1. San Juan, Puerto Rico June 9-13, 2008
North American Forest Commission Inventory, Monitoring and Assessment Working Group
San Juan, Puerto Rico
June 9-13, 2008
Commissioners, Dr. El-Lakany and FAO Board of Alternates
Fellow WG members and guests
It was a honour to lead in the preparation of this technical paper
and a
privilege to have the opportunity to make the presentation on behalf of our team.
The team included:

2. Objectives Share research and information
Take advantage of opportunities for collaboration and scientific exchange on forest inventory and monitoring
Focus on:
Fostering compatible approaches
Use of remote sensing and other technologies
Sponsor and facilitate exchanges to build capacity
Advise member countries
Fostering communication
At the November 2003 meeting of National Correspondents, FAO encouraged the use of optional sub-global reporting as a means to improve data compatibility and cooperation. NAFC offers the opportunity for 3 Montreal Process countries constituting North America to pursue common protocols and reporting. Thus, while the regional reports are not sanctioned by FAO, they are encouraged.
So the NAFC WG explored reporting at a continental level through the aggregation of the respective NFIs.

3. Accomplishments 2001 Victoria  2002 Denver 2004 Guadalajara 2005
Date
Location
Minutes
2001
Victoria 
2002
Denver
2004
Guadalajara
2005
Peterborough
2006
Tuscon
2007
Punta Nizuc
2008
Meetings
2000 Portland
to initiate WG
At the November 2003 meeting of National Correspondents, FAO encouraged the use of optional sub-global reporting as a means to improve data compatibility and cooperation. NAFC offers the opportunity for 3 Montreal Process countries constituting North America to pursue common protocols and reporting. Thus, while the regional reports are not sanctioned by FAO, they are encouraged.
So the NAFC WG explored reporting at a continental level through the aggregation of the respective NFIs.
- available at

4. Accomplishments Presentations: NAFC Commission Meeting (Vera Cruz)
Monitoring, Science and Technology Workshop (Denver)
CIF/SAF Joint AGM (Edmonton)
Reports:
At the November 2003 meeting of National Correspondents, FAO encouraged the use of optional sub-global reporting as a means to improve data compatibility and cooperation. NAFC offers the opportunity for 3 Montreal Process countries constituting North America to pursue common protocols and reporting. Thus, while the regional reports are not sanctioned by FAO, they are encouraged.
So the NAFC WG explored reporting at a continental level through the aggregation of the respective NFIs.

5. Ecoregion Database
What: An integrated spatially defined North American forest inventory database using the FAO ecological reporting framework and common North America-wide protocols.
Why: To report on forests in a consistent manner for all major forest ecosystems of North America from a continental perspective.
How: Enlist country forest inventory experts to define structure, common attributes for database and potential outputs.
I will provide an overview of the NFI systems in each country to give you an understanding of the basis for this assessment and also to illustrate the opportunities that lay ahead given the direction each country is moving towards with their NFI.
I do not take credit for the descriptions provided for the US or Mexico, and please do not hesitate to correct any misrepresentations.

6. Ecoregion Database Preliminary data attributes FAO Ecological Zones
Forest area
Covertype (predominant genus
Status (available/protected)
Ownership (public/private)
Age class
Site index/productivity class
Volume/biomass – total by species group

7. FAO Ecological Zones for North America
These Ecological zones are not necessarily forest zones but provide the entire ecological context within which forests occur.
20 Ecological Zones
6 tropical
5 sub-tropical
5 temperate
3 boreal
1 boreal
21 is polar

8. Results: Database and Products
The NFIs were then analyzed by FAO Ecozone and data were extracted, harmonized and combined to generate a simple database from which a number of products were produced, including tables of area breakdown.

9. North American Land Cover
Illustration of land class by percent using pie chart – where the aggregation of zone shows
that FOWL occupy 47% of the landbase
47% is non forest
6% is water
And we have a small component of unknown

10. Forest Land in North America
Forest land can also be classified and mapped by Ecological Zone

11. Average Wood Volumes In this figure average wood volume is mapped
The total volume in all Ecological Zones is approximately 63 billion m3
Of the total volume:
- 3 % in Tropical
- 18 % in Sub-tropical
- 56 % in Temperate
- 23 % in Boreal Ecological Zones
- less than 1% in the Polar zone
The average across all zones is 92 m3/ha

12. Forest Type
Mixed Forest is not predominant in any Ecological Zone but still comprises 14 % of the forest land in North America
Coniferous forest type comprises 53% of the forest land
Broadleaved forest type comprises 33% 6

13. Work Plans (1) Thematic Groups Database Competitiveness
Consultative role
Competitiveness
Ecosystem Resiliency
Participatory role
Inventory/monitoring work has been documented
Information will be compiled into a single report to facilitate the work of all Thematic Groups 8

14. Work Plans (2) Ecoregion Database
Sponsor a workshop to examine potential content, structure of the database
Further develop database to support Thematic Groups
Develop report and a poster for presentation at the World Forestry Congress in 2009
Commission for Environmental Cooperation
Develop forest theme maps for North American Environmental Atlas 8

15. Work Plans (3) Information and Knowledge Sharing
Establish Google Group for communication within the WG
Working Group Brochure for Communication
Compress Working Group information and products into brochure format 8

16. Membership Mexico: USA: Canada: Arturo Victoria
Francisco Takaki Takaki
Rigoberto Palafox Rivas
USA:
Greg Reams
Brad Smith
Dennis May
Pat Miles
Canada:
Mark Gillis
Simon Bridge
Joe Kapron
Alex Song