Administrative arrangement ESTAT-2019-0300 - Task 2: Gap-filling and estimates for the European Forest Accounts
This report focuses on the second task of the AA ESTAT-2019-0300 which aims to develop a method to gap-fill the data reported on Table A2a, as provided by the European Forest Accounts (EFA) of EUROSTAT and gap-fill this table for the period of 2000 – 2019. This task also includes a preliminary comparison of officially reported data by EU MS with data already reported to EFA and with the estimates derived from the Carbon Budget Model (CBM) currently used by the JRC, with the purpose to use the model output to gap-fill missing data.
Table A2a reports, on annual basis, the changes in the volume of the stock of timber between the beginning and the end of each year, taking into account, from one side, of the net annual increment attributed to the opening growing stock, and from the other side, of the amount of removals and irretrievable losses subtracted within the same year. The main data sources for the gap-filling task which report some information for these parameters include the FRA 2020 Country Reports (for growing stock and area), the State of Europe's Forests 2015 (for growing stock, increment and removals), FAOSTAT (for removals), National Forest Inventories (mostly for growing stock), and other documents, such as the National Forestry Accounting Plans recently submitted by EU MS within the regulation (EU) 2018/841. All these data were further compared with the main assumptions and model output provided by the CBM.
The analysis highlighted that these data sources may considerably differ both for the definitions applied and for the accuracy of the values reported by each database. For growing stock ancillary information provided by official statistics and scientific literature generally allow to assess and reconcile, through appropriate correction factors, the main differences between various databases. For the increment, the lack of detailed information and of data, generally prevent a detailed assessment of possible inconsistencies. For the removals, despite the relatively large number of databases, also including the data directly reported by EUROSTAT, and taking into consideration possible differences due to the specific definitions applied by each data source, we highlighted some clear discrepancies, which should be carefully assessed.
The approach to gap-fill the missing data on Table A2a, was based on a preliminary calibration of the growing stock estimated by the CBM against the data reported by FRA Country Reports. The amount of removals was directly inferred by the data published by EUROSTAT, when available, or otherwise from the data published by FAOSTAT. Missing information on the irretrievable losses were derived from the CBM output. The net annual increment, which was the most uncertain parameter, was indirectly derived from previous items. The results showed a good accuracy of these estimates both with the data reported by FRA Country Reports and with the data already provided on Table A2a – when available.
This report is complemented by a general Excel file, named EFA_FRA_CBM_Data_analysis, including a detailed comparison of the main items reported on Table A2a and specific country’s sheets reporting, for each Member State, the approach to gap-fill the missing data. The detailed application of each parameter at country level is reported on additional country-worksheets including further details, comments and specific methodological assumptions applied at country level.
PILLI Roberto;
GRASSI Giacomo;
2021-02-03
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC123404
978-92-76-29684-3 (online),
1831-9424 (online),
EUR 30581 EN,
OP KJ-NA-30581-EN-N (online),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC123404,
10.2760/73306 (online),
