Initiatives of the European Commission on Forest Monitoring Jesús San-Miguel-Ayanz (EC JRC)

1. Initiatives of the European Commission on Forest MonitoringJesús San-Miguel-Ayanz (EC JRC)

2. Status • Lack of comprehensive/harmonized information at the EU level • Existence of multiple forest information sources • National forest inventories/statistics (EFICS report, EC 1997) • European statistics collected by EC (Eurostat) • Temperate and Boreal resources Assessments (UN-ECE/FAO, 2000) • Forest Resources Assessment (FRA2005) • Dispite of above, the lack of harmonized information at the EU level persists • Lack of a European Legislation on Forestry Initiatives of the EC on Forest Monitoring

3. Policy Framework on forest information in the EU • European Forest Information and Communication (EFICS- EEC1615/89) • European Forest Information and Communication System (EFICS) in order to address the need for sound forestry information at the European level. • EFICS expired in the year 2000. Results included: • EFICS report (EC 1997). Publications and workshops on harmonization of forest nomenclature, data and methods. • Production of a demonstration prototype of a European Forest Information System (EFIS) • Follow-up of EFICS  “Preparatory Action” on the establishment of a European Forest Information and Communication Platform EFICP – 2004

4. JRC activities supporting forest monitoring - European Forest Information and Communication Platform (EFICP) User Data Provider Data Provider EFICP - Information Sever Host of resource discovery, analysis and visualization tools User User User Internet User • EFICP Information Server Data Provider User • Data Provider • Metadata Data Provider • Data/information Metadata Metadata Metadata Metadata Metadata Metadata $ Metadata Regional Forest Resources and Socioeconomic statistics European Forest Maps Long term forest resources database Forest Products Statistics and Trade flow Watershed data Forest Disturbances

5. Policy Framework on forest information in the EU • Atmospheric Pollution on forests (EEC Reg. 3528/86) • Level I - Monitoring forest health and vitality through the annual assessment of tree defoliation in a systematic grid of 16 by 16 km. • Level II scheme was set up in 1994 to monitor cause-effect relationship on a selected number of experimental plots. They do not European representative information . • Atmospheric Pollution on forests (EEC Reg. 3528/86) expired in 2002. • Continued monitoring of atmospheric pollution on forests (Forest Focus Reg. 2152/03) until 2006

6. JRC activities supporting forest monitoringForest Focus Data Platform DATA MANAGEMENT Increment 5 Year Meteorological Continuous Soil Inventory 10 Year Level I Foliar Analysis Crown Condition 1 Year Common EU Forest Data Platform Level II Database Level I Crown Condition Deposition Continuous Vegetation 5 Year Level I Soil Soil Solution Continuous Foliage 2 Year Dedicated Access Registration, Username/Password Public Access to aggregated data Intranet Extranet Internet Commission Services Scientific Community General Public

7. Policy Framework on forest information in the EU • Forest Fires Prevention (EEC 2158/92) / EEC 804/94 Forest fire database • Information on forest fires events (Common Core Database of National Fire Stats.) • Data included: • Fire location (commune level) • Date of fire initiation and extinction • Time of first intervention and extinction • Burnt area (forest/non forest) • Cause of the fire (unknown, natural, accident, deliberate) • Continued monitoring through Forest Focus (Reg. 2152/03) until 2006  European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS)

8. JRC activities supporting forest monitoring European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) Modules Fuel/Biomass Fire Risk Customer and users: Products: EP Damage Assessment • Cartography • Tables • Statistics Member States Post-fire risk zoning CO2 emissions EC Regeneration National Fire Statistics

9. Forest Policy Framework in the EU • Forest Focus (EEC 2152/2003 ) • Forest Fires (EEC 2158/92) • Atmospheric Pollution on forests (EEC 3528/86) • Soils / Biodiversity /Climate Change & Carbon sequestration /Protective function of the forests 2006 LIFE+ Financial instrument • Preparatory Action on a European Forest Information and Communication Platform (EFICP) – 2004 • Follow-up of the EFICS regulation

10. Landsat ETM+ data • 44 land cover classes • Minimum mapping 25 ha • Land cover changes >5 ha • Geometric accuracy: • image data: RMSE < 25 m • land cover data: RMSE < 100 m • Thematic accuracy: > 90 % • Updating frequency: every 10 years (5 years?) EEA-JRC CORINE – Land Cover Mapping - 2000

11. AGRI-ESTAT-JRCLUCAS – Land Use/Cover Area-frame Survey • 2001, 2003, 2005 • Systematic Grid 18 x 18 kmenhanced grid 2005 • The sampling consists of 2 stages: Primary Sampling Units (PSUs) that are cells of a regular grid with a size of 18km by 18km • Secondary Sampling Units (SSUs) that are 10 points regularly distributed (in a rectangular of 1500m by 600m side length) around the centre of each PSU.

12. JRC – European Forest Map – existing products IRS WIFS image mosaic classification (200 m resolution) Forest Proportion – from NOAAAVHRR (1 km resolution)

13. Forest Mapping – High spatial resolution 3 Test Areas – Boreal – Alpine - Mediterranean LANDSAT ETM (TM) • Objectives: • 1. Forest/Non-forest mask • 2. Forest classes • Conifer • Broadleaf • Mixed

14. Summary • Forest monitoring policy lasting up to the end of 2006. • Lack of legislative basis after 2006  LIFE+ in Environment • Future policies/strategies in line with financial rules of the EC 2007-2013 • Several EC services dealing with forestry (DG AGRI, DG ENV, ESTAT, DG REGIO, ...) • Many national and international commitments for reporting on forest resources/environmental issues  need for data integration. • Lack of harmonized information at the EU level. • Large potential of on-going initiatives • ENFIN (European National Forest Inventory Network) • NEFIS (Network of European Forest Information Services) • EFFIS / EC Forest Focus data platform /EFICP • Forest Focus Studies (Biosoil, harmonization, spatial analysis, etc.)