Misplaced Pages

#907092

52-411: FRA reports the extent of the world's forest area as well as other variables, including forest growing stock, biomass and carbon, forest designation and management, forest ownership and management rights, forest disturbances, forest policy and legislation, employment education and non-timber forest products . FAO's Global Forest Resources Assessments provide a comprehensive view of the world's forests and

104-508: A free content work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO ( license statement/permission ). Text taken from The State of the World’s Forests 2020. Forests, biodiversity and people – In brief​ , FAO & UNEP, FAO & UNEP. Canopy (biology) In biology , the canopy is the aboveground portion of a plant cropping or crop , formed by the collection of individual plant crowns . In forest ecology ,

156-402: A canopy cover of 5-10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ; or with a combined cover of shrubs, bushes and trees above 10 percent. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use." The FAO definition of other land is, "All land that is not classified as 'Forest' or 'Other wooded land'." For the purpose of reporting to FRA, the “Other land”

208-426: A data storage site. It also provides countries that do not have forestry inventory and monitoring systems a tool to consistently interpolate or extrapolate forestry figures. Since 1990, FRA has used remote sensing to complement the information collected through the country reporting process with global and regional analyses of the world's forest resources. With better access to a growing archive of satellite imagery and

260-454: A desk study, FAO experts rely on previously published country reports as well as on other recently published reports and spatial datasets. In some cases, complementary remote sensing-based analysis is implemented as an additional data source. The most recent assessment, FRA 2020, examined the status of, and trends in, more than 60 forest-related variables in 236 countries and territories in the period 1990–2020. The assessment showed that although

312-549: A few feet. Dominant and co-dominant canopy trees form the uneven canopy layer. Canopy trees are able to photosynthesize relatively rapidly with abundant light, so it supports the majority of primary productivity in forests. The canopy layer provides protection from strong winds and storms while also intercepting sunlight and precipitation, leading to a relatively sparsely vegetated understory layer. Forest canopies are home to unique flora and fauna not found in other layers of forests. The highest terrestrial biodiversity resides in

364-628: A forest is, "Land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use ." The definition excludes tree stands in agricultural production systems, such as fruit tree plantations, oil palm plantations, olive orchards, and agroforestry systems when crops are grown under tree cover . The FAO definition of other wooded land is, "Land not classified as 'Forest', spanning more than 0.5 hectares; with trees higher than 5 meters and

416-550: A global scale, FAO estimates that NWFPs generated US$ 88 billion in 2011. Some 80 percent of the population of the developing world use NWFPs, mostly plant-based, for health. The value of forest foods as a nutritional resource is not limited to low- and middle-income countries; more than 100 million people in the European Union (EU) regularly consume wild food. Land conversion, pollution and overharvesting threaten wild species and collectors' lives and livelihoods in many regions of

468-450: A livelihood option for rural household needs, and finally, as a key component of sustainable forest management and conservation strategies. These perspectives promote forest products as valuable commodities and important tools that can promote the conservation of forests. In some contexts, the gathering and use of NTFPs can be a mechanism for poverty alleviation and local development. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates text from

520-542: A regular basis during this period where they stay for 2–3 days during which 5–6 kg of berries are collected. A kilogram of dried berries (2–3 days of sun-dry) is sold for $ 1.50. The next comes bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and vegetable collection that goes through to February. The minority people in Sa Pa area depends mainly on a variety of NTFPs for their livelihoods. Among the products collected are fruits, berries, leaves, mushrooms, fish, bees honey, bamboo shoots, wild orchids and

572-453: A result, users should always reference the latest assessment to source information. The Millennium Development Goals consisted of eight international development goals for 2015. Goal 7 of the MDGs was to “ensure environmental sustainability” and part of Target 7B was to “reduce biodiversity loss” in terms of forests. FRA was responsible for reporting the proportion of land area covered by forest to

SECTION 10

#1732844497908

624-454: A role in modifying the internal environment of the forest by acting as a buffer for incoming light, wind, and temperature fluctuations. The forest canopy layer supports a diverse range of flora and fauna. It has been dubbed "the last biotic frontier" as it provides a habitat that has allowed for the evolution of countless species of plants, microorganisms, invertebrates (e.g., insects), and vertebrates (e.g., birds and mammals) that are unique to

676-927: A set of six Global Forest Goals and 26 associated targets to be reached by 2030. One important target is to increase forest area by three percent worldwide by 2030. The Global Forest Goals Report 2021 drew on quantitative and bio-physical data primarily from FRA 2020. Non-timber forest products Non-timber forest products ( NTFPs ) are useful foods, substances, materials and/or commodities obtained from forests other than timber. Harvest ranges from wild collection to farming. They typically include game animals , fur-bearers , nuts , seeds , berries , mushrooms , oils , sap , foliage , pollarding , medicinal plants , peat , mast , fuelwood , fish, insects, spices, and forage . Overlapping concepts include non-wood forest products (NWFPs) , wild forest products , minor forest produce , special, minor, alternative and secondary forest products – for further distinctions see

728-441: A subset of NTFP; they exclude woodfuel and wood charcoal. Both NWFP and NTFP include wild foods. Worldwide, around 1 billion people depend to some extent on wild foods such as wild meat, edible insects, edible plant products, mushrooms and fish, which often contain high levels of key micronutrients. Several million households world-wide depend on NWFPs for income, and these products may be particularly important for local economies. On

780-424: A wide variety of activities (such as basket-making, woodcarving, and the harvest and processing of various medicinal plants). More than 28,000 plant species are currently recorded as being of medicinal use and many of them are found in forest ecosystems. Visits to forest environments can have positive impacts on human physical and mental health and many people have a deep spiritual relationship to forests. Estimate

832-696: Is based on two primary sources of data: country reports prepared by national correspondents and remote sensing that are compiled in cooperation with a network of national experts and international partners such as the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC). FRA is a country-driven process where official national data are reported to FAO by country officers known as national correspondents. National correspondents are officially nominated by their countries to compile and report information and data on their national forest resources. FAO trains

884-409: Is calculated by subtracting the area of forest and other wooded land from the total land area (as maintained by FAOSTAT ). Includes agricultural land, meadows and pastures, built-up areas, barren land, land under permanent ice, etc. The FAO definition of deforestation is, "The conversion of forest to other land use independent of whether it is human-induced or not." It includes permanent reduction of

936-410: Is yet another service that is useful in the livelihoods of these people. They have micro-hydro plants installed in streams that generate the much needed power for pounding (grain and seeds) and lighting too. In the drier areas of Sri Lanka, the harvesting of curry leaves to be sold to traders is an important income. The harvesting of velvet tamarind ( Dialium ovoideum ) is an important income source to

988-463: The Reforesting Scotland project, defines them as "materials supplied by woodlands - except the conventional harvest of timber". These definitions include wild and managed game, fish, and insects. NTFPs are commonly grouped into categories such as floral greens, decoratives, medicinal plants , foods, flavors and fragrances, fibers, and saps and resins. Non-wood forest products (NWFPs) are

1040-442: The tree canopy cover below the minimum 10 percent threshold. It includes areas of forest converted to agriculture , pasture , water reservoirs , mining 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. The term also includes areas where, for example,

1092-468: The 1970s. Instead, FAO conducted regional forest resource assessments that were published in three separate reports. The three reports focused on Europe, Asia and Africa respectively. Since 1980, the reports have become more technical, relying on country analyses by national correspondents, remote sensing and statistical modeling instead of questionnaires. Due to evolving methods, definitions and changes in baseline information, assessments are not comparable. As

SECTION 20

#1732844497908

1144-904: The 236 countries and territories, 189 self-reported their own forestry data through the online FRA Platform. The FRA team conducted desk studies for the remaining 47 countries. The 47 countries represented 0.5 percent of the total forest area. FRA data is grouped according to regions and subregions. The regional groupings of FRA data are: North and Central America (North America, Central America, Caribbean), South America, Europe, Africa (Northern Africa, Western and Central Africa, Eastern and Southern Africa), Asia (Western and Central Asia, South and Southeast Asia, East Asia), and Oceania. The latest FRA collected data on over 60 broad variable categories including: When countries do not nominate national correspondents to prepare country reports, FAO experts write their own reports based on estimated values and statistics and then publish them as desk studies. To collect data for

1196-513: The MDGs. The Sustainable Development Goals replaced the MDGs in 2015 and are a series of 17 goals to achieve by 2030, to ensure a more sustainable future for all. FRA is responsible for collecting data and reporting on two forest-related SDG indicators. Data submitted to FRA contributes to reporting on Goal 15: Life on Land indicators 15.1.1 forest area as a proportion of total land area and 15.2.1 progress towards sustainable forest management. The UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017 - 2030 features

1248-472: The availability of new tools to facilitate image processing and interpretation, remote sensing has become an important tool for the assessment of the status and changes in tree cover and land use. FRA uses remote sensing surveys to build country capacities to use remote sensing for forest monitoring as well as to generate independent, robust and consistent estimates of forest area and its changes over time at global, regional and biome levels. The FAO definition of

1300-479: The canopies of tropical rainforests . Many rainforest animals have evolved to live solely in the canopy and never touch the ground. The canopy of a rainforest is typically about 10 m thick, and intercepts around 95% of sunlight. The canopy is below the emergent layer , a sparse layer of very tall trees, typically one or two per hectare. With an abundance of water and a near ideal temperature in rainforests, light and nutrients are two factors that limit tree growth from

1352-409: The canopy and subtract throughfall and stem flow ). However, the problem with this method is that the canopy is not homogeneous, which causes difficulty in obtaining representative throughfall data. A method employed to avoid this problem is covering forest floor with plastic sheets and collecting the throughfall. The disadvantage of this method is that it is not suitable for long periods, because in

1404-447: The canopy is the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns and including other biological organisms ( epiphytes , lianas , arboreal animals , etc..). The communities that inhabit the canopy layer are thought to be involved in maintaining forest diversity, resilience , and functioning. Shade trees normally have a dense canopy that blocks light from lower growing plants. Early observations of canopies were made from

1456-667: The conservation of forests. NTFPs in particular highlight forest products which are of value to local people and communities, but have been overlooked in the wake of forest management priorities (for example, timber production and animal forage). For example, some 2.4 billion people – in both urban and rural settings – use wood-based energy for cooking. Different communities are involved in collecting and using forest NTFPs, often with different minority communities or gender roles determining how they are used. In recent decades, interest has grown in using NTFPs as alternatives or supplements to forest management practices. In some forest types, under

1508-768: The contribution of NTFPs to national or regional economies is difficult, broad-based systems for tracking the combined value of the hundreds of products that make up various NTFP industries are lacking. One exception to this is the maple syrup industry, which in 2002 in the US alone yielded 1.4 million US gallons (5,300 m ) worth US$ D 38.3 million. In temperate forests such as in the US, wild edible mushrooms such as matsutake , medicinal plants such as ginseng, and floral greens such as salal and sword fern are multimillion-dollar industries. Others with documented trade data include Brazil nuts, bamboo, honey, chestnuts, and gum Arabic, among others. While these high-value species may attract

1560-541: The definition section below Research on NTFPs has focused on their ability to be produced as commodities for rural incomes and markets, as an expression of traditional knowledge or as a livelihood option for rural household needs, as a key component of sustainable forest management and conservation strategies, and for their important role in improving dietary diversity and providing nutritious food, particularly for forest-proximate peoples. All research promotes forest products as valuable commodities and tools that can promote

1612-762: The different terms and definitions for improved forest statistics. The harvest of NTFPs remains widespread throughout the world. People from a wide range of socioeconomic, geographical, and cultural contexts harvest NTFPs for a number of purposes, including household subsistence, maintenance of cultural and familial traditions, spiritual fulfilment, physical and emotional well-being , house heating and cooking, animal feeding, indigenous medicine and healing, scientific learning, and income. Other terms synonymous with harvesting include wild-crafting, gathering, collecting, and foraging. NTFPs also serve as raw materials for industries ranging from large-scale floral greens suppliers and pharmaceutical companies to microenterprises centered upon

Global Forest Resources Assessment - Misplaced Pages Continue

1664-482: The effects of precipitation on the local climate. Forest canopies also buffer the effects of temperature within forests by creating vertical light gradients. Variations in forest microclimate are also driven by the structure and physiology of canopy trees and epiphytes. This produces feedback loops where the species identity, growth traits, and forest stand composition of canopy trees determine forest microclimate. Forest canopies are significantly involved in maintaining

1716-412: The greenhouse effect, thereby causing the planet to become warmer. Canopy interception is the rainfall that is intercepted by the canopy of a tree and successively evaporates from the leaves. Precipitation that is not intercepted will fall as throughfall or stemflow on the forest floor. Many methods exist to measure canopy interception. The most often used method is by measuring rainfall above

1768-499: The ground using binoculars or by examining fallen material. Researchers would sometimes erroneously rely on extrapolation by using more reachable samples taken from the understory . In some cases, they would use unconventional methods such as chairs suspended on vines or hot-air dirigibles, among others. Modern technology, including adapted mountaineering gear, has made canopy observation significantly easier and more accurate, allowed for longer and more collaborative work, and broadened

1820-520: The impact of disturbance, over-utilization or changing environment. The FAO definition of forest expansion is, "Expansion of forest on land that, until then, was under a different land use, implies a transformation of land use from non-forest to forest." The FAO definition of forest area net change is, "the difference in forest area between two FRA reference years. The net change can be either positive (gain), negative (loss) or zero (no change)." FRA 2020 included data from 236 countries and territories. Of

1872-401: The income is generated from the sale of a variety of NTFP products. In the highlands of Vietnam, NTFPs production is spread almost throughout the year, so provides a sustained income for the ethnic minority people. From June to August is the wild berry called uoi ( Scaphium macropodium ) collection that provides the bulk of household income. Every family sends several people into the forest on

1924-410: The list goes on. The Friday market is full of orchids and other wild plants put forward by these people for the tourists, both domestic and international, that flock there. Between 10-15% of the total household income is derived from the sale of NTFPs. The harvesting of leaves in the diet of family goes round the year where different species are readily available in specific months. Water from forest areas

1976-523: The most attention, a diversity of NTFPs can be found in most forests of the world, many of which remain invisible in official statistics. In tropical forests, for example, NTFPs can be an important source of income that can supplement farming and/or other activities. A value analysis of the Amazon rainforest in Peru found that exploitation of NTFPs could yield higher net revenue per hectare than would timber harvest of

2028-510: The national correspondents on how to compile country reports using commonly agreed-upon terms and definitions and a standardized reporting methodology. For the FRA 2020, FAO developed the FRA Platform, an online reporting platform where national correspondents add statistical data and metadata on their country's forests and their management and use. The FRA Platform acts as both a reporting platform and

2080-766: The nutrition of their households – empowering them has important spill-over effects on households'/communities' nutrition. For part-time (unpaid) collection of woodfuel for rural uses, women account for almost 80 percent of all labour and a significantly higher proportion than this in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. Minority people in Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos live away from mainstream settlements. The hill tribes and many other minority groups are closely associated with forests for centuries. Much of their household subsistence and part of

2132-433: The rate of deforestation has slowed, the world's forest area continues to decrease. Key findings include: The next comprehensive FRA report is due in 2025. FAO began publishing forestry assessments in 1948. The first four assessments were published as World Forestry Inventories in 1948, 1953, 1958 and 1963. The reports collected data through questionnaires sent to countries. FRA did not publish any global forestry reports in

Global Forest Resources Assessment - Misplaced Pages Continue

2184-704: The right political and social conditions, forests can be managed to increase NTFP diversity, and consequently, to increase biodiversity and potentially economic diversity. Black truffle cultivation in the Mediterranean area is highly profitable when well managed. The wide variety of NTFPs includes mushrooms , huckleberries , ferns , transplants, seed cones, pine nuts , tree nuts , moss , maple syrup , cork, cinnamon , rubber, wild pigs, tree oils and resins , and ginseng . The United Kingdom 's Forestry Commission defines NTFPs as "any biological resources found in woodlands except timber", and Forest Harvest, part of

2236-420: The rural people. This tree which is endemic to the country provides a fruit that has a high-popularity during certain months of the year. The returns from the sale of these two products is an important addition to the household incomes of rural people. Research on NTFPs has focused on three perspectives: NTFPs as a commodity with a focus on rural incomes and markets, as an expression of traditional knowledge or as

2288-463: The same area, while still conserving vital ecological services . Their economic, cultural, and ecological values, when considered in aggregate, make managing NTFPs an important component of sustainable forest management and the conservation of biological and cultural diversity. Both men and women are involved in collection and sale of NWFPs – and have different knowledge on different products, although women tend to collect forest foods to supplement

2340-582: The scope of canopy study. Canopy structure is the organization or spatial arrangement (three-dimensional geometry) of a plant canopy. Leaf area index , leaf area per unit ground area, is a key measure used to understand and compare plant canopies. The canopy is taller than the understory layer. The canopy holds 90% of the animals in the rainforest. Canopies can cover vast distances and appear to be unbroken when observed from an airplane. However, despite overlapping tree branches, rainforest canopy trees rarely touch each other. Rather, they are usually separated by

2392-446: The stability of the global climate. They are responsible for at least half of the global carbon dioxide exchange between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. Forest canopies act as carbon sinks, reducing the increase of atmospheric CO 2 caused by human activity. The destruction of forest canopies would lead to the release of carbon dioxide, resulting in an increased concentration of atmospheric CO 2 . This would then contribute to

2444-411: The supply chain. Other groupings or names for these types of forest products include wild forest products, minor forest produce, special, minor, alternative and secondary forest products. The term non-wood forest products (NWFP) differs from NTFP in that it does not include woodfuel or wood charcoal. The terminology debate on NWFPs has persisted for decades, although steps have been taken to disentangle

2496-524: The term ‘agriculture’ and its derivatives include fisheries, marine products, forestry and primary forestry products" (Article I, Functions of the Organization, paragraph 1). The first FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment was published in 1948 and focused mostly on assessing the availability of timber. Since then, FAO has been monitoring the world's forests at five- to ten-year intervals, and has produced various regional and global surveys . The assessment

2548-443: The understory to the canopy. In the permaculture and forest gardening community, the canopy is the highest of seven layers. Forest canopies have unique structural and ecological complexities and are important for the forest ecosystem. They are involved in critical functions such as rainfall interception, light absorption, nutrient and energy cycling, gas exchange, and providing habitat for diverse wildlife. The canopy also plays

2600-492: The upper layer of forests. Forest canopies are arguably considered some of the most species-rich environments on the planet. It is believed that the communities found within the canopy layer play an essential role in the functioning of the forest, as well as maintaining diversity and ecological resilience . Forest canopies contribute to forest microclimate by controlling and buffering variations in climatic conditions. Forest canopies intercept rain and snowfall, thereby buffering

2652-407: The ways in which they are changing. FRA data and analyses support the development of sound policies, practices and investments affecting forests and forestry around the world. FAO's mandate to assess the world's forest resources stems from its constitution, "The Organization shall collect, analyze, interpret and disseminate information relating to nutrition, food and agriculture. In this Constitution,

SECTION 50

#1732844497908

2704-459: The world. For instance, one in five medicinal and aromatic plant species have been found to be threatened with extinction, yet only 7 percent of MAPs have been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (TRAFFIC, 2018). Data and information on NWFPs is incomplete yet essential to monitor their status in the wild, their contribution to food and nutrition security and for traceability across

#907092