Gembloux Agricultural University Ministry of Walloon Region

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

Context and reference points

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

Decennial Statistics based on land registry - 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 not reliable...

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

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

1988 Towards the permanent inventory Operational since 1994 Methodology adjustments

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)

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

Methodology

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

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

Inventory’s second step - 4 concentric circular units (+ 1 special unit + 30 ares zone) Sampling plots field identification Radius = 18 m C 150  120 cm 20  C 150 < 70 cm Radius = 4.5 m 70  C 150 < 120 cm Radius = 9 m C 150  20 cm Radii = 2.25 m

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

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

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

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

Taking into account of sustainable development

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) Resources and carbon cycles Health and vitality Multiple functions Biological diversity of forest ecosystems Maintenance of protective functions Maintenance of socio-economic functions => <=

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Results Areas, volumes by classes Species / site adequation Damages Spruce stands Douglas firstands Mixedsoftwoods Beech stands Mixedhardwoods Larch stands Preciousbroadleaves stands Pinewoods Oak stands

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

Agricultural University of Gembloux (1980, 1990, …) Nature and Forests Administration (1996, …) Operator 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: o 4 concentric circular units (18, 9, 4.5, 2.25 m) + 1 special unit (12 m) + 1 special zone (30 ares) In a few words

Variables C 150, h, age Silvicultural and ecological data Status Continuous Cycle of 10 years 10 % covered each year over the whole region o mainly so as to compute criteria for sustainable forestry (Helsinki)

Current and future prospects 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 GPS for identifying and sampling units Communication tools and certification systems...

Gembloux Agricultural University Ministry of Walloon Region