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| Inventaire Forestier National | |
|---|---|
| Name | Inventaire Forestier National |
| Native name | Inventaire Forestier National |
| Formation | 1947 |
| Type | Research agency |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
| Region served | France |
| Leader title | Director |
| Parent organization | Office national des forêts |
Inventaire Forestier National is the national forest inventory of France, created to assess and monitor forests across metropolitan France and overseas territories. It produces systematic information on forest area, volume, growth, species composition, and biomass, supporting policy instruments, conservation programs, and international reporting obligations. The institution interacts with agencies and initiatives such as Office national des forêts, Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), European Environment Agency, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The foundation of the Inventaire Forestier National dates to the post-World War II era with links to reconstruction efforts involving figures and bodies like Maréchal Pétain-era forestry reforms and later administrations under cabinets led by Charles de Gaulle and Georges Pompidou, while scientific collaborations involved institutes such as INRAE and CNRS. Early methodological exchange occurred with inventories like the Swiss National Forest Inventory and the United States Forest Inventory and Analysis program, and standards evolved alongside treaties and agreements including the Convention on Biological Diversity and protocols tied to the Kyoto Protocol. Institutional reforms reflected France’s participation in the European Union’s environmental directives and reporting to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
Governance incorporates ministries and agencies including the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Ministry for the Ecological Transition, and state bodies like Office national des forêts and public research organizations such as INRAE and CNRS. The inventory coordinates with regional administrations like the Région Île-de-France and overseas entities such as authorities in Guadeloupe, Réunion, and Martinique. Scientific oversight involves partnerships with universities including Université Paris-Saclay and research networks like European Forest Institute, while reporting responsibilities align with international conventions such as the Paris Agreement and mechanisms under the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
The inventory employs sampling protocols comparable to those used by the Swiss National Forest Inventory, Norwegian Forest Inventory, and National Forest Inventory (United Kingdom) combining field plots, permanent sample plots, and remote sensing platforms like Landsat, Sentinel-2, and airborne LiDAR systems used in projects with technology partners and institutions such as CNES. Field teams use dendrometric measurements referenced to standards from organizations like ISO and coordinate nomenclature with botanical authorities including Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. Data workflows integrate statistical frameworks inspired by publications from FAO and methodologies applied in the Forest Europe reporting process.
Coverage extends across metropolitan France (including regions such as Bretagne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and Grand Est) and overseas departments and territories including Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, French Guiana, and Mayotte. Stratification follows ecological zones influenced by entities like Météo-France and geomorphological classifications tied to the Alps, Massif Central, and Pyrenees. Cooperation occurs with transboundary programs along borders with Belgium, Germany, Spain, and Italy for harmonized European forest assessments coordinated via the European Environment Agency.
Core outputs include national reports analogous to those produced for Forest Europe and submissions for FAO’s Global Forest Resources Assessment, spatial datasets compatible with platforms like Copernicus, and indicators used in assessments by IPCC and OECD. The inventory publishes statistical tables, maps, biomass and carbon stock estimates, species distribution records linked to taxonomic databases maintained by Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, and methodological manuals used by agencies such as Office national des forêts and regional forestry directorates. Data services support portals interoperable with standards from INSPIRE and metadata catalogs used by the European Data Portal.
Information supports national policy instruments administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Ministry for the Ecological Transition, forestry management by Office national des forêts and private forest owners represented by organizations like Fédération nationale des propriétaires forestiers, biodiversity conservation projects with French Biodiversity Agency and NGOs including LPO (France), carbon accounting under the Paris Agreement, and academic research at institutions such as Sorbonne University and École Polytechnique. It underpins market mechanisms linked to standards by ISO and voluntary carbon schemes aligned with frameworks like those of Verified Carbon Standard and informs land-use planning in municipalities including Paris and regional councils.
Challenges include integrating high-resolution remote sensing from providers like Copernicus and private satellite operators, reconciling inventory methods with international frameworks such as IPCC guidelines, and addressing issues in data sharing under laws like national open data policies and European regulation from bodies including the European Commission. Future directions emphasize improving LiDAR coverage tied to projects supported by Agence nationale de la recherche, enhancing biodiversity indicators referenced to the Convention on Biological Diversity, strengthening links to climate models used by the IPCC and expanding capacity for monitoring disturbances from pests like Ips typographus and events tied to climate change documented by Météo-France.
Category:Forestry in France Category:National forest inventories