Data for the National Forest Inventory is being collected using ground surveys, aerial photography, and other sources such as satellite imagery and information provided by owners and managers of forests and woodlands.
Not all of Britain’s forests and woodlands will be ground surveyed. The survey team will visit a representative sample of 15,000 1 hectare (100 m x 100 m) plots across England, Scotland and Wales. The plots have been randomly selected in a sampling scheme designed by Forestry Commission statisticians so that the information needed for the survey can be efficiently gathered.
The current National Inventory is being carried out between 2009 and 2014. Results will start to appear on these web pages from 2011, and these will be presented at national, regional and local scales. We will also produce a map of all known woodland in Britain and, finally, a national report.
