Forestry statistics methodology
I. Basic determination
Forestry statistics provides basic information on forestry activities such as felling or afforestation/reforestation. Forestry includes all units, whose activities cover afforestation/reforestation and forest regeneration, forest cultivation, felling, and other forestry activities.
II. Data source
Statistical surveys are the main data source for the forestry statistics, however, administrative data sources are used as well.
1. Statistical surveys
Annual questionnaire on forestry branch indicators (Les 8-01)
Surveyed indicators:
- Roundwood removals incl. salvage felling
- Afforestation/reforestation
- Deliveries of roundwood
- Balance of unstocked forest areas
- Employees and wages in forestry branch
- Cleaning, thinning and other indicators
2. Administrative data sources, data taken from other sources
Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping and Cadastre: Forest land area
Czech Forestry Institute: Timber land area incl. forest categories, areas of tree species
Ministry of the Interior, General Directorate of the Fire and Rescue Service of the CR: Forest fires
III. Statistical population and sample selection, imputation and estimation of the unsurveyed part of the population
The set of reporting units consists of units with the main economic activity in forestry and logging (Classification of Economic Activities (CZ-NACE) - division 02) and with a pre-defined number of employees and units with a pre-defined forest area (further information is available in the Programme of Statistical Surveys, available in Czech only, https://csu.gov.cz/vykazy/program_statistickych_zjistovani). Data for unsurveyed part of the population are imputed using the collected data from the sample.
IV. Overview of basic published indicators
Roundwood removals (incl. self-production) comprise the volume of the timber obtained from felling or silvicultural activities, incl. salvage felling. Self-production refers to felling passed on to those who remove timber fully or partly for a fixed charge, possibly free of charge, and is used primarily to supply the population mainly with fuelwood.
Salvage felling includes data for all kinds of salvage felling and calamities (abiotic and biotic causes), primarily the processing of dry, uprooted, diseased or damaged trees. Salvage felling (processed) comprises the volume of timber processed within salvage felling.
Deliveries of roundwood include the volume of the timber removed and delivered to domestic and foreign customers and for self-consumption irrespective of the place of delivery (felling residues and forest chips are not included).
Afforestation/reforestation refers to artificial afforestation and reforestation (artificial forest regeneration) by planting and sowing (natural regeneration of forest is excluded), incl. underplanting and undersowing (under existing stands, since 2002). Afforested and reforested areas are included as well as improvement of forest stands and natural seedings by planting.
Average registered number of employees (headcount) includes all categories of permanent, seasonal and temporary employees who are employed by the employer (the arithmetic mean of average numbers of employees). The average registered number of employees – full-time equivalent – is the average registered number of employees (headcount) recalculated according to the length of their working time in relation to full-time working time as set by the employer. Manual workers are included in groups 6–9 of the Classification of Occupations.
Wages excluding other personnel expenses include basic wages and salaries, additional payments to wage or salary, bonuses, compensations for wages and salaries, bonuses for standby duty, and other wage or salary components charged to be paid to employees in a given period. Gross wages are reported.
Average gross monthly wage is the proportion of wages, excluding other personnel expenses, per registered employee and month.
Cleaning is the treatment of young-growth forest stands aimed at reducing stand density and optimising health and quality conditions of a forest stand. The total area of cleaning and cutting of weed trees is counted in.
Thinning refers to the treatment of premature forest stands, which follows up the cleaning, for the purpose of optimising stand characteristics in terms of wood production, resistance and stability. It includes, in particular, management of stand composition and structure, morphological tending of stands and stand stabilisation. Thinning is realised by removing economically inappropriate and undesirable forest stand components in favour of desirable ones.
V. Retrospective corrections, revisions, procedure for more accurate estimations
By default, retroactive corrections and revisions are not performed.
VI. Comparability
Since 2002, afforestation/reforestation (artificial) and natural regeneration of forest under existing stands are included.
VII. Seasonal adjustment
Seasonal adjustment is not performed.
VIII. Data dissemination
Publications: https://csu.gov.cz/forestry
- Forestry
- Historie a současnost lesního a vodního hospodářství - 1950 – 2011 (Czech only)
Time series (Czech only): https://csu.gov.cz/aktualni-produkt/41312
Public database: https://vdb.czso.cz/vdbvo2/faces/en/index.jsf?page=statistiky#katalog=30841
Open data: Local open data catalog | Statistics
The publication dates are listed in the Catalogue of products: https://csu.gov.cz/catalogue-of-products?filtr=true&skupiny=10
IX. Additional methodological information and external links
Detailed methodology is available in the publications.
New EU Forest Strategy for 2030
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021DC0572