baltic-nordic forest statistics group (bnfsg) rovaniemi , finland , 12. dec ember 20 13

Major statistical issues in 2012-2013

Estonia

Mati Valgepealeading specialist of forestry statistics

Estonian Environment Agency

Baltic-Nordic Forest Statistics Group (BNFSG)Rovaniemi, Finland, 12. December 2013

Major statistical issues since the 6-th meeting of BNFSG (old slide, still partly valid)

Developments in the field of forestry statistics during the last 2 years have been centered to the:

• further development of existing statistical data acquisition and management systems

• and to the strengthening of the cooperation between different institutions.

Conference on Forest Inventory, Planning and StatisticsCopenhagen, Denmark, 25-27 September 2006

Major statistical issues since the 6-th meeting of BNFSG (old slide, still partly valid)

Since April 2010 (June 2013) the main forest statistics producer Estonian Centre of Forest Protection and SilvicultureEstonian Environment Information Centre

was merged with the Centre of the Environment Information and Technology Estonian Institute of Hydrology and Meteorology

into the new institution:Estonian Environment Information Centre.Estonian Environment Agency.

Most of the specialists kept their position and working tasks.Forest Statistics Department was merged with Forest Registry and Forest Management Planning Department into Forest Department.

Baltic-Nordic Forest Statistics Group (BNFSG)Stockholm, Sweden, 12-13 September 2011 12.12.13 Rovaniemi

Statistics on forest resources and forest management planning – Forest Register, forest notification database,further development of information systemsBasic unit of the register is forest subcompartment obtained from the stand-wise forest inventory. Since March 2004 data of all new inventories carried out by licensed FMP companies and audited by EEIC specialists are registered. Existence of standwise forest inventory data is precondition for forest management activities in most cases.(new amendments to forest act raised the limit of compulsory FMP from 2ha to 5ha)Forest inventory data has been made easily accessible for forestry specialists (GIS software Metsaregister as a part of Information System for Monitoring of Forest Management) and to the general public (web-based solution). Some web based services have been further developed (on-line submission of forest notifications, public forest web-map). Department of the Forest Register of the EEIC has been in charge of the substantial developments.New ICT solution development failed in 2013. Tasks handed over to IT Centre of MoE. Competent people lost their jobs.


Statistics on forest resources and forest management planning – Forest Register web service

Not possible to access from servers outside Estonia


Statistics on forest resources and forest management planning – Forest Register

Forest Register software is used by more than 200 forestry specialists in major forestry institutions including Estonian Ministry of the Environment, Environmental Board, Environmental Inspectorate, Private Forest Centre, State Forest Management Centre, EEIC and other.

GIS software provides flexible and unified working environment for most of the forest administration specialists. Central data management has been provide by EEIC. Data layers from different sources have been added to the system: layer of cadastral units, nature protection areas. Access is provided to the Land Title Book. Totally new technological solution is under construction.

Solution failed. IT Centre of MoE starts new development round from the beginning of 2014.Problems keeping up old system.


Statistics on forest resources and forest management planning – Forest Register

Forest Register Sofware


Statistics on forest resources – NFI

NFI has been carried out in Estonia since 1999. Since 2003 the department of NFI in CFPS has been responsible for developments. Same department continued the work in EEIC since April 2010 and in EEA since June 2013 as part of Forest Monitoring Department

Results of the NFI have been published annually in NFI yearbook “Eesti metsad 0x” – results of the year 2010 are available at http://www.keskkonnainfo.ee/failid/Eesti_metsad_2010.pdf

Main efforts in the last years have been:1) Shaping of the data collection to the form which enables to provide

data according to the international reporting needs (FRA, MCPFE) 2) The new indicators of biodiversity, land-use etc to satisfy other

reporting needs (esp. Biodiversity, Carbon reporting needs).3) Publication of wide range of different possible data collected by NFI

as the longer time series provide better quality and reliability in case of some indicators.

4) Major efforts have been made to compile the national GHG report (LULUCF chapter). Problems finding extra resources needed.


Statistics – reporting and publishing

continuation of routines – gathering and processing of statistics - cooperation of Ministry of Environment, State Forest Management Centre, Estonian Statistical Office, Estonian Land Board, Estonian University of Life Sciences a.o.; replying to national and international inquires (evaluation report of Estonian Forestry Development Programme until 2020, FRA, JFSQ, MCPFE, JWEE)

Regular publication of forestry statistics continued (Yearbook “Mets 2010-11”; NFI Yearbook “Eesti metsad 2010”, on-line publication of different reports). CD Estonian Forestry 2011 was published for the International Year of Forests. Next version will be prepared in 2014.


Quality aspects of forestry statistics

Some new cooperation routines have been set up to exchange the data and to assess the quality of forestry statistics between EEIC and:

1) Estonian Forest and Wood Industries Association (production and trade statistics)

2) Estonian Statistical Office (regular data and information exchange for forest statistical observations but also for wood energy, wood products, foreign trade, employment etc).

3) Environmental Board (use of foresrts – forest notifications.4) State Forest Management Centre (silviciltural works, prices, sales of

wood etc)5) Private Forest Centre (subsidies in forestry)6) a.o.

It has been possible to keep and enhance cooperation with mentioned stakeholders.

Statistical Office seeks possibilities to hand over some statistics’ production (including forestry)


Quality aspects of forestry statistics - exampleAssessment of the “quality” of forest notifications

In case of private forest owners the area and volume of planned fellings (according to felling notifications) have been used as preliminary felling figure (NFI estimate becomes available 1-1,5 years later). There exists tendency to notify much more than afterwards felled. There was no estimate for the difference between planned and real fellings. There exists no system of “forest declaration” (reporting after fellings)

Existing spatial data provide good possibilities for the calibration of some statistics.

Notification areas were compared with the aerophotos. Visual interpretation was carried out in case of clear-fellings in private forests (whether felling was carried out or not). Estimate was calculated for the “realisation” of planned fellings.

Baltic-Nordic Forest Statistics Group (BNFSG)Stockholm, Sweden, 12-13 September 2011

Quality aspects of forestry statistics - exampleAssessment of the “quality” of forest notifications

Areas assessed


Quality aspects of forestry statistics - exampleAssesment of the “quality” of forest notifications

Interpretation


Quality aspects of forestry statistics - exampleAssesment of the “quality” of forest notifications

?8,4?


Problems and challenges

To keep pace with the technological and administrative changes (up-date solutions of data systems and at least keep the present staffing level).

Statistcs activity lost one specialist to private sector.

“New emerging” indicators on the national and international levels (it takes time to include and test the indicators in data acquisition systems). Carbon reporting gains more importance. VALID

Continuously icreasing reporting and small number of staff – delays (often caused by the slow production of statistics from other sources). There is no capacity for innovative solutions. VALID, some hope in NFI and LULUCF reporting side.

Analysis of the existing statistics was mentioned as key factor in the Forestry Development Programme until 2020 (we are able to provide minimum level at the moment). VALID, examples when other organisations take over.

(EEIC) EEA may become the official forestry statistics producer in coming years (so far Estonian Statistical Office is single statistics producer in Estonia)


Thank you!

baltic-nordic forest statistics group (bnfsg) rovaniemi , finland , 12. dec ember 20 13

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