EuropeanEuropean Forest Forest TypesTypesTestingTesting the the operationalityoperationality of the of the classificationclassification

Anna BarbatiAnna BarbatiItalianItalian AcademyAcademy of Forest of Forest SciencesSciences & University of & University of TusciaTuscia

““Workshop on Pan Workshop on Pan EuropeanEuropean understandingunderstanding of forest of forest classificationclassification””1313--15 15 NovemberNovember, , BledBled, Slovenia, Slovenia

possiblepossible concernsconcerns on the on the new system of forest new system of forest

typestypes

• The system shows a considerable potential toimprove the quality of information (benefit)

but …• it requires an increased

effort of data elaboration(cost)

1 < 1 < categoriescategories <14<14vsvs

3 3 classesclasses

future MCPFE Reports on the State of Europe’s Forest

• the shift to the new system of forest typesimplies the elaboration of a cross-reference matrixto stratify and processnational data (NFIs, etc.), available in differentclasses than requested, into the proposedcategories

CrossCross--referencereference matrixmatrix

future MCPFE Reports on the State of Europe’s Forest

TestingTesting the the operationalityoperationality of the of the classificationclassification

• In the framework of the COST Action E-43 Harmonisation of National Inventories in Europe: Techniques for Common Reporting correspondents of National Forest Inventories (NFIs) of European countries were asked through a questionnarie to evaluate possibilities of reclassification of national data to the proposed European Forest Types

• In the context of the Forest Focus projects Forest Biotaand Forest BioSoil, both concerned with the operational assessment of forest biodiversity indicators on ICP-Level I and ICP-Level II plots, respectively the classification was applied to stratify ICP plots in order to optimize the reporting of biodiversity indicators

COST Action ECOST Action E--43 Harmonisation of 43 Harmonisation of National Inventories in Europe: National Inventories in Europe:

Techniques for Common ReportingTechniques for Common Reporting

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20 countries answered the questionnaire20 countries answered the questionnaire

• Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

ExistingExisting FTsFTs schemesschemes withinwithin NFIsNFIs

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

NO

YES

14

6

5

3

3

2

2

2

1

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

TREE SPECIES

SITE TYPE

CLIMATIC CONDITIONS, BIOGEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS AND ALTITUDE

PHYTOSOCIOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES

SOIL CONDITIONS AND FERTILITY

MANAGEMENT

ECONOMY

ADMINISTRATIVE (PROPERTY)

AGE

Number of countries

ParametersParameters are are usedused toto classifyclassify forest forest typestypes

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

REAL

REAL AND POTENTIAL

POTENTIAL

The forest The forest typetype classificationclassification isis basedbased ononrealreal or or potentialpotential vegetationvegetation??

0 5 10 15 20

NO

YES

Can Can youyou linklink youryour nationalnational data data toto EuropeanEuropean Forest Forest TypeType

the shift to the proposed European Forest Typesis regarded as feasible for most

countries included in the COST E-43 survey

ExampleExample of of crosscross--referencereference matrixmatrixItalyItaly

• In the ongoing Italian National Forest Inventory about 30.000 ground plots are classified and stratified according to a national forest types classification basedon 20 classes grounded on forest physiognomy; 3 classes correspond toforest plantations

CrossCross--referencereference matrixmatrix

Italian NFIs forest types

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 141 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

14 first 14 first levellevel classesclasses ((CATEGORIESCATEGORIES))

75 75 secondsecond levellevel classesclasses ((TYPESTYPES))

Cross-reference at the type level

14. Maple, lime5.8 Ravine and slope forest

8. Beech, fir7.3 Apennine-Corsican montane beech forests

7. Montane beech forest

8. Beech6.3 Subatlantic submontane beech forests

6. Beech forest

12. Horn-beam5.2 Sessile oak-hornbeam forest5. Mesophytic deciduos forest

9. Sessile oak, Peduncolate oak 4.1 Acidophilous oak-dominated (Q. petraea, Q. robur)

4. Acidophilous oak and oak birch forest

5. Black pine

4. Scots pine3.3 Scots pine and Black pine forests

3. Fir

2. Spruce 3.2 Subalpine and montane spruce and montane mixed spruce-fir mixed forests

4. Mountain pine

1. Larch, Arolla 3.1 Subalpine larch-arolla pine and dwarf pine forests

3. Alpine coniferous forest

CLASS (code). Dominant speciesTYPECATEGORY

EUROPEAN FOREST TYPES ITALIAN NFI FOREST TYPES

by field survey plots are assigned to NFI forest types

dominant species&

basic ecological information

STRATIFICATION OF NFIsplots by categories

European Forest Types

nomenclature+ key

17. Olive-carob9.2 Olive-carob forest

17. Kermes oak

16. Cork-oak

9.1 Mediterranean evergreen oak forest

9. Broadleaved evergreen forest

7. Cypress10.8 Cypress forest

5. Bosnian pine

5. Corsican pine

5. Austrian pine10.2 Mediterranean and Anatolian Black pine forest

6. Aleppo pine

6. Stone pine

6. Maritime pine10.1 Mediterranean pine forest10. Coniferous forest of the Mediterranean, Anatolian and Macaronesian regions

17. Laurel, holly, yew

15. Holm-oak

9.5 Other sclerophlyllous forests

14. Cercis siliquastrum

12. Hop-hornbeam, Oriental horn-beam

8.9 Other thermophilous deciduous forests

11. Chestnut8.7 Chestnut forests

10. Valonia oak8.6 Valonia oak forest

10. Macedonian oak8.5 Macedonian oak forest

10. Turkey oak, Hungarian oak 8.2 Turkey oak, Hungarian oak and sessile oak forest

9. Downy oak8.1 Downy oak forests8. Thermophilous deciduous forest

CLASS (code). Dominant speciesTYPECATEGORY

EUROPEAN FOREST TYPES ITALIAN NFI FOREST TYPES

19. Plantations of Eucalyptus

14.2 Plantations of not-site-native species and self-sown exotic forest

14. Plantatations and self-sown exotic forest

20. Plantations of Pseudotsuga menziesii or Pinus radiata or of otherexotic conifers

18. Plantation of Popolus clones

14. Self-sown stands of Robinia pseudoacacia, Ailanthus altissima

20. Plantations of native conifers

19. Plantations of native broadleaves (e.g. cherry, walnut)

14.1 Plantation of site-native species

14. Birch13.4 Southern boreal birch forest

14. Italian alder13.2 Italian Alder forest13. Non-riverine alder, birch or aspen forest

13. Plane tree12.3 Mediterranean and Macaronesian riparian forest

13. Willow12.1 Riparian forest

13. Aspen12.1/2 Riparian/fluvial forest

13. Alders12.1/2 Riparian/fluvial forest12. Floodplain forest

CLASS (code). Dominant speciesTYPECATEGORY

EUROPEAN FOREST TYPES ITALIAN NFI FOREST TYPES

ITALY = 11 categories for MCPFE reporting

Plantation identificationExpert local knowledgeAfforestation/reforestation

Even-aged structureRegular horizontal pattern

Intensive forest management

Plantations or forests ofexotic species?

(1)

14.Plantations and self-sown exotic forest

Dominant tree types(3)

Coniferous(go to key 1)

Broadleaveddeciduos

(go to key 2)

Broadleavedevergreen

(go to key 3)

Mixed(go to key 4)

Yes

No

Plantations of site-nativespecies?

(2)

Yes

14.1Plantations of site-

native species

No

14.2Plantations of not-site-

native species andself-sown exotic forest

Key 0. Criteria for Category 14. Plantations and self-sownexotic forest and related forest types(number) refers to explanatory notes (see following page).

Ideally, the area of forest plantations should bederived from statistically designed forest inventories/surveys which can provide a reliableestimate of afforestated/reforested areas as well asspecies composition, volume and age class distribution

Unfortunately such information is not always availableEuropean countries, and in most cases the forest plantation area is based on official statistics (e.g. planted areas reported by planting agencies) and conjecture (over/under-estimation)

14. Plantations and self-sown exotic forestClass definition The class covers forest plantations (sensu MCPFE indicator 4.3) and self-sown stands of exotic species. Forest plantations are stands established by planting or/and seeding in the process of afforestation or reforestation; they are intensively managed stands (e.g. short rotation forestry) that meet all the following criteria: one or two species at plantation, even aged, regular spacing, systematic thinning regimes.

Tips for the assesmentNationalNational checklist of florachecklist of floraIn which part of the country a given tree species is regarded as spontaneousand where is introduced ?

14.2 Plantation of not-site-nativespeciesand self-sown exotic forest

Reliable identification of reforested/afforested areas

(regional forest maps, national or regional forest services data on planted areas, satellite imagery-

based periodical forest cover assessments)+

Evidence of plantation-like structureand high intensity of forest management

(from NFIs field survey)

14.1 Plantation of site-nativespecies

Stratification of ICP Level I and Level II Stratification of ICP Level I and Level II plotsplots

byby CategoriesCategories

LevelLevel I I plotsplots

Extensive network of observation points ~ 6,000 (16 x 16km)

BBioioSSoiloil Forest Biodiversity MonitoringForest Biodiversity Monitoring

LevelLevel II II plotsplots

Intensive network of observation points ~ 900

Forest Biodiversity MonitoringForest Biodiversity Monitoring

StratificationStratification of ICP of ICP plotsplots bybyEuropeanEuropean Forest Forest TypesTypes

• Data sources- ICP Level I & II databases: tree species

composition (dbh data only for Level II) + ecological information of forest site (e.g. climate, elevation, soil type)

- General Map of Natural Vegetation of Europe (Bohn et al., 2000)

- Atlas Florae Europaeae- European rivers map

• Number of species

•Biogeographic region

•dominant species• ICP level I derived from species frequency• ICP level II derived from basal area

•Climate•soil•elevation•river proximity(buffer 1 km)

•Bohn potential forest type

Natural range of distributionof the tree species

12. Floodplain forest

General Map of Natural Vegetation of Europe

to assess the coherence of forest physignomy with natural vegetatione.g. ICP plots dominated by native conifers falling in areas

characterized by a natural dominance of broadleaved or mixed forest,are, for sure, replacement vegetation

though not necessarily forest plantations

DIGITAL NON GEOREFERENCED DB showing the natural range of distribution of European vascularplants

Broad delineation of areas of native occurence of the trees native to EuropePlots dominated by the species falling outsidetheir natural range are assigned to plantations(not-site-native plantation)

ClassificationClassification of ICP of ICP LevelLevel I I plotsplots

ICP ICP levellevel I I plotsplotsbyby categoriescategories

• The test does not provide exact statistics of the relative frequency of the categories country level (reliably derived only from country NFIs data)

• but, it gives a reasonable idea of the possible increase in the MCPFE reporting burden; the number of categories at country level is on average 6 and ranges from 1 to 12

Italy:ICP categories = 9vsNFIs categories = 11

ICP ICP LevelLevel II database: DB INCREMENT PERIODIC II database: DB INCREMENT PERIODIC (619/900 (619/900 plotsplots))

• COUNTRY

• PLOT NUMBER

• YEAR OF ASSESMENT

• TREE NUMBER

• SPECIES CODE

• DBH

DominantDominant treetree speciesspecies identifiedidentified on on basalbasal areaarea

ICP ICP LevelLevel II II plotsplotsbyby categoriescategories

There is a considerable potential to improve the quality of information collected in ICP monitoring network by applying the proposed categories to stratify ICP plots

improved data evaluation, understanding and improved data evaluation, understanding and reportingreporting

… to answer concernsregarding implementation

• the elaboration of a cross-reference matrix to stratify and process national data (NFIs, etc.) according to Categoriesis regarded as feasible formany countries

• the effort required to cross-link national classes greatly dependson the design of the national forest type schemes (e.g. use of potential vs real vegetation; discriminationof forest plantations)

makingcalculations

Data on MCPFE indicators reported by

categories

• if, with time, the Categories and Typesidentification will beintegrated in NFIs fieldsurvey activities…

CrossCross--referencereference matrixmatrix

ThankThank youyou forfor youryourattentionattention!!

Anna BarbatiAnna BarbatiItalianItalian AcademyAcademy of Forest of Forest SciencesSciences & University of & University of TusciaTuscia

barbati.sisfor@unitus.itbarbati.sisfor@unitus.it