Forest inventories generate scientifically sound information on the forest resource, but do our data and information really matter?

Abstract

Current research in forest inventory focuses very much on technical-statistical problems geared mainly to the optimization of data collection and information generation. The basic assumption is that better information leads to better decisions and, therefore, to better forest management and forest policy. Not many studies, however, strive to explicitly establish the relationship between information quality and decision quality. In this article, we discuss this issue and suggest that forest inventory research should include more studies on the immediate and indirect effects of results and findings of forest inventories.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the eighth annual forest inventory and analysis symposium

Citation

Keinn, Christoph; Stahl, Goran. 2009. Forest inventories generate scientifically sound information on the forest resource, but do our data and information really matter?. 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. 71-77.