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Abstract
In Germany, a sample-based national forest inventory (NFI) took place for the first time from 1986 to 1990 (in West Germany only); the second one took place from 2001 to 2002. The inventory design is based on a systematic distribution of tracts on regular grids of regionally differing width. The primary sampling unit is a quadrangular tract with sides of 150 m. The tract corners located in forests are the centers of permanently marked subplots in which different sampling procedures are used for the selection of sample trees and the survey of other characteristics. The core sampling technique is horizontal point sampling by means of the angle-count method with a basal-area factor of 4 m²ha
-1. The German NFI is a periodic survey conducted in the whole territory at time intervals that are not predefined but have to be determined anew for each repetition. The results obtained by the second survey document an increase of the growing stock and a high level of periodic annual volume increment in West Germany. Generally, the information provided by the NFI is of great importance for forest policy, especially in connection with international commitments to report on forest resources; as the information is also important for the wood processing industry. Due to the societal, ecological, and economic significance of forests and forestry, the third NFI has now been scheduled to take place from 2011 to 2012.
Parent Publication
Citation
Kandler, Gerald. 2009. The design of the second German national forest inventory. In: McRoberts, Ronald E.; Reams, Gregory A.; Van Deusen, Paul C.; McWilliams, William H., eds. Proceedings of the eighth annual forest inventory and analysis symposium; 2006 October 16-19; Monterey, CA. Gen. Tech. Report WO-79. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 19-24.
