Prospects for Harmonized Biodiversity Assessments Using National Forest Inventory Data

Following selection of the 13 biodiversity variables that were evaluated as both important and feasible for assessment by NFIs and grouping them into essential features, additional information was solicited regarding the degree to which the 13 variables are currently assessed by NFIs. The objective was to evaluate the prospects for harmonized estimates of biodiversity indicators based on these variables. The prospects varied considerably depending on the particular variable and essential feature. The evaluations produced positive harmonization possibilities for forest categories and the tree height and diameter variables associated with forest structure. For forest age, possibilities were constrained by lack of common reference definitions. However, possibilities for construction of a common reference definition and bridges to compensate for the differences in estimates resulting from using national and reference definitions were deemed positive. Prospects for regeneration, ground vegetation, and naturalness were less positive because of variability in definitions, assessment methods, measurement thresholds and other factors. Thus, efforts at harmonization for these essential features were constrained to a few variables or a few countries with similar NFI features.