The Reporting Status of FAO Statistics on the Forest Resources and Forest Products

Abstract

The reporting status of international forest resources and forest products statistics were analyzed based on the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005 of FAO (2006) and ForesSTAT of FAO (last updated Dec. 2006). Those data should be the basis of the global model that integrates forest resources and forest products market of the world. In the FRA2005, about 70% of the countries with forest area reported its growing stock and the change of it. The total area of forests in the countries reporting them accounts for a little less than 90 percent of the total forest area of the world. The total forest area of the countries with some estimates on the amount of industrial roundwood production in the ForesSTAT accounts for 99% of the world forest area. About half a number of the records on industrial roundwood production are based on the reports from its own country and the other half of the records are temporary estimates by FAO and other organizations. Most of the developed countries with substantial amount of production report its own production, and about 3/4 of the reported amount of production in the world is reported by its own country. On the contrary, majority of production in the developing countries are not reported from its own country but estimated by FAO. Those data can be bases for timber supply and demand estimates for the developed countries that constitute more than 70% of the global supply and demand of the forest products except woodfuels. However, the quality of forest resources and timber production data for the developing countries are unfortunately poor and it is difficult to estimate the change of timber supply and demand in those countries.