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Criterion 1. Conservation of biological
diversity |
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Subcriterion 1.1
Ecosystem diversity |
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1 |
Extent of area by
forest type relative to total forest area |
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·
% of forest area by
forest type
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USDA FS, FIA &
ECOMAP |
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2 |
Extent of area by
forest type and by age class or successional
stage |
Each state of
succession supports different communities of plants and animals;
maintaining adequate area is important for species retention. It is
important to look at forest land relative to the entire community land as
well as forest land only. |
·
Acres of forest area
by forest type (SAF forest types);
·
Size class by forest
type (acres by size class)
·
Age class by forest
type (acres by years). |
USDA FS, FIA &
ECOMAP |
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3 |
Extent of area by
forest type in protected area categories as defined by IUCN or other
classification systems |
The World Conservation
Union (IUCN) has developed an approach for classifying reserves based on
the level of protection; this provides a useful and credible basis for
tracking reserve areas. |
·
Acres of forest in
protected area categories.
·
% of forest in
protected area categories as defined by IUCN or other classification
system. |
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4 |
Extent of areas by
forest type in protected areas defined by age class or succession
stage. |
Protected areas are of
high significance with their biodiversity. Each state of succession or age
class support different mixtures of species. |
·
Acres of forest in
protected areas by age class.
·
% of forest in
protected area by age class. |
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5 |
Fragmentation of
forest types.
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Forest fragmentation may be
assessed from average patch size, road density, or other indices. Less
fragmented forest provides opportunities for species and wildlife movement
and interchange, and thus is more resilient over
time. |
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Average patch size in
acres.
·
Fragmentation
index
·
Connectivity
index
·
Road
density
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GIS (geographic
information system) (remotely-sensed analysis) |
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Subcriterion 1.2
Species diversity |
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6 |
The number of forest
dependent species. |
Forest dependent species are
at a greater risk of extinction with reduced quantity or quality of
forests. Thus their number provides a measure of risk of biodiversity
loss. |
·
Number of forest
dependent species.
·
Forest dependent species as
% of all species. |
Threatened and
endangered species lists from state agencies |
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7 |
The status
(threatened, rare, vulnerable, endangered, or extinct) of forest dependent
species at risk of not maintaining viable breeding populations, as
determined by legislation or scientific assessment.
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Species, which are
classified as rare, threatened or endangered are at some relatively
significant risk of extinction and the status of such species provides a
measure of risk of loss of biodiversity. |
·
% of forest species
that are classified as threatened, rare, vulnerable, endangered or
extinct.
·
Health of sensitive
species (use a scale to evaluate it based on mortality, fecundity, and
population structure).
·
Acres/% of habitat
enhancement. |
State T and E species
lists |
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Subcriterion 1.3
Genetic diversity |
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8 |
Number of forest
dependent species that occupy a small portion of their former
range. |
Species whose range is
shrinking are likely to have less within-species genetic
variation. |
·
% or number of forest
dependent species that occupy a smaller forest area than they used to.
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9 |
Population levels of
representative species from diverse habitats monitored across their
range.
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The number of
representative species needs to be considered in the light of what a
viable population is. |
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Number of members of
representative species. |
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Criterion 2.
Maintenance of productive capacity of forest
ecosystems |
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10 |
Area of forest land
and net area of forest land available for timber
production. |
This indicator is a
measure of human pressures on forests. |
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Acres of timberland
area
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USDA FS,
FIA |
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11 |
Total growing stock of
both merchantable and non-merchantable tree species on forest land
available for timber production |
Growing mixed species
makes a forest more resilient to different outside pressures (diseases,
storms, fires, etc.) |
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Percent or acres of
forest area with merchantable and non-merchantable tree species for timber
production.
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12 |
The area and growing
stock of plantations of native and exotic
species. |
Native ecosystems can
be disrupted by exotic species. The disruptive effects may include the
local extirpation of species, which are outcompeted or preyed on by the
exotic species, and a shift in the distribution of remaining species. |
·
Ratio of number of
exotic species to native species
·
Acres/% of area for
growing native vs. exotic species. |
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13 |
Annual removal of wood
products compared to the volume determined to be
sustainable. |
Maintaining a
sustainable ratio of removal to growth ensures the long-term health of a
forest and its ability to provide future generations with all necessary
resources, including timber. |
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Ratio of net growth to
removal for wood products. |
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14 |
Annual removal of
non-timber forest products (e.g. fur bearers, berries, mushrooms, game),
compared to the level determined to be
sustainable. |
Higher rate of removal
than the regeneration for non-timber species would compromise the
long-term health and resource availability. |
·
Ratio of net growth to
removal for non-timber forest products.
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Criterion 3.
Maintenance of forest ecosystem health and
vitality |
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15 |
Area and percent of
forest affected by processes or agents beyond the range of historic
variation, e.g. by insects, disease, competition from exotic species,
fire, storm, land clearance, permanent flooding, salinisation, and
domestic animals. |
This indicator
measures the extent of each main type of natural and human disturbance. In
some cases, such as insect infestation, a further breakdown by severity
class is required to provide a measure of the stress faced by the forest.
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Acres/percent of
forest affected by insects and diseases (including
exotics).
·
Rate of mortality (per
acre)
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Acres/percent of
forest burned in fires.
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Acres or % of forest
damaged by storms, animal browsing, drought/flooding.
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USDA FS, FHM, FIA,
National Interagency Fire Management Integrated Database
(NIFMID) |
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16 |
Area and percent of
forest land subjected to levels of specific air pollutants (e.g. sulfates,
nitrate, ozone) or ultraviolet light that may cause negative impacts on
the forest ecosystem. |
This indicator
measures the impacts of human development and air pollution on the health
of forests. |
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Acres or percent of
forest damaged by acid rain. |
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17 |
Area and percent of
forest land with diminished biological components indicative of changes in
fundamental ecological processes (e.g. soil nutrient cycling, seed
dispersion, pollination) and/or ecological continuity (monitoring of
functionally important species such as fungi, arboreal epiphytes,
nematodes, beetles, wasps, etc)
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This indicator
measures forest health as result of human or natural
disturbance. |
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Acres or percent of
forest with diminished beetles populations. |
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Criterion 4.
Conservation and maintenance of soil and water
resources |
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18 |
Area and percent of
forest land with significant soil erosion.
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Soil condition is
directly linked to forest health. |
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Acres or % of forest
area affected by significant soil erosion. |
USDA
FS |
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19 |
Area and percent of
forest land managed primarily for protective functions, e.g. watersheds,
flood protection, avalanche protection, riparian
zones. |
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20 |
Percent of stream
kilometers in forested catchments in which stream flow and timing has
significantly deviated from the historic range of
variation. |
This indicator
attempts to report on the extent to which water flow relations have been
disrupted; flow and timing exercise a strong influence on the habitat
characteristics of streams. |
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Kilometers (or %) of
forested catchments, where stream flow and timing has significantly
changed over time. |
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21 |
Area and percent of
forest land with significantly diminished soil organic matter and/or
changes in other soil chemical properties. |
Soil health is
directly linked to the health of the forest
ecosystem. |
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Acres or % of forest
area with diminished soil organic matter and/or change in other soil
chemical properties.
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Acres or % of forest
with soil pH that has diverted significantly from the normal value.
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USDA FS,
FHM |
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22 |
Area and percent of
forest land with significant compaction or change in soil physical
properties resulting from human activities. |
Compaction, puddling
and loss of organic matter are key causes of soil degradation and
productivity losses.
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Acres or % of forest
area with significant compaction and/or change in other soil physical
properties, resulting from human activities. |
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23 |
Percent of water
bodies in forest areas (e.g. stream kilometers, lake hectares) with
significant variance of biological diversity from the historic range of
variability. |
This indicator
measures disturbances of the water bodies in a forest area over
time. |
·
Index of Watershed
Indicators (IWI) |
U.S. EPA, Office of Water
Resources |
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24 |
Percent of water
bodies in forest areas (e.g. stream kilometers, lake hectares) with
significant variation from the historic range of variability in pH,
dissolved oxygen, levels of chemicals, electrical conductivity,
sedimentation or temperature change. |
Water conductivity is
one of the single best measures of overall water quality. Dissolved
oxygen, pH, temperature are additional indicators. For example, the growth
of organic matter reduces dissolved oxygen and thus – the ability of a
water body to support life. Removal of tree cover over streams and other
water bodies contributes to higher water temperatures, which affects
growth rates and habitat – cool water species are particularly vulnerable
to spikes in water t°. |
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% of water bodies with
low dissolved oxygen
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% of water bodies with
deviation in pH level
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% of water bodies with
higher temperature than normal.
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Average daily
discharge of dioxins and furans from selected pulp and paper
mills.
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Phosphorous levels.
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25 |
Area and percent of
forest land experiencing an accumulation of persistent toxic
substances. |
Persistent toxic
substances usually have both acute and chronic effects. They can
bioaccumulate in fish and then through the food chain can reach humans and
lead to serious diseases such as mental retardation, cancer,
etc.
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Area and % of forest
land that has higher levels of mercury, lead or other persistent,
bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals. |
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Criterion 5.
Maintenance of forest contribution to global carbon
cycles |
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26 |
Total forest ecosystem
biomass and carbon pool, and if appropriate, by forest type, age class,
and successional stages. |
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Tons of ecosystem
biomass
·
Metric tons of carbon
pool |
USDA
FS,
U.S., Global Change
Research Program |
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27 |
Contribution of forest
ecosystems to the total global carbon budget, including absorption and
release of carbon (standing biomass, coarse woody debris, peat and soil
carbon).
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Sequestering of carbon
mitigates carbon emissions into the atmosphere. |
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Metric tons of carbon
flux per year |
USDA
FS,
U.S., Global Change
Research Program |
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28 |
Contribution of forest
products to the global carbon budget. |
Burning wood releases
carbon into the atmosphere and human fuel use may be an important
contributor to atmospheric carbon in some areas. |
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Tons of CO2 released
as result of burning wood. |
USDA
FS,
U.S., Global Change
Research Program |
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Criterion 6.
Maintenance and enhancement of long-term multiple socioeconomic benefits
to meet the needs of societies |
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Subcriterion 6.1
Production and Consumption |
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29 |
Value and volume of
wood and wood products production, including value added through
downstream processing. |
The choice of
products, and to a lesser extent, the efficiency of manufacturing indicate
how much value a firm can add to the inputs during the manufacturing
process. |
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Value and volume by
industry of wood production and products value
added.
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Value and volume of
imports and exports. |
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30 |
Value and quantities
of production of non-wood forest products. |
A measure that helps
determine sustainability of production of other forest products, such as
berries, furs, and mushrooms. |
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Value and tons of
other forest products – mushrooms, berries, furs. |
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31 |
Supply and consumption
of wood and wood products, including consumption per
capita. |
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Value and volume of
wood products consumed. |
RPA Assessment (USDA
FS, FIA) |
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32 |
Value of wood and
non-wood products production as percentage of
GDP. |
Proportion of GDP
generated by forest products is a measure of their importance, and,
indirectly, their competitiveness.
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% of GDP coming from
forest-related products. |
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33 |
Degree of recycling of
forest products. |
This is a measure of
sustainable resource use. Use of recycled wood will reduce the demand for
virgin wood. |
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% of forest products
that are recycled. |
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34 |
Supply and
consumption/use of non-wood products. |
This is a measure of
the importance of forests in meeting other needs than wood
consumption. |
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Amount and % of income
from supply/consumption of non-wood products. |
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Subcriterion 6.2
Recreation and tourism |
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35 |
Area and percent of
forest land managed for general recreation and tourism, in relation to the
total area of forest land. |
Recreation usage, and
its value, is a complement to timber harvest revenues. It’s also an
important element of quality of life. |
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% or area of forest land managed
for recreation and tourism. |
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36 |
Number and type of
facilities available for general re-creation and tourism, in relation to
population and forest area. |
Recreation and tourism
are important forest services that contribute to both GDP and quality of
life of people. |
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Miles of trails by
type
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Number of
campgrounds
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Number of visitors
trips/days |
USDIF & WS,
National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation,;
USDA FS NFS or Other Existing Recreation Data |
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37 |
Number of visitor days
attributed to recreation and tourism, in relation to population and forest
area. |
Recreation and tourism
are important forest services that contribute to both GDP and quality of
life of people. |
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Number of visitor days
per acre per year.
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Subcriterion 6.3
Investment in forest sectors |
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38 |
Value of investment,
including investment in forest growing, forest health and management,
planted forests, wood processing, recreation and
tourism. |
Investment in such
activities is the key to long-term sustainability and profitability of
forest-related industries. |
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Dollar value of
manufacturing/ processing investment (lumber, wood products, paper
products)
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Dollar value of
forestry program budgets. |
AF&PA,
U.S. Census,
NASF
State
Data |
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39 |
Level of expenditure
on research and development, and education. |
This is another
measure of industry competitiveness. |
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% of forest-related
income that goes for R&D and education. |
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40 |
Extension and use of
new and improved technologies.
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Such technologies may
reduce waste and thus lower the demand of virgin
products.
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% of forest-related
income invested in new and improved technologies.
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41 |
Rates of return on
investment.
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Some private
landowners view their holdings as investments. For those who do, rate of
return is a critical measure of the attractiveness of the investment, as
well as of the affordability of land. |
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Rate of return on
investment in timber industries
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Rate of return on
investment in tourism and recreation. |
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Subcriterion 6.4
Cultural, social and spiritual needs and
values |
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42 |
Area and percent of
forest land managed in relation to the total area of forest land to
protect the range of cultural, social and spiritual needs and
values |
Measurement of the
area with special cultural, social and spiritual needs and values is the
first step in promoting its proper management. |
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Percent of forest that
is considered historically valuable.
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Acres or % of forest
land which have cultural value to community. |
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43 |
Non-consumptive use
forest values. |
These include tourism
and recreation, education, and others and are important for achieving
higher quality of life. |
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Number or % of local
people who rank non-consumptive uses of forest as critical for achieving
personal and spiritual development. |
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Subcriterion 6.5
Employment and community needs |
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44 |
Direct and indirect
employment in the forest sector and forest sector employment as a
proportion of total employment. |
Providing employment
for local people is critical for the long-term sustainability of a
community. |
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% of local residents
employed in forest-related industries.
·
Direct employment in
the forest sector, measured as % of people working in such
industries.
·
Indirect employment in
the forest sector, measured as % of people working in retail, insurance,
transportation, and other related industries. |
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45 |
Average wage rates and
injury rates in major employment categories within the forest
sector. |
People tend to move
where wages are higher. The average can also be compared to economy-wide
averages to gain a sense of the relative prosperity of a region. Rates of
injuries in the forest sector are indicator of the relative safety of
these kinds of jobs. |
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Average wage rate in
major employment categories in the forest sector.
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Ratio of average wage
rate in the forest sector versus average wage rate in the area (state,
county, etc.).
·
Lost workday injuries
and illness rate (LWDII) |
U.S. Census
Bureau
USDA FS (IMI)
IMPLAN
NASF Forestry
Statistics
Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) |
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46 |
Viability and
adaptability to changing economic conditions, of forest dependent
communities, including indigenous communities. |
This indicator
measures the ability of forest dependent communities to adjust to quickly
changing economic conditions that lead to reduced/increased demand for
forest products and thus affect employment and
income. |
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% change in
forest-related employment over the past several years.
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47 |
Area and percent of
forest land used for subsistence purposes. |
Poverty (subsistence
uses of forest resources) can exert high pressures on forest resources and
lead to their fast depletion and degradation. |
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Area or % of forest
land significantly degraded as result of subsistence
uses. |
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Criterion 7. Legal,
institutional and economic framework for forest conservation and
sustainable management |
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Subcriterion 7.1
Extent to which the legal framework (laws, regulations, guidelines)
supports the conservation and sustainable management of forests, including
the extent to which it: |
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48 |
Clarifies property
rights, provides for appropriate land tenure arrangements, recognizes
customary and traditional rights of indigenous people, and provides means
of resolving property disputes by due process. |
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49 |
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51 |
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52 |
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Subcriterion 7.2
Extent to which the institutional framework supports the conservation and
sustainable management of forests, including the capacity
to: |
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53 |
Provide for public
involvement activities and public education, awareness and extension
programs, and make available forest-related information.
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54 |
Undertake and
implement periodic forest-related planning, assessment, and policy review
including cross-sectoral planning and coordination.
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55 |
Develop and maintain
human resource skills across relevant disciplines.
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56 |
Develop and maintain
efficient physical infrastructure to facilitate the supply of forest
products and services and support forest
management. |
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57 |
Enforce laws,
regulations and guidelines. |
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Subcriterion 7.3
Extent to which the economic framework (economic policies and measures)
supports the conservation and sustainable management of forests
through: |
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58 |
Investment and
taxation policies and a regulatory environment which recognize the
long-term nature of investments and permit the flow of capital in and out
of the forest sector in response to market signals, non-market economic
valuations, and public policy decisions in order to meet long-term demands
for forest products and services. |
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59 |
Nondiscriminatory
trade policies for forest products. |
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Subcriterion 7.4
Capacity to measure and monitor changes in the conservation and
sustainable management of forests,
including: |
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60 |
Availability and
extent of up-to-date data, statistics and other information important to
measuring or describing indicators associated with criteria 1-7.
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61 |
Scope, frequency and
statistical reliability of forest inventories, assessments, monitoring and
other relevant information. |
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62 |
Compatibility with
other countries in measuring, monitoring and reporting on indicators.
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Subcriterion 7.5
Capacity to conduct and apply research and development aimed at improving
forest management and delivery of forest goods and services,
including: |
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63 |
Development of
scientific understanding of forest ecosystem characteristics and
functions.
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64 |
Development of
methodologies to measure and integrate environmental and social costs and
benefits into markets and public policies, and to reflect forest-related
resource depletion or replenishment in national accounting systems.
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65 |
New technologies and
the capacity to assess the socioeconomic consequences associated with the
introduction of new technologies. |
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66 |
Enhancement of ability
to predict impacts of human intervention on forests.
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67 |
Ability to predict
impacts on forests of possible climate change. |
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