme E
QUANTITÉS ENLEVÉES 1949-1958
Gráfico E, página XI:
EXTRACCIONES 1949-1958
A raíz de un error de impresión lasLINEAS ROJAS están tres milímetrosmás abajo de lo debido. Se han hecholas correcciones en el dibujo siguiente,que reemplaza el gráfico E de lapágina XI.
Gráfico E
EXTRACCIONES 1949-1958
200
100
Amérique du SudAmerica del Sur
AfriqueAfrica
Amerique centraleAmerica CentralRégion du PacifiqueRegión del Pacifico
Milhon ma Million ma
1049 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 19551956 1957 1958
400 400Amerique du NordAmérica del Norte
URSS
N orth America
300 300EuropeEuropa
EuropeAsie
U S S R. Asia
FOREWORD
The Forestry and Forest Products Division of FAO carried out its first investigation of the forest resources ofthe world in 1947. The results were published in 1948 and supplemented in 1950 (Unasylva, vol. 2, No. 4, and vol. 4,No. 2).
The sixth session of the FAO Conference in 1951, recomrnended that available information on the world's forestresources be collected and published at five-year intervals. The second inventory was compiled in 1953 artd publishedin 1955 (World Forest Resources, Rome).
The present inventory, prepared in collaboration with the Economic Commission for Europe, is the third inthe quinquennial series, and has benefited from the wealth of information previously assembled. The earlier inven-tories have served as sources for supplementing incomplete or missing statistics, and have provided a possibilityfor checking many of the figures received through the present questionnaire. Numerous questions that arose duringthe course of this compilation were referred to foresters and statisticians in the co-operating countries. Their helpfulresponse is gratefully acknowledged.
AVANT-PROPOS
La Division des forets et des produits forestiers de la FAO a effectué en 1947 sa première enguate sur les res-sources forestikres du monde. Les résultats de cette etiquete ont été publiés en 1948 et, dans un supplément, en 1950(Unasylva, vol. 2, no 4, et vol. 4, no 2).
Il a 6t6 recommandé, à la sixième session de la Confirence de la FAO, en 1951, de recueillir les renseignementsdisponibles au sujet des ressources forestikres mondiales et de les publier tous les cinq ans. Le deuxième inventairea été préparé en 1953 et publié en 1955 (Ressources forestières mondiales, Rome).
Le présent inventaire, préparé en collaboration avec la Commission Economique pour l'Europe, est le troi-sikrne de cette série quinquennale; il a béndficié de la richesse d'informations précédemment réunies. Les inventairesprécédents ont servi de smn-ces pour compléter des statistiques incomplètes ou faisant défaut; ils ont en outre permisde contrôler nombre de chiffres obtenus à l'aide du questionnaire actuel. Beaucoup de questions qui ont surgi aucours de cette etiquete ont été sotunises à des forestiers et à des statisticiens des pays coopèrants. Un hommagereconnaissant doit len" être renda pour leurs réponses fort utiles.
PRÓLOGO
La Dirección de Montes y Productos Forestales de la FAO llevó a cabo su primera investigación de los recursosforestales del mundo en 1947. Los resultados se publicaron en 1948 y se le die) un suplemento en 1950 (Unasylva,vol. 2, No. 4, y vol. 4, No. 2).
La Conferencia de la FAO en su Sexto Período de Sesiones, en 1951, recomendó que la información disponiblesobre los recursos forestales del mundo se recopilara y publicara con intervalos de cinco años. El segundo inventariose compiló en 1953 y se publicó en 1955 (Recursos Forestales Mundiales, Roma).
El actual inventario, preparado en colaboración con la Comisión Económica para Europa, es el tercero en laserie quinquenal, y se ha beneficiado de todo el volumen de información recogido anteriormente. Los inventarlosprecedentes han servido de fuente para suplementar estadísticas incompletas o que faltaban, y han proporcionadola posibilidad de comprobar muchas de las cifras recibidas por medio del actual cuestionario. Numerosas cuestionesque surgieron durante la labor de compilación se trasladaron a los forestales y estadísticos en los países que hancolaborado. Se agradece acquí su amable ayuda.
TABLE OF CONTENTSPage
GEOGRAPHICAL INDEX AND REPORTINGCOUNTRIES
FOREWORD
FIGURESLand classification viForest areas VIIForest areas per inhabitant . VIIIIX
Growing stock XRemovals 1949-1958 XIRemovals 1955-1957 XI
SYMBOLS XII
THE 1958 WORLD FOREST INVENTORY 3
WORLD ESTIMATES tables A, B, C . 19
GENERAL NOTES 58
APPENDICES 121
Definitions of ter s 123Country notes 129
LIST OF TABLES
L Land categories 6011. Accessible forests 70
By ownershipBy useStatusPermanent forests
Forests in use:III a. By composition
By management statusBy cutting practices
III b. By silvicultural systemDensity
IV. Growing stockExclusionsSawlogs diameter
Commercial species (Yo)V. Growth and allowable cut
Gross incrementLossesNet growthAllowable cut
VI. Per hectare 102VII a. Annual harvest of wood . . 104
FellingsLossesRemovals
VlIb. Annual harvest of bamboo 105Removals 106
IX. Other removals . .. 114X. Changes in forests areas
All forests 115Accessible forests 117Forests in use 118Productive forests 118
XI. Inaccessible forests 119
787878
86 111 b.8692 IV.9697
97
98 V.
VI.VII a.
TABLE DES MATIÈRESPages
INDEX GFOGRAPHIQUE ET PAYS AYANT FAITRAPPORT
AVANT-PROPOS
DIAGRAMM ES V
Classification des terresSuperficies forestieresSuperficies forestières par habi-
tant VIIILXMatériel sur piedQuanti:tés enlevées 1949-1958Quantités enlevées 1955-1957 XI
SIGNES XII
L'INVENTAIRE FORESTIER MONDIAL DE1958 20
EVALUATIONS MONDIALES tableaux A,B, C 38
REMARQUES GÉNÉRALES 58ANNEXES 121
Définitions des termes 125Notes sur les pays 131
LISTE DES TABLEAUX
Catégories de terres 60Foréts accessibles 70
Régime de propriétéU tilisationEtatForêts permanentes
Foréts utilisées:lila. Composition 78
Situation de l'aménagement. 78Méthodes de coupe 78Traitement sylvicole 86Densité 86Matériel sur pied 92
a. Exclusions 96b. Grumes de sciage: diamétre 97
c. Espéces commerciales (%)Accroissement et possibilité .
Accroissement brutPertesAccroissementPossibilitéPar hectare
Récolte armuelle de boisAbattagesPertesQuantités enlevées
Récolte armuelle de barnbou .Quantítés enlevées
Autres quantités enlevées . .Variations de la superficie des fo-
rétsToutes les forêtsForéts accessiblesForêts utiliséesForets productives
XI. Foréts ínaccessibles
net
1V -
9798
102104
105106114
115117118118
119
TABLA DE MATERIASPagina
INDEX GEOGRAFICO Y PAISES QUE HANINFORMADO
PROLOGO ritGaimcos
Clasificación de las tierras VISuperficies forestales virSuperficies forestales por habi-
tante vmrxMaterial en crecimientoExtracciones 1949-1958Extracciones 1955-1957 xi
SimsoLosINVENTARIO FORESTAL MUNDIAL DE 1958 39
ESTIMACIONES MUNDIALES cuadros A,B, C 57
NOTAS DE CARÁCTER GENERAL 58
APÉNDICES 121Definición de los términos 127Notas sobre los paises 134
LISTA DE CUADROS
Categorías de las tierras 60Bosques accessibles 70
PropiedadExplotaciónEstadoBosques permanentes
Bosques en explotación:lila. Composición 78
Estado de ordenación 78Métodos de corta 78
III b. Tratamiento silvicola 86Densidad 86
IV. Material en crecimiento 92Exclusiones 96Trozas para aserrín: diá-
metros 97Especies comerciales (%) 97
V. Incremento y posibilidad. 98Incremento brutoPérdidasIncremento netoPosibilidad
VI. Por hectárea 102VII a. Cosecha anual de madera 104
CortasPérdidasExtracciones
VII b. Cosecha anual de bambú. 105VIII. Extracciones 106
1X. Otras extracciones 114X. Cambios en las superficies fores-
talesTodos los bosques 115Bosques accesibles 117Bosques en explotación 118Bosques productivos . 118
XI. Bosques inaccesibles 119
FIGURES
DIAGRAMMES
GRÁFICOS
NO
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Figure C
FOREST AREAS
PER INHABITANT
CENTRAL AM ERICAAM ÉRI QU E CENTRALEAM ERICA CENTRAL
NORTH AMERICAAM ÉRIQUE DU NORDAMERICA DEL NORTE
SOUTH AMERICAAM ÉRI QUE DU SUDAMERICA DEL SUR
...................EC FORESTSTOUTES LES FORETSTODOS LOS BOSQUES
4:12:404:,
'
03
Diagr_
SUPERFICIES
PAR Fik
HECTARES PER INHABITANTHECTARES PAR HABITANT
HECTÁREAS POR HABITANTE
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Figure E Diagramme E Gráfico E
REMOVALS 1949-1958 QUANTITÉS ENLEVÉES 1949-1958 EXTRACCIONES 1949-1958
1849 1951 1952 19531954 1955 1956 1957
Figure F Diagramme F Gráfico F
REMOVALS QUANTITES ENLEVÉES EXTRACCIONES
% Broadleaved Coniferous Industrial weed Fuelwood1955 - 1957 of world total Feuillus Hesineux Bois d'oeuvre Bois de ehauflage
du total mondial Frondosas Coniferas Madera industrial Lea
del total mundial
Symbols
= Nil or less than half the appropriate unit.= Not available.
* = Unofficial figure.1955-57 = An average for the period covering all the years 1955 through 1957.
* = See country note.= Figures received too late for inclusion in totals.
A period (.) precedes decimal figures.
Signes
Néant ou moins d'une demi-unité.= Non disponible.
* Chiffre non officiel.1955-57 = Moyenne de toutes les années de 1955 A. 1957 inclusivernent.
= Voir note sur le pays.o =- Chiffres regus trop tard pour &re inclus dans les totaux.
Le point (.) precede les chiffres décimaux.
Símbolos
= Nada o cantidad insignificante.= No disponible.
* Cifras extraoficiales.
1955-57 = Promedio del período comprendido entre los arios 1955 y 1957, ambosinclusive.
* = Véase nota sobre el país.= Cifras recibidas demasiado tarde para ser incluidas en los totales.
Las cifras decimales van precedidas de un punto.
WORLD FOREST INVENTORY 1958
L'INVENTAIRE FORESTIER MONDIAL DE 1958
INVENTARIO FORESTAL MUNDIAL DE 1958
Introduction
" A sound national forest policy aims at the rationaldevelopment and exploitation of forest resources on theprinciple of the greatest good for the greatest number.To formulate such a policy, as precise a knowledge aspossible of the wood resources of the country is required.These data a forest inventory must provide. To furnishall the elements necessary for policy formulation, theinventory should yield information on the forested area,ownership, composition and management status, aswell as estimates of the volumes of standing timber,annual growth, fellings and removals.
"Two factors give rise to the need for world-wide inven-tories. First, the population of the world is increasingsteadily, on average by one and a half per cent annually;forest resources, on the other hand, are in the short termrelatively fixed, at any rate in extent. On a world scaleefforts are necessary to ensure that forest output risescommensurately with world needs. Secondly, forest needsare by no means co-terminous with forest resources,since the factors which determine forest distributiontranscend political boundaries. Hence the need arisesfor the co-ordination of national forest policies. Inother words, the peoples of all nations and regions arebecoming increasingly conscious of their interdependence,of the existence of one world.'
" FAO is alive to this, and not only because the forestsare a repository of important raw materials, but alsobecause they play a decisive role in agricultural economyby protecting crop lands and regulating the water regime.Thus a knowledge of the world's forest resources is vitalto the execution of the programme of FAO in its broaderaspects, and not merely to that of its Foresty and ForestProducts Division alone."
With these words FAO prefaced its publication of theresults of the 1953 World Forest Inventory.' Thesewords, still valid, succinctly express the nature andpurpose of an inventory of world forest resources andthe reasons why FAO has assumed responsibility forcarrying out such inventories. They may therefore serveto introduce the present publication.
When the Conference of FAO, at its sixth session, in1951, recommended that the organization should, atfive-yearly intervals, collect and publish available infor-mation on the forest resources of the world, it recognizedthat this kind of inquiry must be repeated at intervals.Not only are forested area, growing stock, growth andfellings constantly changing under the impact of avariety of technical, economic and social factors ; national
World Forest Resources, FAO, March 1955. Results of thefirst inventory (1947) were published in Unasylva, Vol. II, No. 4,1948, and Vol. IV, No. 2, 1950 under the title " Forest Resourcesof the World ".
WORLD FOREST INVENTORY 1958
statistics are steadily improving extensively andintensively. In many countries the area covered by thenational inventory increases year by year, while newmethods of stocktaking give more detail and greaterprecision. Aerial photography, with improved equip-ment, allied to ground surveys, making use of modernsampling methods, has made it possible for many coun-tries with limited funds at their disposal for inventorywork to step up the rate at which their national inven-tories are being conducted. In many cases they havebeen able to obtain technical help, from FAO or fromcountries operating bilateral technical assistance schemes.
Preparations for this third world forest inventoryfollowed the lines established for the previous inventory.The advice of an expert group was sought on the scopeof the inventory and on the definitions to be employed.Helpful comments on a draft questionnaire were ob-tained from experts in all regions. The forms finallyagreed were despatched to all member countries, includ-ing dependent territories, and transmitled to severalnon-member countries. Meanwhile FAO staff assembledinformation from various official and unofficial sourcesconcerning the resources of other non-member countries.
A hundred and forty-three countries, representing88 % of the world forest area, replied to these question-naires. In the 1953 inventory replies were received from126 countries, representing 73% of the world forestarea. Not all the replies were complete, and the infor-mation received was therefore supplemented with theaid of authorities in member countries, FAO TechnicalAssistance field experts, official reports and, all elsefailing, by recourse to the 1953 and 1947 reports.
The sources of information for the 1953 and 1958inventories are summarized in Table 1. If it is bornein mind that the official statistics on which a substantialpart of the 1953 inventory rested were in many casesconsiderably out of date, it is clear that the presentinventory has a greater claim than its predecessors toprovide a comprehensive picture of the extent of theworld's forests.
Table 1. Information sources
Replies to:
3
1958 questionnaire 143 881953 questionnaire . 13 2 126 731947 questionnaire 5 2 10 3
Official statistics 34 5 57 24Unofficial reports 15 3 5
Total 210 198
Source Number % of Number % ofof world of world
countries forest area countries forest area
1958 inventory 1953 inventory
4
The introduction to the report on the results of the1953 world forest inventory explained in some detailwhy it had not proved possible to compare the 1953figures with those reported in 1947. It went on to say :" The steady progress now being made, together withincreasing uniformity in approach and clarity in defini-tion, offer the hope that valuable conclusions may bedrawn when the results of the 1958 inventory are com-pared with those of the current one." This hope hasbeen only partly realized. For whereas in 1955 it wasexpected that the pattern of future world inventorieswould not depart substantially from that established inthe 1953 inventory, certain changes were in the eventdeemed desirable by the experts who met to determinethe scope of the 1958 inquiry. These changes, and thereasons for them, are discussed in some detail below.Some of them undoubtedly had the effect of reducingcomparability between the successive inventories. This,however, is certainly not the main ground for non-comparability. Much more important is the impact ofimprovements in national statistics. Some examples of theeffect of these changes are given in the pages which follow.
What must never be overlooked, in interpreting thefigures which appear in the tables and text which follow,is that none of the component elements of the statis-tics are more precise or up to date than the nationalinventory data on which they are based. Carrying outa national forest inventory is a long and costly business.How long and how costly depend not only on the typesof forest to be surveyed, but also on the amount of detailwhich the national forest authorities require. Each autho-rity, in devising its inventory plans, has to compromisebetween the intensity of the inventory and the area to becovered on the one hand, and the funds available and thetime by which the results are required on the other. Evenrelatively wealthy countries, with a keen awateness ofthe significance of their forest resources and with sizeablefunds available for inventory work, have to effect somesuch compromise. Some have had recourse to a con-tinuous inventory, whereby a given area is surveyed eachyear, the total forest area being covered in a 10- or 15- yearcycle, the cycle thereafter being repeated. The partialresults flowing in each year can, of course, be used toarrive at more accurate assessments of national totals.
In other countries, the inventory may be tailored tomeet the most urgent national needs. For example,relatively sparse information may be sought concerningthe total forest area perhaps merely location andextent but more intensive information (species, age,or diameter distribution, growing stock and growth) forthose areas where exploitation is currently taking placeor is contemplated in the near future. In general, most ofthe national inventory data are estimates based on partialinventories. For very many countries of the world acomplete inventory does not as yet exist.
Moreover, a national inventory must try to elicitanswers to a number of questions relative to the formu-lation of national forest policy which a world inventorycannot hope to cover. The world forest inventoryconfines itself to ascertaining a limited range of salientfacts, which can provide a general picture of the natureand extent of the world's forests, the wealth of resources
they contain, and the modifications they are undergoingunder the influence of man.
Scope of the Inquiry
In designing the 1958 questionnaire, the secretariatand the advising experts had clearly in mind the desira-bility of preserving continuity with earlier inventories.At the same time, a detailed examination of the results ofthe previous inventory made it clear that a number ofchanges were needed. In some cases replies received hadshown the need for greater clarity in the definitions adoptedto ensure that the recipients of the questionnaires werein no doubt as to the information required. In other casesa perusal of the 1953 replies showed that the informationsought could not be readily supplied by most countriesat the present stage of development of national forestinventories. It was therefore necessary to revise concepts(as distinct from definitions) in order to elicit informationwhich would be both more meaningful and easier tofurnish. In addition, the inadequate response to certainquestions in 1953 led to the omission of these questionsin 1958. Finally, it was decided to insert one or two newquestions intended to throw additional light on the poten-tial value of the forest resources reported.
Inevitably some of these changes, which are discussedin detail below, have affected comparability with theprevious inventory.
The 1958 inventory includes information falling in thefollowing main groups :
Forest area in relation to other land categories.Accessible forests : area and ownership.Forests-in-use : composition, management, growing
stock, growth, fellings and removals.Other roundwood sources.Changes in forest area.
In the 1958 inventory forests is defined with somewhatmore precision than hitherto. Thus, bamboo lands andwattle (Acacia spp.) plantations are specifically included,while savanna types with an average density of tree coverbelow 0.05 are excluded, as are non-forest crop landssuch as rubber and cinchona.
In the earlier inventory many respondents experienceddifficulty in deciding whether or not fuelwood cutting forlocal domestic use, which is widespread in all regions ofthe world, warranted the classification of forests as "inuse ". They were given further guidance in the 1958inventory by the following note:
"Note on fuelwood: Although nearly all forest lands are capableof producing some fuelwood, and are often used to some extentfor that purpose, the utilization of forests for occasional small-scale fuelwood cutting does not place them either in the " acces-sible ", " forests-in-use ", or " productive " classes. The exactdelineation of these classes will vary somewhat between countriesand will be determined by the competent authorities in eachcountry."
The amplified notes in the 1958 inventory on forestsand fuelwood did not stem from any change in concept,but were designed solely to give greater clarity in thedefinition. Even so, depending upon the interpretationsaccorded by respondents in the previous inquiry, areas
may be included in the present inventory which wereexcluded in 1953, and vice-versa.
The 1953 inventory questionnaire sought a subdivisionof the area of forests-in-use into those with a predomi-nantly economic character and those with mainly protec-tive functions. The distinction was not a happy one,carrying as it did the implication that forests which serveprimarily a protective role are " non-economic ". In fact,of course, the protective functions of the forest are strictlyeconomic, though their evaluation in monetary termsoften presents considerable difficulty. More important,however, was the fact that relatively few countries wereable to draw this distinction. On the other hand, it wasclear that more and more countries, intent upon assessingthe potential of their accessible forests, are attempting tobroadly distinguish between those which they deem pro-ductive (producing or capable of producing usable cropsof wood or other forest products) and those deemedunproductive. For the 1958 inventory, therefore, thisclassification has been adopted as being at once moremeaningful and more readily available. Here the presentinventory provides new and valuable information.
The definition of accessible forests has also been changed.In the 1953 inventory these were defined as forests " nowwithin reach of economic management or exploitation ".Whether a forest is presently within reach of economicmanagement or exploitation is not an easy matter todecide. Moreover, a rise in the price of wood could insome instances make considerable areas of forest " acces-sible " in this sense, while a price fall could relegateforests to the inaccessible class. Evidently, a definitionso vulnerable to short-term fluctuations and so subjectto individual interpretation had to be discarded. Instead,the 1958 inventory defines accessibility in purely physicalterms : " areas within reach of exploitation by existingtransportation systems ". The revised definition is not,of course, itself immune from objection. Clearly, differentforest authorities will interpret it in different ways and itwould be unwise to attach any great importance to inter-country comparisons. However, it does afford forestauthorities the possibility of furnishing figures which areconsistent in successive inventories.
Questions asked in 1953 but discarded in 1958, eitherbecause the response was poor or because the informationsupplied did not lend itself to compilation, relate to thedistribution by size of individual privately owned forestsand to the species composition of growing stock inforests-in-use.
The World Forest Inventory naturally concentratesattention upon forest areas. Forest area alone, however,can convey a very misleading impression of the potentialof the forest resource. There is obviously need for someindication, however approximate, of the quality of theforest. This point was stressed in reporting the resultsof the 1953 inventory, where it was noted that "in manyparts of the world in Africa, for example denseforests shade off into open stands with a continuous sheetof grass, finally passing into shrub and thorny forma-tions. Where does the forest end and brushland begin?The answer to this question frequently depends on localadministrative convenience, so that areas classified asforests may in fact bear only a few small and deformed
5
trees per hectare, along with scattered thorny shrubs ofno economic value. Grazing grounds, whether grazedby wild or domestic animals, if they occur within theforest area, are more often than not classified as forest,since they usually come under the supervision of theforest administration. Thus the term " forest " in thisinventory covers stands of very different densities.
The revised definition of forests in the 1958 inventory,already mentioned, to some extent sharpens the picturethe inventory gives us of the forested area, by specificallyexcluding land with very low timber cover. In addition,a tree cover section asks countries to report the propor-tions of the exploited forest area in density classes.
The important role played by bamboo in the forest andtimber economies in many Asian countries led to theinclusion for the first time of questions on the area ofbamboo forests and the volume of bamboo removals.
In previous inventories attention was centred on theforests-in-use, the forests which are naturally best docu-mented and for which national forest authorities are ableto provide most detailed information. Yet a number ofquestions were asked about the inaccessible forests. Theresults showed, however, that relatively few countrieswere able to furnish the information requested. In the1958 inventory, therefore, questions on composition,growing stock and increment in inaccessible forests werediscarded, and instead a broad classification into produc-tive and unproductive (as defined earlier) sought. As inthe preceding inventory, countries were asked to indicatethe area which had become accessible in the course ofthe preceding quinquennium, and an estimate of the areaexpected to become accessible in the near future. Thislast question, however, was this time limited to the inac-cessible productive forest, and covered a 10-year, insteadof a 5-year, period.
These changes, too, were designed to elicit more usefulinformation about those categories of forest resourceswhich, on paper, represent potential wood reserves i.e.,the forests presently inaccessible and accessible forestsnot yet in use. For the same reason, in the section relatingto changes in forest area, a question was asked on theestimated area of productive forest which was deemed tohave become unproductive during the preceding quin-quennium.
To throw light on the impact on the forest of shiftingcultivation, widespread in Asia, Africa and Latin America,countries were asked to state separately growth losses dueto this cause.
Finally, the sections of the questionnaire relating tothe wood harvest were elaborated in order to securedata that might help to fill certain evident gaps in presentinformation. Thus not only were particulars sought ofrecorded removals in forests-in-use and from trees out-side the forest, but additionally, estimates were requestedof the volume of removals not recorded in forests in useand also of removals from forests other than those clas-sified as in use. In all cases, the questions related tofellings, losses in logging and transportation, and re-movals not because it was expected that data wouldbe available for each of these headings in every instance,but to serve as a reminder of the distinction betweenfellings (drain on the forest) and removals (wood supply).
6
These would seem to be a fairly formidable list ofchanges, given that the designers of the present inventorywere anxious to retain as far as possible comparabilitywith its predecessors. However, none was lightly in-troduced, and it was the firm belief of those preparingthe questionnaire that each of the changes, the reasonsfor which have just been explained, would improve thequality and usefulness of the information received. Inthe light of experience gathered to date, it would berash to claim that the scope and coverage of this periodicinquiry will not change in the future. Indeed, so long asthe progress in improving national statistics continuesat its present rapid rate, there is something to be gainedfrom retaining a measure of flexibility in the form of thequestionnaire. The argument for comparability is strong;but it cannot be decisive so long as the magnitude ofchanges due to statistical improvement obscures the realchanges which are taking place in the forest. Nationalforest inventories are not as yet sufficiently establishedto warrant casting a periodic world inquiry into adefinite and final shape.
When the results of national inventories are, added to-gether to arrive at regional and world totals, the ensuingfigures are not completely homogeneous. The figuresreported by countries are based on local concepts anddefinitions, adapted to national needs; these may varyconsiderably from country to country. But althoughthe figures differ, they have one thing in common: theyreflect broadly the current view of the national forestryauthorities as to what is utilizable. Examples from thedata for growing stock and for fellings will illustratesome of the differences.
In reporting the volume of growing stock, manycountries include branches and tops but exclude stumps.Out of 102 countries for which growing stock figureswere received, however, 34 exclude all branches andtops, and 34 others exclude branches alone or eitherbranches or tops less than a given diameter. The grow-ing stock estimates of six countries include the volume ofstumps. Finally, some countries report only commercialspecies in their growing stock, or trees above specifieddiameters which vary, for example, from 3 centimetresin Chile to 50 centimetres in Sarawak.
Table 2. Components of growing stock estimates, 1958
a Details not available for 16 countries.
The volume of fellings is of importance in the com-parisons that are made between forest increment, allow-able cut and the timber harvest. Most countries unfor-tunately report only the removals of roundwood, and thefellings cannot easily be derived because of insufficient
Number of countries a
data on logging and transport losses. Only 36 countrieswere able to report fellings and the attendant losses,out of 51 countries that gave some fellings data. Nomeaningful regional fellings could be calculated exceptfor Europe. In the use of fellings and removals figures itmust be remembered that the inclusion or exclusion oftrees of varying diameter, and the differences in thehandling of branches and tops in the statistics result inconsiderable variations in the totals. Furthermore, thebark factor is of considerable importance. Growingstock and increment are usually reported with bark,whereas fellings and removals are without bark. Thereports from countries usually, but not always, indicatedwhether bark is included or excluded. Conversions inwhich a bark factor must be applied are often necessary,and the bark factors used were the percentages reportedby countries, or, where these were lacking, a generalfactor of 10%.
The Response
The foregoing paragraphs have set out the scope ofthe 1958 inquiry, drawing attention to certain changesas compared with the preceding inquiry. It has alsodiscussed some of the features of the data which limitintercountry comparisons. It may also be useful, beforepresenting the results of the inventory in the form of aseries of summary tables, to give, first, an acount ofthe extent to which countries were able to respond tovarious parts of the questionnaire, and, second, a briefexplanation of the way in which the data have beencompiled and presented.
Of the 143 countries that were able to furnish dataon forest area, most could also provide information onownership and removals. More than half could giveestimates of growing stock, but only half, or rather lessthan half, on growth and changes in forest area. Sur-prisingly few countries (51) provided estimates of fellings.Details of the response to the several categories of infor-mation sought are set out in Table 3.
In some instances the relative response was, contraryto expectation, lower than in 1953 for example, onfellings. Some fall in relative response was, of course,to be expected, since the additional countries reportingon this occasion were, in several cases, countries whereforest statistics are at an early stage of development.This, however, fails to explain why fewer countries havefurnished information about afforestation and fellings.A careful scrutiny of the individual replies, however,leads to the following paradoxical conclusion: an increas-ing awareness of the statistical complexities has fre-quently discouraged countries from making estimates.Thus, on fellings, inhibiting factors have been a clearerunderstanding of the distinction between fellings andremovals, and growing awareness of the importance ofunrecorded fellings; and on afforestation, a consciousnessof the fact that private, as distinct from public, afforesta-tion is inadequately recorded. While it is perhaps under-standable that increasing knowledge brings increasingdiffidence a phenomenon by no means confined toforest statistics it is evident that a reasoned guess bythe national forest authority, based on intiniate know-ledge of the forest resource, can provide figures of
Categoryincluding in
estimatesnot includingin estimates
All species 66 20All ages and diameters 57 29Stumps 6 80Tops above merchantable diameter 44 42Branches 17 69Fuelwood 65 21
Table 3. Reports on details of forests resources, 1958
7
undoubted value for incorporation into regional andworld totals. This is a point which will no doubt com-mand particular attention when the next world inquiryis designed.
The information received on the 1958 questionnaires,after scrutiny and in many cases back-checking withthe country, was assembled in the basic tables I to XIwhich form the second half of the present publication.It was possible to fill out these tables in a number ofinstances with other reliable official informationearlier inventory reports, published statistics, etc. Allthis information i.e., appearing in the basic tables isreferred to in the text which follows as " reported data ";the reader will therefore bear in mind that throughoutthe following analysis " reported data" include somefigures not derived directly from the current inventory.
The reported data have been summarized, for theconvenience of the reader, in the series of text tablespresented in the following section. Since, however,coverage is seldom complete, and moreover varies fromregion to region, these summaries of reported data inmany cases fail to provide the reader with the indicationsof regional and world totals he is entitled to expect.Wherever possible, therefore, alongside the reported datahave been presented secretariat estimates of these totals.In preparing these estimates, the secretariat has drawnon a wide variety of information, other than reporteddata, available to it. This information comes frommany sources, is rather scattered and not always precise.
Table 4. Land classification
It consists of reports by field experts, private publications,travel reports, and so forth: in short, information not ofsufficient precision to warrant inclusion in the basictables, but helpful in building up a broad regional andworld picture. Where no indications were available, itwas sometimes possible to argue by analogy from thefacts known about a neighbouring country where forestconditions are similar.
Such regional and world totals as are included, there-fore, in no case result from a simple grossing-up ofreported data on the basis of the percentage coverageindicated; they are built up country by country on thebasis of reported data and a mass of miscellaneousinformation.
The reader will find these secretariat estimates through-out the text which follows, as the different categories ofinformation afforded by the inventory are discussed inturn. For his convenience, the main elements have beenbrought together in the world estimates : tables A, Band C, which conclude the discussion of the results.The salient information is illustrated in six charts (fig. A-F)which precede the text.
Analysis of the ResultsForest areas
The regional distribution of the world's forests issummarized in Table 4.
RegionNumber ofcountriesreporting
Number of countries providing data relating to
Forestarea OwnershiP
Growingstock
Grossincrement
Netgrowth
Allowablecut Fellings Removals
Affores-tation
Lostareas
Europe 26 26 26 25 24 25 24 15 26 21 21U.S.S.R. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1North America . . 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 1 3Central America . . . 20 20 17 10 6 6 3 4 18 3 3South Arnerica . . . 11 11 7 4 3 2 1 1 9 4 4Africa 41 41 39 29 20 19 15 18 39 28 27Asia 28 28 27 24 15 18 14 9 25 17 15Pacific Area 13 13 9 7 3 3 1 2 9 4 4
Total . . . . 143 143 129 102 73 74 59 51 130 77 74
Region
Forests Non-forested
landTotalland
Forestsas % ofland area
Forestsper
caputTotal Accessible Inaccessible
Million hectares % Hectares
Europe 141 138 3 332 473 30 0.3U.S.S R 1 131 1 131 1 103 2 234 51 5.5North America 733 400 333 1 141 1 874 39 3.8Central America 74 55 19 198 272 27 1.4South America 957 277 680 818 1 775 54 7.3Africa 753 380 373 2 225 2 978 25 3.4Asia 520 326 194 2 198 2 718 19 0.3Pacific Area 96 26 70 758 854 11 6.5
Total 4 405 2 733 1 672 8 773 13 178 33 1.6
8
Almost exactly one-third of the earth's land surfaceis under forest; a further 24 % is devoted to permanentagriculture. The remainder, 43 %, consists mainly ofuncultivated land, including brush lands and very sparselytimbered savanna areas. There is a widespread beliefthat non-forested lands not under cultivation are idlelands, having no economic function and representing intheir entirety a potential resource for the extension ofagriculture or of forest. There could be no greatermisconception. These " wild lands " as well as theforests contribute to wood production and play animportant part in preventing soil erosion, regulatingstream flow, affording grazing and sheltering game.The uncultivated, non-forested lands thus frequentlyhave extremely important economic functions and theirvalue may be as great or greater than similar areas offorests managed primarily for timber production. Themanagement of all or part of these uncultivated lands isentrusted in many countries to the forest authorities.
A fourth of the world's forests are located in theU.S.S.R. and over a fifth in South America. These tworegions also have the highest proportion of land areacovered by forest 54 % in South America, 51 % inthe U.S.S.R. The Pacific Area, with 11 %, has the lowestpercentage of forested land. The uneven distribution ofthe world's forests, however, is more evident when con-sidered in relation to the population the forests have toserve. Thus South America at one extreme has 7.3 hec-tares of forest per inhabitant, while at the other, Europeand Asia both have only 0.3 hectares. Since Asia accountsfor 56 % of the world population, the average for theworld as a whole is 1.6 hectares.
About three-fifths of the world forest area is deemedaccessible within reach of exploitation by existingwaterways, roads, railways or other means of transpor-tation.
Though very little forest area remains inaccessible inEurope, 71 % of South American forests are still beyondreach and vast areas remain inaccessible in Africa andAsia. It should be observed, however, that forests inNorth America and the U.S.S.R. are not classified as toaccessibility in the sense used in this inventory. Thefigures included in the table for these two regions shouldtherefore be treated with reserve, as should the worldtotal.
Of the 2.7 billion hectares of forest today physicallywithin reach of exploitation, only slightly over half(1,465 million hectares) is presently in use. Very sub-stantial areas of unexploited but accessible forest remainin South America and Africa, relatively small areas inEurope and the Pacific Area. Noteworthy is the factthat 72 % of Asia's accessible forests is already beingexploited.
There is a tendency to look upon the accessible butstill unexploited areas of forest as the primary reservefrom which rising timber requirements will be met inthe years to come. The suitability of these forests forexploitation depends very largely upon what they contain,and undue concentration on the areas apparently availablecan be misleading. Generally speaking, these forests areless well stocked, and stocked with less desirable species,than those which have already been taken into exploi-
Table 5. Accessible forests
tation. Moreover, in several regions of the world, popula-tion pressure will in the coming years compel the aliena-tion of some of these lands to agriculture. Finally, thiscategory of forest undoubtedly includes considerableareas where exploitation will need to be prohibited orrestricted if their protective functions are not to beimpaired. As will be seen later, many of the forestspresently in use are under-exploited, and it is likely thatefforts will tend to concentrate on securing enhancedyield, improved harvest and better utilization.
Ownership
The inventory provides fairly reliable information onthe ownership of accessible forests. Over three-quartersof the world's accessible forest land is publicly owned,either by the State (64 %) or by other public entities(12 %). Private ownership is most marked in Europe(55 %), South America (45 %) and North America (43 %).
Table 6. Ownership of accessible forests
a Area of accessible forests for which ownership data were reported, dividedby total area of accessible forests.
b Reported countries only.
Some information is also available, though not includedin the above table, on the importance of farm forests.These account for about 55 % of the privately ownedaccessible forest lands in Europe, 45 % in North America,25 % in Asia and about 80 % in Africa. Reports fromSouth America and the Pacific Area are too fragmentary
Reported data Estimated totals
Not NotRegion Total In use ex-
ploitedTotal In use ex-
ploited
Million hectares
Europe 138 135 3 138 135 3U.S.S R 1 131 459 672 1 131 459 672North America . . 400 400 400 400Central America . . 53 12 41 55 14 41South America . 277 76 201 277 76 201Africa 339 106 233 380 125 255Asia 313 229 84 326 236 90Pacific Area . . . . 25 20 5 25 20 5
RegionCoverage a
Forms of ownership b
Stateforests
Otherpublicforests
Privateforests
Per cent
Europe 100 33 12 55U.S.S R 100 95 5Noth America 100 18 39 43Central America . 23 50 10 40South America 88 55 45Africa 89 65 21 14Asia 96 84 9 7Pacific Area 99 59 1 40
Total 95 64 12 24
to provide a good picture of farm forest area in theseregions.
In reporting on the 1953 inventory it was observed that"in the less developed regions, especially in the remoterareas, considerable tracts of forest are unmapped, unsur-veyed, and without established titles. Recognition oftitles in the forest is a corollary of growing consciousness,public and private, of the extent and value of these re-sources; it is often a precursor of, and usually a prere-quisite for, extended forest administration ". There issome evidence to show that in these less developed regions
particularly in countries which have recently achievedindependence as determination of titles proceeds thereis an increasing disposition to establish public titles toforest land. This evidence is derived from a scrutiny ofindividual returns. In any comparison of the aggregatetables for this and the preceding inventory, changes inownership are overshadowed by the substantially greaterareas of forest revealed by recent inventories in countrieswith planned economies, where public ownership isgeneral.
Many countries provided information about the areaof forest owned by industrial enterprises. Table 7lists those countries where industrially owned forests
Table 7. Selected data relating to forestsowned by industrial enterprises
o The figures in this table are world estimates. Separate figures for reporteddata only are not given, because they cover all but 31 million hectares of theforests in use.
b Area of forests in use for which composition data were reported, divided bytotal area of forests in use.
Table 8. Composition of forests in use a
9
cover a substantial area (over 250 thousand hectares) orrepresent a substantial proportion (over 25 %) of allprivately owned forest.
Of the countries which reported this information, 34were able to distinguish between forest owned by indus-trial enterprises operating wood-using plants and thatowned by other industrial enterprises. Of the 14 5 millionhectares so distinguished, 10 4 million hectares, or 72 %,are owned by forest industries. Not surprisingly, it is inthe countries where forest industries are highly developedthat steps have been taken by industry to control its ownwood supply. Some of the figures returned include, infact, plantations established by industry. It will beinteresting to see whether the next inventory confirms thegeneral impression that there is a marked upward trendin this category of ownership, since this is bound to havean impact on the level of management. As is well known,many important forest industry enterprises today aresetting a good example in management practice. It ismuch more difficult to ensure that sound principles offorestry are applied in the many millions of small privateforest holdings, some information about which was pre-sented in the report on the 1953 inventory, but extensionwork among farm forest owners is now regarded by manynational forest authorities as one of their most importanttasks.
Distribution of forest types
The composition of the world's exploited forests issummarized in Table 8. Taking account of the conifersincluded in the mixed forests, more than half the forestarea today exploited consists of coniferous species. Theseare largely concentrated in the cool temperature zones ofthe northern hemisphere, so that the U.S.S.R., NorthAmerica and Europe account for 92 % of all coniferousforest under exploitation.
The exploited broadleaved stands are more evenlydistributed, though it is striking that the three afore-mentioned regions, where the broadleaved stands consistalmost entirely of temperate hardwoods, account for asmuch as 300 million hectares, or 42 %, of all hardwoodstands exploited. Of the vast areas of tropical broadleaved
o Mixedwoods and open areas are often included in the area of pure conifersand non-conifers. The total figures for pure stands are therefore overstatedand those for mixedwoods and open areas understated.
d Includes a reported allowance for conifers in mixed stands.
RegionCOVerageb Total 1 Conifers 1 Non-conifers 1 Mixedwoods o I Open areas o % conifers d
% Million hectares %
Europe 100 135 72 49 10 4 59U.S.S R 100 459 ( 362 97 ) 79North Arnerica 100 400 188 102 70 40 55Central America 78 14 ( 4 10 ) 29South Arnerica 99 76 7 61 4 4 11Africa 85 125 ( 2 122 1 ) 2Asia 97 236 38 185 7 6 17Pacific Area 99 20 ( 4 15 1 ) 22
Total 98 1 465 677 641 93 54 54
Country 1,000 hectares % of all privateforests
Ivory Coast 300 100Tanganyika 259 100Guatemala 960 79Colombia 2 800 74Dominican Republic 423 70Madagascar 550 55Canada 4 699 39Sweden 5 620 33United States 25 246 17Norway 716 12Finland 1 644 11Japan 794 6Spain 450 3
10
forest in Central and South America, Africa and Asia(over 2,000 million hectares according to an estimate givenlater in this report) only one-sixth are regularly yieldingtimber or other forest products.
The data reported do not make possible an assessmentof the area of forest under bamboo, a forest product whichplays an important role in many Asian and some LatinAmerican countries. Some particulars are given in afootnote to table lila, but these clearly relate in mostcases only to those bamboo stands which can readily bedistinguished and do not include the considerable areaswithin the forest where bamboo has taken possessionfollowing exploitation and shifting cultivation.
Table 8 gives a fairly complete picture of the compo-sition of the exploited forests. The composition of thetotal world forest area (including accessible forests notyet exploited and forests still inaccessible) is very different.In table A (immediately following the text of this report)an attempt has been made to estimate the compositionof all the world forest area. It shows that 46 % of theworld's coniferous stands have been brought into use,but only 26 % of the broadleaved forest, tropical andtemperate, is as yet under exploitation. Whereas coni-ferous forests represent 37 % of all the world's forests,they account for 52 % of the forests which have so farbeen brought under exploitation.
The reasons why the coniferous forests have so farbeen brought more effectively into use are well knownand need not be repeated here. It is perhaps worth while,however, to stress once again the danger of attaching toomuch importance to forest area and failing to take intoaccount sufficiently the quality of the forests. This willbecome clear later in this report, when data concerninggrowing stock and density of tree cover are discussed.
Forest management
The progress made in prescribing areas to be maintainedpermanently under forest, the extent to which forestareas are managed with working plans, and the qualityof cutting practices reported, all afford important indi-cations of certain aspects of forest management.
The designation of land which it is intended to maintainpermanently as forest is an important first step towardsrational management of the forest. It constitutes a recog-nition of the need for a permanent forest area, it mayinvolve a careful assessment of future forest needs, for
Table 9. Permanent forests
productive and protective purposes, and it indicates thearea within which management efforts will be concen-trated. A number of countries reported in 1958 thatfailed to report in 1953, and several countries reportingin both inquiries were able to record substantial progress.If it is assumed, as would seem reasonable, that certaincountries which reported in 1953 and failed to do so in1958 had no change to report, the data summarized inTable 9 afford a clear indication of considerable progressmade during the quinquennium.
Each region has some progress to report, even Africa,where the area reserved would seem to have diminished.This diminution is purely a statistical one, arising fromthe revised definition of forested land; this has excludedfrom the 1958 figures considerable areas of savanna landwhere the density of tree cover was less than 0.05. Thefact of progress becomes clearer if for the several regionsare listed only those countries which specifically reportedchanges between 1953 and 1958.
Table 10. Changes in area of permanent forests in selected countriesbetween 1953 and 1958
RegionCountriesreportingchanges
1953
Permanent forests
1958
,000 hectares
Increasein area
This selection also omits those countries where therevised definition of forested land has had a seriousimpact on the statistics. The figures are thus strictlycomparable and afford evidence of a gratifying increasein the area designated as permanent forest.
Considerable progress has also been made in estab-lishing working plans, though the somewhat differentcoverage of the returns under this heading in the 1953and 1958 inventories requires caution in drawing com-parisons. Information is summarized for the two inven-tories in Table 11.
Coverage on this question has improved in Europe,and there would appear to have been a distinct increasein the area managed with working plans. There has beena slight increase also in North America (the figures hererelate only to Canada); the sharp fall in the percentagearea under plans arises, it should be noted, from a revisedinterpretation of forests-in-use. Little or no change isrecorded in South America, Africa and the Pacific Area,but a very substantial advance in Asia, where the areaunder working plans has been notably extended in Burma,India, Japan and Thailand. For the first time, informationis available for the U.S.S.R., where close on half of the636 million hectares of national forests (Goslesfond) aremanaged with vvorking plans.
Europe 10 13 119 13 877 758Central America . 2 147 1 906 1 759South America 1 140 3 496 3 356Africa 8 9 874 25 027 15 153Asia 11 30 131 40 080 9 949Pacific Area . . 3 7 378 8 173 795
Total. 35 60 789 92 559 31 770
RegionCountriesreporting
Totalarea Countries
reporting
Totalarea
1,000 hectares 1,000 hectares
Europe 27 123 290 27 124 030Central America . 11 690 13 4 325South America 5 540 9 151 970Africa 16 80 750 31 54 320Asia 20 84 560 25 122 240Pacific Area . . 6 7 810 7 8 610
Total. 85 297 640 112 465 495
1953 1958
Table 11. Management status in forests in use
Table 12 affords an interesting summary of how nationalforest authorities viewed prevailing cutting practices intheir countries in 1953 and 1958. Inevitably these arefigures which will not bear comparison from country tocountry, between regions, or even over time, since viewsas to what constitutes good cutting practice arc evidentlya matter of opinion. Even so, an " opinion poll " onsuch an important subject is not without interest. Cover-age is roughly the same in both inventories, and it isevident (unless national standards have undergone im-
It is perhaps significant that although the forest landarea under working plans has increased in the past quin-quennium, the quality of cutting in many countries haschanged very little, although some overall improvementis recorded. Of the countries which were able to reportan increase in the area under working plans, relativelyfew were able to report an improvement in cutting prac-tices. Any conclusions drawn from these indicationsmust, of course, be subject to the reservation that criteriafor judging the quality of cutting may have changed andthat the statistics of the area under working plans mayhave improved. Nevertheless, foresters will undoubtedlyagree that much remains to be done in improving the
Table 12. Cutting practices in forests in use
a Area of Forests in use for which data concerning cutting practices were reported, d'vided by total area of forests in use.
a Area of forests in use for which data concerning management status were reported, divided by total area of forests in use.b Area of national forest fund (Goslesfond).
11
portant changes in the intervening years) that, in theview of those submitting the reports, no significantimprovement has been effected. A reasonably high pro-portion of good cutting practices are held to prevail inEurope, North America (in this case the figure relatesto the U.S.A. only) and the Pacific Area. Elsewhere goodcutting practices are deemed the exception rather thanthe rule. Those authorities which report a high prevalenceof poor or destructive cutting practices have clearly con-cern for the future of the forest crop.
management of the forests in all regions. For this im-provement a necessary first step may be the drawing upof working plans, but even more important is the prac-tical application of the measures outlined in the plan, thepractice of forestry on the ground. The high prevalenceof cutting practices deemed poor and destructive is ameasure of the task confronting foresters.
Many more countries 95 in all, representing 37of the total area of exploited forests have reported onthe silvicultural system in force. Of the total forest areareported, coppice occupies 7 %, and is particularlyimportant in Southern Europe, Central America andAfrica. Coppice with standards comprises 5 %, and the
Region
1953 inventory 1958 inventory
Coverage a I Good I Fair I Poor Coverage a Good I Fair I Poor
Percentage Percentage
Europe 76 60 35 5 95 60 35 5North America .. .. .. .. 53 65 25 10Central America 4 41 55 75 10 20 70South America 1 99 / 8 33 59 89 10 20 70Africa 87 10 30 60 75 15 35 50Asia 90 25 50 25 82 30 55 15Pacific Area 94 60 15 25 96 60 15 25
Total 50 25 35 40 49 40 35 25
Region Coverage Managed with working plans Other Coverage a Managed with working plansOther
Millionhectares
Millionhectares
Millionhectares
Millionhectares
Europe 76 41 42 58 97 66 50 65U.S.S R 100 312 49 324North America 36 54. 31 47 40 22 146Central AmericaSouth America 99 /
52
263
1363
7697
23
174
971
Africa 87 12 13 82 78 16 16 81Asia 90 52 25 157 81 100 49 104Pacific Area 94 9 54 7 97 9 47 10
Total 50 157 27 411 80 548 40 810
1953 inventory 1958 inventory
12
remainder 88 % high forest. Coppice yields mainlyfuelwood and wood for charcoal burning, but can alsoprovide poles, posts, fencing material and the like, aswell as tanning bark and fodder. Coppice with standardsalso yields a low percentage of industrial wood, thoughit has naturally a proportion of larger-dimensionedmaterial. The highest yield of industrial wood, however,comes from the high forest, and this accounts for thewidespread, though by no means universal, trend towardsthe gradual conversion of coppice to high forest. Notuniversal, because there are conditions where coppice isthe most appropriate system, by virtue of the assortmentsit yields and the foliage fodder it provides.
The process of conversion is, of course, a slow one,and a comparison of the reported figures with those ofthe earlier inventory does not allow of any general con-clusions, since statistical improvements have largelyobscured the slow changes which are taking place. Theseare evidenced, however, in the data for one or two Euro-pean countries (included in table III b) which havemaintained accurate statistics of forest under differentsilvicultural systems for many years.
Growing stock in forests-in-use
The five years which have passed since the last worldforest inventory have undoubtedly seen more activity inassessing the contents of the forest than any previousquinquenniurn. Up to 1953, in many of the advancedcountries, the first post-war national inventories wereonly just getting into their stride. Since then substantialprogress has been made, and most countries in Europeare now able to make a fairly reliable estimate of theirgrowing stock. The same is true for North America andthe U.S.S.R. Over the same period, many of the countriesin Asia, Africa and Latin America have been able, oftenusing modern inventory methods and obtaining technicalguidance from overseas, to ascertain with more precisionthe growing stock on at least part of their exploited forest,thus widening and improving the basis for estimates ofgrowing stock in all forests-in-use. The new informationwhich has come to light during this period has broughtwith it some drastic revisions of earlier estimates. Howdrastic may be seen from the comparative figures set outin Table 13.
Table 13. ChNrwing stock per hectare in forests in use
a Area of forests in use for which data concerning growing stock were reported, divided by total area of forests in use.
From this table (which includes reported figures only) itwill be seen that coverage has improved in Europe and thatthe most recent information available indicates a ratherhigher growing stock per hectare, for conifers and in total,than was reported in 1953. The data for the U.S.S.R.(which relate, actually, to the State Forest Fund Gos-lesfond and thus do not cover all exploited forests)incorporate the results of the national forest inventorywhich has been proceeding rapidly in recent years. InNorth America earlier estimates of growing stock havebeen revised sharply upwards ; the figures for Canadarelate to accessible productive forests and those for theU.S.A. to all productive forests. For Latin America thefigures show no substantial change, though it will be notedthat coverage is low in both years. Africa shows themost drastic change, and this calls for some explanation.First, it will be noted that coverage has fallen somewhat;this stems from the rejection of some earlier figures whichhave proved, on closer investigation, to be excessivelyoptimistic. Second, a number of countries which pre-viously made estimates of total growing stock (all species)on the basis of rather tenuous data, have now submittedrather more precise data covering commercial species only.It is in this region, in fact, that the exclusions from thegrowing stock estimates (non-commercial species, treesbelow a certain diameter) loom largest, and the infor-mation available is unfortunately insufficient to allow ofany grossing up to a total (all species, all diameters) basis.This very important reservation which also applies,though with less weight, to Asia and Latin America alsoshould be kept firmly in mind in interpreting the summarytables which follow. In Asia, where coverage was highin both years, new data have raised the earlier estimatefor conifers ; the lower figure for non-conifers is largelydue to classification changes, notably the exclusion ofnon-commercial species from the estimates for Thailand.
If the reported data on growing stock are taken asstarting point, and such assumptions as seem reasonableare made about the growing stock per hectare in non-reporting countries, it is possible to build up a tentativepicture of growing stock in all the world's exploited forests.This is done in Table 14.
Total growing stock in all the world's exploited forestsis thus now estimated at 156 million m3, as against
Region
1953 1958
Coverage . Total 1 Conifers 1 Non-conifers Coverage . Total Conifers I Non-conifers
% in' with bark % re with bark
Europe 80 75 80 70 96 80 90 70U.S.S R 100 95 100 65 100 152 168 91North America 100 70 80 55 100 100 135 60Central America 130 145 120 24 85 65 100South America 1 33 i 120 270 115 20 125 170 120Africa 74 75 40 75 71 25 45 20Asia 91 100 90 105 96 90 110 90Pacific Area 95 55 75 55 97 65 50 70
Total .. 85 95 75 92 110 145 70
a Area of forests in use for which data concerning groveng stock were reported, divided by total area of forests in use.
101 million m3 estimated on the basis of the results ofthe last world inventory. This tentative estimate, it willbe remembered, excludes for very many countriestrees below certain diameters and species deemed withoutpresent commercial value. The increase as comparedwith the last inventory is partly due to changes in classi-fication which have led to the reporting of greater areasof forest as "in use ", partly to a definite extension ofthe area of forest under exploitation, and partly to higherestimates of standing timber per hectare flowing fromthe most recent inventory information.
It will be recalled that in 1958, for the first time,countries were asked to report on the density of treecover in their exploited forests. It was believed that thisquestion might throw much needed light on the characterof the forests presently taken into exploitation in thedifferent regions of the world. The response to thisquestion was far from complete, but the following table,summarizing the data reported, affords some interestingnew indications :
Table 15. Estimated density in forests in use
a Area of forests in use for which data concerning density were reported, dividedby total area of forests in use.
These figures should not, of course, be interpretedwithout discrimination. A low tree cover may reflect atemporary phase in the evolution of a forest adequatelystocked. Such areas, however, represent a fairly smallproportion of the total area of forests-in-use reported onunder this heading. The table reveals that in Europe,
Table 14. Growing stock in forests in use
13
where response to this question has been good, there isa surprisingly high proportion of forest with poor oronly fair tree cover, when it is borne in mind that itis in this region that management is most intense. InAfrica, where data are available for over half the exploitedforests, only one-sixth of the forest area is regarded ashaving good tree cover. The data for other regions aretoo sparse to permit of generalizations ; even so, therelatively high proportion of reported forests in allregions described as of poor or nil density points to thedanger of assuming that all forests so far taken intoexploitation are necessarily rich in content.
Do the data assembled in this inventory permit arough assessment of the timber content of all the world'sforests, including the accessible forests not yet underexploitation and the vast area of forest so far inaccessible?Evidently this is a very cavalier operation, but piecingtogether the various indications afforded by the inven-tory, and taking into account the views (reported later)of national forest authorities concerning the proportionof the still inaccessible areas which may prove to be pro-ductive, one can hazard the guess it is no more thana guess that the volume of growing timber in theworld today is of the order of 320 thousand million m3.
Growth and allowable cut in forests-in-use
The coverage of the reported data on gross incrementshown in table 16 is less than in the 1953 Inventory inEurope, the Americas and Asia. Somewhat better returnswere received from Africa and the Pacific Area.
Insufficient information on losses (fire, shifting culti-vation, insect, fungus, etc.) was reported to allow mean-ingful estimates of net growth by regions. Such estimatesas were reported indicate that the magnitude of theselosses ranges from a low of about 3 % of the grossincrement in Europe to a high of about 48% in thePacific Area.
The reported data, with such other information as wasavailable, were used to estimate the regional and worldgross increment shown in Table 16. These estimates arenecessarily rough when forestry authorities arereluctant to make estimates for a single country it
Region
Reported data Estimated totals
Coverage a Total Conifers coNnc4.1e-rs Total Conifers corsinMs Total Conifers colsinci'fne-rs
% Mill on m. will, bark m. per hectar
Europe 96 10 330 6 950 3 380 10 780 7 120 3 660 80 90 65U.S.S R 100 69 847 61 043 8 804 69 847 61 043 8 804 152 168 91North America . 100 36 640 27 140 9 500 36 640 27 140 9 500 100 135 60Central America . . . 24 330 110 220 1 080 330 750 80 85 80South America 20 1 560 160 1 400 8 300 1 060 7 240 115 135 110Africa 71 2 080 50 2 030 5 620 70 5 550 45 30 45Asia 96 21 210 4 470 16 740 22 020 4 620 17 400 100 120 95Pacific Area 97 1 290 220 1 070 1 320 220 1 100 65 50 70
Total 92 143 290 100 140 43 150 155 610 101 600 54 010 110 145 80
RegionCoverage a Good Med-.
1L1MPoor None
Percentage
Europe 86 47 36 13 4Central America . . . 24 47 29 18 6South America . . . 16 51 33 15 1Africa 54 17 39 36 8Asia 28 32 48 16 4Pacific Area 6 22 49 29
14
Table 16. - Growth in forests in use
a Area of forests in use for which data for gross increment, losses and net growth were reported, divided by total area of forest in use.
obviously takes courage to make estimates for a wholeregion. Nevertheless, the gross increment figures werebuilt up country by country and aggregated for theregions. The results reflect the changes countries havemade in their growing stock estimates, which werediscussed in a previous section, and also changes stem-ming from new data compiled in many countries, forexample in the U.S.S.R. and the countries of NorthAmerica.
A comparison of the present estimates with the figuresin the 1953 Inventory shows small increases in the volumeof annual growth in Europe, the two Latin Americanregions and the Pacific
