Sustainable Forest Inventory in the Walloon Region

1. The Walloon Forest Inventory “ENFIN” WorkshopVienna, June 16-17, 2003 J. RONDEUX - H. LECOMTE - N. BOURLAND Gembloux Agricultural University Ministry of Walloon Region

2. Context and reference points Methodology Account of sustainable development Conclusion General outline

3. Context and reference points

4. Hardwoods 250,300 ha (52 %) Softwoods 227,500 ha (48 %) Private ownership 249,200 ha (52 %) Total volume 109.2 millions m³ Mean girth (150cm) 100 cm Spruce stands [S : 36 %] & [V : 42 %] Walloon Region Total forest area ………...… 544,800 ha Cover rate (total) .... 32.3 % (B : 22.2 %) Productive area .….... 477,800 ha (88 %)

5. 1846 - 1980 Decennial Statistics based on land registry not reliable... - objectifs and variables roughly defined - lack of homogeneity between investigation methods (private & public owners) - gap between the land registry statute and field reality - important delay between data collecting and availability of results

6. 1978 Setting up and fulfillment by the Gembloux Agricultural University of an inventory based on sampling methods Goals : - guidelines for a regional forest policy (zonage) - information collecting for supplying and location of wood industries - improvement of global forest management

7. 1980 - 1984 First inventory : “Picture of the walloon forest” Restrictions : - very scattered ownership - diversity of stand types - high diversity of growing conditions - human and financial supports

8. 1988 Towards the permanent inventory Methodology adjustments Operational since 1994

9. 1996 “Permanent Forest Resources Inventory” unit created into the regional Nature and Forests Adminisration Scientific supervision handled by the Gembloux Agricultural University (Unit of Forest Management and Economics)

10. 1997 Integration of parameters related to sustainable development 1999 Semi-electronic recording

11. Methodology

12. 1,000 m 500 m 1 plot / 50 ha 11,000 sampling plots Type of inventory - systematic non-stratified - periodicity : every 10 years - one tenth of the area covered each year

13. 1/25 000 NGI Inventory’s first step Map analysis - land use (point status) - woody areas location - changes monitoring - field identification (sampling point)

14. C150 20 cm Radii = 2.25 m 20  C150 < 70 cm Radius = 4.5 m Radius = 9 m 70  C150 < 120 cm C150 120 cm Radius = 18 m Inventory’s second step Sampling plots field identification - 4 concentric circular units (+ 1 special unit + 30 ares zone)

15. Type of collected data - general and administrative information - site conditions - stand description - tree measurements and individual observations 60 variables for more or less 200 data collected

16. Data-processing operations and analysis Database management system (MS Access) - encoding : in relation with sampling plots, high forests, coppices, regeneration - + than 40 tables : 19 - initial or processed information 14 - “dictionaries” 10 - work - requests at unit, species or tree levels - results presentation “ à la carte ”

17. Histogram Diagram Age classes (years) Table Map Age classes (y.) Results Example : distribution of spruce stands by age

18. Outcomes of the inventory - storm damages evaluation - adequacy species - soil - industries supplying - balance harvesting – growth rates - stand structure - genetic improvement - sustainable development assessment - etc ...

19. Taking into account of sustainable development

20. => => => => => => Resources and carbon cycles Health and vitality Multiple functions Biological diversity of forest ecosystems Maintenance of protective functions Maintenance of socio-economic functions <= <= <= <= <= <= Special sampling units And related fields - circular unit (radius of 12 m) => especially for phytosociology - circular zone of 30 ares - largest unit (radius of 18 m)

21. Criterion 1 = Forests resources + C cycles Criterion 4 = Biological diversity Criterion 2 = Health and vitality Criterion 5 = Protective functions Criterion 3 = Productive functions Criterion 6 = Socio-economic functions Origin of data : C = map P = 10 ares unit Z = 30 ares zone Nature of data : I = data collected at the beginning (initial data) N = new data General and administrative data

22. Criterion 1 = Forests resources + C cycles Criterion 4 = Biological diversity Criterion 2 = Health and vitality Criterion 5 = Protective functions Criterion 3 = Productive functions Criterion 6 = Socio-economic functions Origin of data : P = 10 ares unit Nature of data : I = data collected at the beginning (initial data) N = new data Data related to site

23. Criterion 1 = Forests resources + C cycles Criterion 4 = Biological diversity Criterion 2 = Health and vitality Criterion 5 = Protective functions Criterion 3 = Productive functions Criterion 6 = Socio-economic functions Origin of data : P = 10 ares unit Z = 30 ares zone Nature of data : I = data collected at the beginning (initial data) N = new data I-N = completed initial data Descriptive data related to the stand

24. Criterion 1 = Forests resources + C cycles Criterion 4 = Biological diversity Criterion 2 = Health and vitality Criterion 5 = Protective functions Criterion 3 = Productive functions Criterion 6 = Socio-economic functions Origin of data : P = 10 ares unit Nature of data : I = data collected at the beginning (initial data) N = new data I-N = completed initial data Dendrometrical measurements and individual observations

25. Criterion 1 = Forests resources + C cycles Criterion 4 = Biological diversity Criterion 2 = Health and vitality Criterion 5 = Protective functions Criterion 3 = Productive functions Criterion 6 = Socio-economic functions Field of application : x (= related criterion) Nature of data : I = data collected at the beginning (initial data) N = new data I-N = completed initial data Computed data

26. Criterion 1 • Maintenance and appropriate enhancement • of forest resources and their contribution • to global carbon cycles Data • Status of sampling point • Stand structure and type • Previous land-use activities and stand origin • Dendrometrical measurements (girth, hight, etc.) Results Occupied areas

27. Other hardw. Spruce s. Oak s. Beech s. Pinewo. Poplars Larch s. Results Occupied areas Volumes of growing stocks (different types) Biomasses Quantity of stored carbon

28. Criterion 2 Maintenance of forest ecosystem health and vitality Data Tree health (defoliation, etc.) Stand damages Soil properties Topography Results Areas, volumes by classes

29. Damages Damages Damages Damages Mixed softwoods Douglas fir stands Mixed hardwoods Pinewoods Oak stands Precious broadleaves stands Beech stands Larch stands Spruce stands Results Areas, volumes by classes Species / site adequation

30. Criterion 3 Maintenance and encouragement of productive functions of forests (wood and non-wood) Data Stand state Stand management Usual dendrometrical measurements Results Areas, volumes by classes Standard dendrometrical parameters

31. % of spruce stands already thinned Results Areas, volumes by classes Standard dendrometrical parameters

32. Criterion 4 • Maintenance, conservation and appropriate enhancement of biological diversity in • forest ecosystems Data Ground vegetation description Study of ecotones Sampling point typology (habitat) Dead wood evaluation (trees, logs, etc.) Edges description Results Various occupied areas Volume

33. Other softwoods Other hardwoods Beech stands Spruce stands Oak stands 1 sp. 5 sp. and + 2 sp. 3 sp. 4 sp. Results Various areas Stand composition Vegetal biodiversity estimation

34. Criterion 5 Maintenance and appropriate enhancement of protective functions in forest (soil and water) Data Topography Soil Soil structure damages Structure, type and stand density Soil physical properties Relief Results Areas estimation

35. Coppices softwoods Hardwoods Slope (°) 35.0 Results Areas estimation Various results

36. Conclusion

37. In a few words Operator Agricultural University of Gembloux (1980, 1990, …) Nature and Forests Administration (1996, …) Sampled areas Wooded lands  0.1 ha, linear plantations, poplars Method Systematic sampling : o rectangular grid (1 pt / 50 ha) o maps 1:25 000, 1:10 000 o 4 concentric circular units (18, 9, 4.5, 2.25 m) + 1 special unit (12 m) + 1 special zone (30 ares)

38. Variables C150, h, age Silvicultural and ecological data o mainly so as to compute criteria for sustainable forestry (Helsinki) Status Continuous Cycle of 10 years 10 % covered each year over the whole region

39. Assessment of forest parameters evolution by modelling and computing increment, harvests and available resources Design and construction of the regional forest inventory web site Utilisation of data related to sustainable development parameters (small branches, roots - biomass) Assessment of edges quality and monitoring of changes Improvement of mappings Utilisation of GPSfor identifying and sampling units Communication tools and certification systems ... Current and future prospects

40. The Walloon Forest Inventory “ENFIN” WorkshopVienna, June 16-17, 2003 J. RONDEUX - H. LECOMTE - N. BOURLAND Gembloux Agricultural University Ministry of Walloon Region