Forest Resources

in China
——The 9th National Forest Inventory

National Forestry and Grassland Administration

March, 2019
 Ⅰ
Status of Forest Resources

Content Preface

02 Ⅰ Status of Forest Resources

Forests are indispensable natural resources for the
subsistence and development of mankind.

In the past 40 years of reform and opening up, remarkable

07 Ⅱ Forest Functions and Services achievements on forest protection and development have
been made through continuous promotion of afforestation
and greening, forest nurturing, tightened control over forest

09 Ⅲ Quantity of Forest Resources

consumption and natural forest protection. Since the 18th
CPC National Congress, China has entered a new era of
ecological civilization and building a beautiful China. The
forest area and stock volume have continued to grow and
26 Ⅳ Quality of Forest Resources ecological functions of forests have been continuously
enhanced due to the implementation of the most stringent
ecological protection system and adoption of strict ecological

27 Ⅴ National Forest Inventory

improvement measures, laying a solid foundation for
adhering to General Secretary Xi Jinping's conviction that
lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets and a
new start-up journey of forestry modernization and the high-
quality development of forestry.

This brochure, based on the 9th national forest inventory

(NFI), outlines the function, quantity, quality and
changes of forest resources in China.

•1•
 Ⅰ
Status of Forest Resources
Ⅰ
>>>>>>
Status of Forest Resources
The total biomass of forest vegetation is 18.802 billion
China has a forest area of 220 million ha, a forest cover of tons, and its total carbon stock is 9.186 billion tons.
22.96%, and a forest stock volume of 17.560 billion m³.

◎ Distribution of Forest Resources in P.R.China

Ⅰ Ⅰ
Status of Forest Resources Status of Forest Resources

According to Global Forest Resources Assessment According to the results of the nine national forest
2015, the forest area in China accounts for 5.51% of the inventories conducted between 1973 and 2018, the
world's total, ranking the fifth. The forest stock volume forest cover in China has increased from 12.00% to
th
takes up 3.34% of the world's total, ranking the 6 . The 22.96% and the forest stock volume has increased by
plantation area in China remains the first of the world. 8.5 billion m³ in the past 40 years. Particularly since the
The forest area per capita in China is 0.16 ha, less than late 1980s China has maintained "dual growth" in both
1/3 of the world average, while the forest stock volume forest area and stock volume for 30 consecutive years,
per capita is 12.35 m³, only 1/6 of the world average. becoming the country with the largest growth in forest
China is one of the top ranking countries in terms of resources worldwide.
total forest resources, but its per capita forest resources
remain low. Unit: %

25.0 22.96
21.63
20.36
20.0 18.21
Unit: 100 million ha 16.55
15.0 13.92
10.00 12.70 12.98
12.00
8.15
8.00 10.0

6.00 50.0
4.94

4.00 3.47 3.10 0.0

1st NFI 2nd NFI 3rd NFI 4th NFI 5th NFI 6th NFI 7th NFI 8th NFI 9th NFI
2.20
2.00 1.53 (1973—1976) (1977—1981) (1984—1988) (1989—1993) (1994—1998) (1999—2003) (2004—2008) (2009—2013) (2014—2018)
Forest coverage of previous NFIs
0.00
Russia Brazil Canada USA China Congo
（Democratic Republic）

Forest area of the top six countries in the world

Unit: 10,000ha

25000
22044.62
20768.73
20000 19545.22
17490.92
Unit: 100 million m³ 15894.09
967.45 15000 13370.35
1000 12186.00 11527.74 12465.28
814.88 10000
800
5000
600
406.99 0
400 351.15 329.83
1st NFI 2nd NFI 3rd NFI 4th NFI 5th NFI 6th NFI 7th NFI 8th NFI 9th NFI
175.60 (1973—1976) (1977—1981) (1984—1988) (1989—1993) (1994—1998) (1999—2003) (2004—2008) (2009—2013) (2014—2018)
200
Forest area of previous NFIs
0
Brazil Russia USA Congo Canada China
（Democratic Republic）
Forest stock volume of the top six countries in the world

•4• •5•
Ⅰ Ⅰ
Status of Forest Resources Status of Forest Resources
Ⅱ
Unit: 100 million m³
175.60
Forest Functions and Services >>>>>>
180
151.37
160 137.21
140 124.56
112.67
120 101.37
86.56 90.28 91.41
100
80
The forest can offer a variety of functions for people's
60
40
livelihood, such as ecological, social and product
20
0
services, and plays a significant role in ecological
1st NFI 2nd NFI 3rd NFI 4th NFI 5th NFI 6th NFI 7th NFI 8th NFI 9th NFI
(1973—1976) (1977—1981) (1984—1988) (1989—1993) (1994—1998) (1999—2003) (2004—2008) (2009—2013) (2014—2018)
civilization and building a beautiful China.
Stock volume of previous NFIs

1 Ecological services

The area of shelterbelt forests designated for headwaters

conservation, soil and water conservation, wind break and
sand fixation amounts to 100.8192 million ha.

China's forests hold a water conservation capacity of

628.950 billion m³, a soil fixation capacity of 8.748 billion
tons, a nutrient preserving capacity of soil of 462 million
tons, an air pollutants absorption capacity of 40 million
tons, a dust retention capacity of 6.158 billion tons, a
carbon fixation capacity of 434 million tons and an oxygen
release capacity of 1.029 billion tons on an annual basis.

◎ Water conservation ◎ Water and soil conservation

•6• •7•
Ⅱ Ⅱ
Forest Functions and Services Forest Function
Ⅲ
2 Social services Quantity of Forest Resources >>>>>>
The area of forests in China designated for special
purposes, including tourism, sightseeing, livable
environment, scenic spots, scientific experiments and
nature conservation reaches 22.8040 million ha.
1 Forest vegetation types

Due to its complex natural geographical and diverse

climatic conditions, China has diverse forest types with
distinct zonal distribution. The area of natural forest
vegetation in China is 138.6777 million ha, and the area
of nurtured forest vegetation reaches 79.5428 million
ha, accounting for 63.55% and 36.45% of the total
◎ Tourism and sightseeing ◎ Air purification respectively.

3 Forest goods Natural forest vegetation Among the natural forest

vegetation in China, the area of coniferous forest
The total area of commercial forests designated for vegetation amounts to 45.7006 million ha, while the
forest products reaches 94.5973 million ha, of which the area of broad-leaved forest vegetation reaches 80.9650
timber forest area is 72.4235 million ha, the fuelwood million ha, and the area of bushes is 12.0121 million ha,
forest area is 1.2314 million ha, and the economic forest accounting for 32.95%, 58.38% and 8.67% of the total
area is 20.9424 million ha. respectively.

◎ Ecological tea plantation ◎ Camellia forest

•8• •9•
Ⅲ Ⅲ
Quantity of Forest Resources Quantity of Forest Resources

◎ Area of natural forests by vegetation type 10,000 ha, %

◎ Area of nurtured forests by vegetation type 10,000 ha, %
Vegetation Vegetation type Area Area ratio
Vegetation type Area Area ratio
type group
Coniferous forests 2611.49 32.83
Cold-temperate coniferous
1652.24 36.15
forests
Mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests 456.16 5.73
Temperate coniferous
481.31 10.53
forests
Broad-leaved forests 2645.02 33.25
Temperate mixed coniferous
473.99 10.37
and broad-leaved forests
Coniferous Bushes 1990.83 25.03
forests Warm coniferous forests 1297.28 28.39
Warm coniferous and Other woody types 250.78 3.16
663.20 14.51
broad-leaved mixed forests
Hot coniferous forests 1.32 0.03
Hot coniferous and broad-
0.72 0.02
leaved mixed forests
Deciduous broad-leaved
5052.72 62.41
forests
Evergreen deciduous
972.08 12.01
broad-leaved mixed forests
Evergreen broad-leaved ◎ Cold-temperate coniferous forests ◎ Temperate coniferous forests
1382.38 17.07
forests
Broad-
leaved Sclerophyllous evergreen
forests 216.38 2.67
broad-leaved forests
Monsoon forests 23.93 0.30
Rainforests 56.43 0.69
Mangrove forests 2.20 0.03
◎ Temperate mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests ◎ Warm coniferous forests

Bamboo forests 390.38 4.82

Evergreen coniferous
60.05 5.00
bushes
Evergreen leathery-leaved
213.25 17.75
bushes
Bushes ◎ Deciduous broad-leaved forests ◎ Evergreen broad-leaved forests
Deciduous broad-leaved
732.17 60.95
bushes
Evergreen broad-leaved
195.74 16.30
bushes

Nurtured forests Among the nurtured forests in China,

◎ Monsoon forests ◎ Rainforests
broad-leaved forests and coniferous forests are dominant
types, of which the area of broad-leaved forests reaches
26.4502 million ha, accounting for 33.25%; and the area
of coniferous forests is 26.1149 million ha, taking up
◎ Mangrove forests ◎ Bamboo forests
32.83%.

• 10 • • 11 •
Ⅲ Ⅲ
Quantity of Forest Resources Quantity of Forest Resources

2 Composition of forest community Arbor trees are the main body of forest vegetation,
and their role and status are usually reflected by the
In terms of forest area, the total area of arbor forests importance value of arbor species. The greater the
is 179.8885 million ha, taking up 82.43%; the total number of tree species in the forest vegetation, the wider
area of bamboo forests amounts to 6.4116 million ha, the distribution and the larger the individual, the higher
accounting for 2.94%; and the total area of special the importance value of the tree species is. Broken down
bushes reaches 31.9204 million ha, making up 14.63%. by the importance value, the top 20 arbor tree species are
listed in the following table. The total number of trees of
Arbor forests the 20 species is 97.351 billion, accounting for 51.44% of
Main arbor tree species Broken down by dominant tree the national total, while their total stock volume reaches
species, the top 10 tree species (groups) in terms of area of arbor 9.046 billion m³, making up 53.03% of the national total.
forests are listed in the following table. The total area of forests ◎ Quantity of main arbor tree species 100 million trees, 100 million m³
dominated by the tree species accounts for 46.30% of the total, Importance Number Stock
No. Tree species Main distribution provinces
value of trees volume
while the stock volume takes up 43.83% of the national total.
Cunninghamia
1 23.23 211.72 10.79 Fujian, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangxi
lanceolata

◎ Area and stock volume of dominant tree species (group) in 2 Betula platyphylla 16.58 128.26 10.33 Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang
arbor forests 3 Pinus massoniana 14.79 100.33 9.08 Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei
10,000 ha, 100 million m³, % Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang,
4 Larix gmelinii 10.99 80.83 9.36
Xinjiang
Dominant species Stock volume
Area Area ratio Stock volume
(group) ratio 5 Quercus mongolica 10.74 82.94 5.83 Heilongjiang, Jilin, Inner Mongolia
Quercus 1656.26 9.21 14.18 8.32 6 6.84 42.68 4.40 Henan, Shandong, Inner Mongolia
Populus
Cunninghamia
1138.66 6.33 8.52 5.00 7 Populus davidiana 5.77 36.59 3.43 Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia
lanceolata
Larix gmelinii 1083.51 6.02 11.23 6.58 8 Pinus yunnanensis 5.59 40.29 4.87 Yunnan, Sichuan, Tibet
Betula 1038.34 5.77 9.23 5.41 9 Schima superba 4.74 32.09 1.90 Guangdong, Jiangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang
Populus 825.49 4.59 6.12 3.59
10 Betula dahurica 4.21 25.01 1.93 Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin
Pinus
804.30 4.47 6.26 3.67 11 3.89 31.27 2.25 Sichuan, Tibet
massoniana Cupressus funebris
Eucalyptus 546.74 3.04 2.16 1.26 12 Quercus glauca 3.44 22.41 1.14 Fujian, Guizhou, Shaanxi
Picea asperata 439.34 2.44 9.73 5.70
13 Quercus liaotungensis 3.43 26.47 1.83 Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shanxi
Pinus
425.74 2.37 5.01 2.94 14 Pinus tabuliformis 3.32 25.55 1.60 Shaanxi, Shanxi, Liaoning, Hebei
yunnanensis
Platycladus
370.82 2.06 2.32 1.36 15 Acer pictum 3.20 16.32 1.33 Jilin, Heilongjiang, Liaoning
orientalis
Total 8329.20 46.30 74.76 43.83 16 Liquidambar formosana 3.14 12.97 0.90 Guangxi, Guizhou, Anhui, Fujian
17 Picea asperata 2.91 9.82 6.97 Tibet, Xinjiang, Sichuan
There are more than 2,000 species of arbor trees in 18 Tilia amurensis 2.90 13.10 1.82 Jilin, Heilongjiang

China. The number of arbor trees reaches 189.243 19 Abies fabri 2.84 6.80 9.44 Tibet, Sichuan
20 Eucalyptus urophylla 2.71 28.06 1.26 Guangxi, Guangdong
billion, with a stock volume of 17.058 billion m³.

• 12 • • 13 •
Ⅲ Ⅲ
Quantity of Forest Resources Quantity of Forest Resources

Major precious tree species The number of precious attributes, growth process and management and utilization
tree species in China is about 33.054 billion, accounting purpose, arbor forests are categorized into young forests,
for 17.47% of the total number of arbor trees, with a stock middle-aged forests, near-mature forests, mature forests and
volume of 2.596 billion m³, accounting for 15.22% of over-mature forests by age group in China.
the total arbor forest stock volume in China. Ranked by ● The area of young forests is 58.7754 million ha, with a
importance value, the top 20 precious tree species are listed
stock volume of 2.139 billion m³;
in the following table. The total number of trees of the ● The area of middle-aged forests is 56.2592 million ha, with
species is 27.667 billion, accounting for 14.62% of the total
a stock volume of 4.822 billion m³;
number of arbor trees in China, and the total stock volume is ● The area of near-mature forests is 28.6133 million ha, with
2.102 billion m³, making up 12.32% of the total arbor forest
a stock volume of 3.514 billion m³;
stock volume in China. ● The area of mature forests is 24.6766 million ha, with a
Age group structure According to distinct biological stock volume of 4.011 billion m³;
◎ Quantity of main precious tree species
● The area of over-mature forests is 11.5640 million ha, with
100 million, 100 million m³
Importance Number Stock
a stock volume of 2.572 billion m³.
No. Tree species Main distribution provinces
value of trees volume
Heilongjiang, Jilin, Inner
1 Quercus mongolica 10.74 82.94 5.83 Unit: %
Mongolia Area
35 32.67 31.27
2 Cyclobalanopsis glauca 3.44 22.41 1.14 Fujian, Guizhou, Shaanxi
28.26 Stock volume
3 3.43 26.47 1.83 Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shanxi 30
Quercus liaotungensis
25 23.52
4 Tilia amurensis 2.90 13.10 1.82 Jilin, Heilongjiang 20.60
20
5 Quercus acutissima 2.68 19.05 0.87 Sichuan, Yunnan, Henan 15.91 15.08
15 12.54 13.72
6 Castanopsis fargesil 2.42 13.66 1.20 Fujian, Jiangxi, Guizhou
10 6.43
Guizhou, Jiangxi, Anhui, Hunan,
7 Quercus fabri 2.18 14.45 0.54
Zhejiang 5
8 Quercus variabilis 1.92 14.28 0.81 Hubei, Shaanxi, Yunnan, Sichuan 0
Young forest Middle-aged Near-mature Mature forest Over-mature
9 Juglans mandshurica 1.67 6.02 1.19 Jilin, Heilongjiang, Liaoning forest forest forest
10 Quercus aliena 1.60 10.11 0.86 Gansu, Shaanxi Proportion of arbor forest area and stock volume by age group

11 Pinus koraiensis 1.53 7.72 1.03 Heilongjiang, Jilin

12 Fraxinus mandshurica 1.40 5.26 0.73 Heilongjiang, Jilin
13 Betula costata 1.28 5.66 0.80 Heilongjiang, Jilin, Hebei
14 Castanopsis sclerophylla 1.26 7.68 0.32 Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian
15 Castanopsis hystrix 1.06 6.02 0.57 Guangdong, Yunnan, Guangxi
16 Dalbergia hupeana 0.99 3.90 0.10 Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Yunnan
17 Betula luminifera 0.98 4.44 0.41 Hubei, Shaanxi, Guizhou
18 Fagus longipetiolata 0.90 5.81 0.41 Sichuan, Hunan, Guizhou
19 Fraxinus rhynchophylla 0.86 4.98 0.33 Jilin, Liaoning
◎ Chinese fir in young forests ◎ Masson pine in middle-aged
20 Sassafras tzumu 0.83 2.71 0.23 Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian, Anhui
forests

• 14 • • 15 •
Ⅲ Ⅲ
Quantity of Forest Resources Quantity of Forest Resources

◎ Area and culms of moso bamboo forest 10,000 ha, 100 million culms

Moso bamboo forest

Statistic unit
Area Culms

Total 467.78 113.60

Fujian 107.95 26.89

Bamboo forest
Jiangxi 103.73 25.58
China, known as the ''kingdom of bamboo'', is one Hunan 80.39 15.69
of countries with the richest and widely-distributed Zhejiang 78.55 21.41
bamboo resources in the world, and has a long history Anhui 31.24 7.84
of using bamboo resources. China has more than 500 Guangdong 17.27 4.04
bamboo species in 39 genera. The number of cultivated Guangxi 16.33 4.31

economic bamboo species reaches 50, including Hubei 14.40 2.87

Phyllostachys pubescens (Moso bamboo), Phyllostachys Sichuan 7.26 2.19

praecox and so on. Guizhou 6.08 1.34

Jiangsu 2.64 0.93

The area of bamboo forest is 6.4116 million ha, of which
Chongqing 1.29 0.34
the area of Moso bamboo forest is 4.6778 million ha,
Henan 0.65 0.17
accounting for 72.96%; the area of other bamboo forest
is 1.7338 million ha, accounting for 27.04%.
Special bushes
The Moso bamboo forest is distributed in 13 provinces.
Four provinces including Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan and In China, bushes designated for economic use, bushes
Zhejiang, have an area of over 700,000 ha respectively. situated in areas with annual precipitation below 400
The total area of Moso bamboo forest in the above- mm, bushes growing above the arbor distribution
mentioned provinces amounts to 3.7062 million ha, (vertical) line, and bushes growing in tropical and
accounting for 79.23% of the national total. subtropical karst areas and dry-hot (drought) valleys
are classified as special bushes, and they are included
in calculating forest cover. The area of special bushes
is 31.9204 million ha, mainly distributing in the arid
regions of the west, the karst areas in the southwest and
the dry-hot (drought) valleys where arbor tree species
◎ Mottled bamboo forest ◎ Moso bamboo forest are hard to survive.

• 16 • • 17 •
Ⅲ Ⅲ
Quantity of Forest Resources Quantity of Forest Resources

3 Natural forests

The Chinese government has implemented strict natural 13.670 billion m³, and a stock volume per ha of 111.36
forest protection policies and made great efforts to m³. The natural forest is mainly distributed in five
conduct the mountain-closure for natural regeneration of provinces, including Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang,
forests. In 2016, China completely stopped commercial Yunnan, Tibet and Sichuan. The area of natural forest in
logging of natural forests. The area of natural forest in the five provinces accounts for 58.99% of the national
China is 138.6777 million ha, with a stock volume of total.
◎ Distribution of natural forest in P.R.China

• 18 • • 19 •
Ⅲ Ⅲ
Quantity of Forest Resources Quantity of Forest Resources

Broken down by dominant tree species (groups), the top

ten natural forest tree species are listed in the following
table. The forest area of the ten species accounts for
44.23% of the national total, and their stock volume
makes up 50.50% of the national total. The natural arbor forest is categorized by age group as
follows:
◎ Area and stock volume of dominant species (groups) in
natural arbor forest ● The area of young forest is 35.5163 million ha, with a
10,000 ha, 100 million m³, %
stock volume of 1.554 billion m³;
Forest type Area Ratio Stock volume Ratio
● The area of middle-aged forest is 39.2912 million ha, with
Quercus 1467.21 11.95 13.64 9.98
a stock volume of 3.707 billion m³;
Betula 997.31 8.12 8.94 6.54 ● The area of near-mature forest is 20.5272 million ha, with
Larix gmelinii 767.22 6.25 8.86 6.48
a stock volume of 2.791 billion m³;
Pinus massoniana 552.38 4.50 4.38 3.21 ● The area of mature forest is 18.0885 million ha, with a
Picea asperata 398.15 3.24 9.54 6.98 stock volume of 3.291 billion m³;
Pinus yunnanensis 381.20 3.11 4.69 3.43 ● The area of over-mature forest is 9.3386 million ha, with a
Abies fabri 357.67 2.91 13.22 9.67 stock volume of 2.327 billion m³.
Cupressus funebris 209.69 1.71 1.48 1.08

Pinus densata 150.83 1.23 3.32 2.43 Unit: % Area

35
32.01 Stock volume
Cunninghamia lanceolata 148.46 1.21 0.97 0.70 30 28.93 27.12
24.07
25
Total 5430.12 44.23 69.04 50.50 20.42
20 17.02
16.72
15 14.73
11.37
10 7.61
5
0
Young forest Middle-aged Near-mature Mature forest Over- mature
forest forest forest
Area and stock volume of natural arbor forest by age group

• 20 • • 21 •
Ⅲ Ⅲ
Quantity of Forest Resources Quantity of Forest Resources

4 Plantations

The Chinese government has attached great importance 79.5428 million ha, with a stock volume of 3.388 billion
to nurturing plantation resources, and carried out m³, and 59.30 m³ per ha. Provinces including Guangxi,
large scale afforestation and regreening. China has Guangdong, Inner Mongolia, Yunnan, Sichuan and
greatly developed and steadily expanded the plantation Hunan have a large cover of plantations, accounting for
resources. The plantation area ranks China the first in 43.50% of the national total.
the world. The total area of plantations in China reaches
◎ Distribution of Plantation in P.R.China

• 22 • • 23 •
Ⅲ Ⅲ
Quantity of Forest Resources Quantity of Forest Resources

Broken down by dominant tree species (groups), the top Plantations are classified by age group as follows:
ten tree species in terms of plantation area are Listed in ● The area of young forest is 23.2591 million ha, with a
the following table. The total area of these species (groups)
stock volume of 585 million m³;
accounts for 63.65% of the national total, and their stock ● The area of middle-aged forest is 16.9680 million ha,
volume makes up 68.47% of the national total.
with a stock volume of 1115 million m³;
◎ Area and stock volume of dominant species (groups) for
● The area of near-mature forest is 8.0861 million ha, with
arbor plantations a stock volume of 723 million m³;
10,000 ha, 100 million m³, % ● The area of mature forest is 6.5881 million ha, with a
Plantations Type Area Ratio Stock volume Ratio stock volume of 720 million m³;
Cunninghamia lanceolata 990.20 17.33 7.56 22.30 ● The area of over-mature forest is 2.2254 million ha, with
Populus 757.07 13.25 5.46 16.12 a stock volume of 245 million m³.
Eucalyptus 546.74 9.57 2.16 6.37

Unit:%
Larix gmelinii 316.29 5.54 2.38 7.01 Area
45 40.72
40 Stock volume
Pinus massoniana 251.92 4.41 1.88 5.54 32.90
35 29.70
30
Robinia pseudoacacia 177.84 3.11 0.52 1.52
25 21.33 21.26
20 17.28
Pinus tabuleaformis 167.76 2.94 0.81 2.40 14.15
15 11.53
10 7.23
Cupressus funebris 161.13 2.82 0.84 2.49 3.90
5
0
Hevea brasiliensis 138.28 2.42 1.05 3.11 Young forest Middle-aged Near-mature Mature forest Over- mature
forest forest forest
Pinus elliottii 128.65 2.25 0.54 1.61 Area and stock volume of arbor plantation by age group

Total 3635.88 63.65 23.20 68.47

◎ Chinese fir forest ◎ Poplar forest

• 24 • • 25 •
 Ⅲ Ⅲ
Quantity of Forest Resources Quantity of Forest Resources
Ⅳ Ⅴ
>>>>>>
Quality of Forest Resources National Forest Inventory >>>>>>

The forest stock volume is 94.83 m³ per ha, the average Since the 1970s, China has established the continuous
annual increment of forests is 4.73 m³ per ha, the national forest inventory (NFI) system at an interval of
average number of trees per ha is 1052. The average five years. The internationally recognized continuous
crown closure is 0.58, the average DBH is 13.4 cm, and forest inventory methods have been introduced and used
the average tree height is 10.5 m, and the proportion of in the system. With the province (autonomous region/
mixed forest area is 41.92%. municipality) as a survey unit, 415,000 permanent
sample plots are re-surveyed once every five years to
Based on comprehensive evaluation:
investigate, measure and record relevant indicators
● High-quality forests take up 20.68%; showing the quantity, quality and structure of forest
● Medium-quality forests take up 68.04%; resources, forest ecological conditions, forest functions
● Low-quality forests take up 11.28%. and benefits. The data on forest resources status and
In the light of forest growth status and severity of dynamic changes are consequently collected to evaluate
damaged forests, the overall health of arbor forests is the ecological status of forest resources and forest
evaluated, with the results shown as follows: functions and benefits at the national and provincial
levels.
● The area of healthy arbor forests accounts for 84.38%;
● The area of sub-healthy arbor forests accounts for By the year of 2018, a total of nine NFIs had been
12.12%; accomplished.
● The area of moderately healthy arbor forests accounts
for 2.52%;
● The area of unhealthy arbor forests accounts for 0.98%.

◎ High quality forests ◎ Low quality forests

• 26 • • 27 •
 Ⅴ
National Forest Inventory

NFI Technical Framework

Special Survey System Sample Plot Survey System Basic Survey System

Biomass model
Forest resources
　Quantity: Quality:
in key areas Model of standing wood volume
Forest coverage, area, Per-unit-area stock Survey
stock volume, …… volume, …… Modeling
Carbon fixation coefficients
Typical forest
Data Collection

vegetation Energy storage coefficients

Structure: 　Distribution: Soil erosion modulus

Important tree Ownership, forest Forestland, stock
species type,origin, …… volume,tree species,……
Surface runoff

RS monitoring of Evapotranspiration ratio Monitoring

forest vegetation
Ecologically related contents Air purification
of fixed
locations
Forest health, forest function index,land degradation
type, tree species diversity, soil erosion,……
Social Forest protection
investigation
Forestland soil fertility

Data Processing and Analysis Platform

Data Processing

DB for sample plot survey DB for basic survey DB for special survey DB for RS information DB for result
Data Processing

Analysis and Evaluation

Economic functions and benefits Ecological functions and benefits Social functions and benefits

water Soil Carbon fixation Forest

Forest area Stock volume Employment
conservation conservation & Oxygen release culture

Accumulated
Biomass Air purification Forest protection Biodiversity Recreation
nutrients
Information Release

Information Service Platform

Govern. macro Government agencies Forest production Scientific research Social International
decision making at different levels units &teaching agencies organizations organizations

System structure Data flow National projects Provincial projects

• 28 •
Editor: Xu Jide, Xie Shouxin, Han Aihui, Rao Riguang

Huang Guosheng, Chen Xinyun, Hu Jue, Liu Qian

Yang Xueyun, Zhang Lu

English reviser: Wang Zhi, Wang Hua, Chen Lin

Map Review Number: No. GS （2019）2255

National Forestry and Grassland Administration

Address: No. 18, Hepingli East Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Postcode: 100714

http://www.forestry.gov.cn