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Glossary of terms

This document defines the most important technical terms used in statistical forest inventory, exclusively from the perspective of the method of this assessment.

Age	The age of a specific sample tree. Age is identified in most cases by taking age information from the National Forest Database and also by estimation or counting annual rings in certain cases.
Area covered by stand	A sum of the sample trees on a sampling plot expressed as a proportion of the total area. Combined with the area categories "unstocked" and "non-defined", they form the total forest land area. In most cases, the size of both the stocked area and the unstocked area is indicated for the sake of completeness of tables.
Aspect	The typical aspect of a sampling plot denoted by codes used in district forest management plans.
Buffer zone	A 20-30 meters wide strip of land used practically as a buffer zone while preparing for a forest inventory so as to exclude the likelihood that a point of the terrain to be surveyed is missed during on-site work due to inaccuracies of evaluation.
Climate	A climatic categorisation used in forestry based on moisture content measured during July at 2 pm on a daily basis, furthermore the annual average precipitation and average temperature. During a forest inventory, climate data are taken from the National Forest Database and are infrequently overridden with respect to a sampling plot.
Closure	The common section of areas projected to the soil surface from the space occupied by canopy cover and the percentage ratio of this area to the total area of the sampling plot. Internally open sections in the canopy do not reduce closure values. Closure is estimated and entered separately for each level when several levels exist.
Current forest association	A forest association classified on the basis of sample trees assessed on sampling plot by applying the classification and grouping used in a district forest management plan.
Damaged (Browsed) small tree	Browsing damage caused by game on the apical (topmost) bud on the leading shoot of a small tree. Specimens with browsing damage only on lateral shoots are not classified in this category.
Dead tree	Dead tree or standing dead tree is interpreted to mean sample tree that have been identified as died off in a sampling plot. Related calculations and extrapolations over a larger area are identical to those used with living sample trees.
Deadwood	Deadwood of at least 1 m long with no less than 10 cm in diameter at the smaller end, which is not fixed to the ground with roots.
Degree of decay	Categorisation used to indicate the degree of decay of dead tree or deadwood. The following values are valid:
	- Fresh deadwood, bark and wood are intact
	- Tree is firm, bark and bast may come off
	- Tree is semi-decayed
	- Tree is mostly soft, decayed
	- Heavily decayed, falls apart if touched
Depth of soil	The topmost layer of the soil which is utilised by vegetation for the usage of nutrients. Classification can rely on the position of the roots of trees. This value is taken in most cases from the National Forest Database, but it may be overridden on the basis of a soil section or the growth of trees at a sampling point.
Diameter (DBH)	The diameter at breast height of a sample tree (measured at 1.3 m). To take measurements, the moveable leg of the calliper is held towards the middle of the sample point on flat terrain while on sloping terrain, it is held perpendicularly to the line of maximum slope. In case outside the measurement range of the calliper diameter is calculated from circumference measurements.
Emergency pest	Pests with a detrimental potential of economic or ecological nature which is not yet present in an endangered area, or if it occurs it is not yet wide-spread and protection against it is in progress based on a decision by the authorities.
Fenced	Information about a sampling plot or its immediate surroundings, used primarily in the evaluation of browsing. The most important consideration during the classification of fences is whether or not it can withstand game damage. Consequently, larger fencing around larger blocks (tens of hectares) need not be indicated.
Forest area	According to the FAO/COST Action E43 definition forest means land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover more than10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ. Less than 20 m wide forest belts are excluded from the term even if they meet all of the other requirements.
Forest area with management plan	The combination of forest sub-compartments defines as forests in Act No. XXXVII of 2009 on Forests, on the Protection and Management of Forests and listed in the National Forest Database. When the middle of a sampling point falls on a forest sub-compartment during a statistical forest inventory assessment, it will be marked as forest area with management plan.
Forest authority	In the tables and results, the forest authority involves 10 first instance administrative units operated at county level government offices whose combined competence covers the whole territory of Hungary.
Forestry region	More exactly regional forest group, which is interpreted to mean "a group of geographically undivided forest regions with more or less uniform topography and similar natural properties." [Danszky – Rott]
Function (Primary function)	The function of a forest compartment heading the list in the National Forest Database as its primary purpose, which refers to the long term goal of forest management.
Genetic soil type	Soils which developed under the simultaneous influence of environmental factors and reached a similar stage of development are classified to belong to the same genetic soil type. The value is taken in most cases from the National Forest Database on the basis of coding used in district forest management plans. There are instances when genetic soil type decisions about a sampling plot are overridden. Types and groupings are shown in the Appendix, List of Codes.
Grid (Sampling grid)	A theoretical grid covering the whole territory of the country with intersection points where tracts are placed the corner points of which are actual sampling locations. The sampling grid used in the initial 5-year cycle of the statistical forest inventory is 4 × 4 km.
Grid point	The intersection points of the theoretical grid established for statistical forest inventory purposes.
Growing stock (GS)	A value representative of a given reference area as calculated from the total over bark volume (of thick and branch wood) of living sample trees above the felling plane. GS is calculated from the diameter at breast height of the sample tree and from height as calculated from vertical curves, which is recalculated for the reference area. See the Chapter on "Calculating the volume of wood of sample trees" for details on the function and the parameters used.
Growing stock with diameter higher than 5 cm (Merchantable timber volume)	Merchantable timber volume is understood as the volume of wood to 5 cm top diameter over bark and over ground without stump. Sopp's wood volume calculation tables identify both total wood and merchantable timber volume. Using these as a source, merchantable timber volume is defined with the help of functions and parameters presented in the Chapter on "Calculating the wood volume of sample trees".
Height	Height or tree height expressed as the vertical distance between ground level and the extreme top of a tree specimen. Measured height data are used to plot a height curve, and the data retrieved from the curve are in turn used subsequently as height values. Trees with broken stems and canopies are an exception as in such cases subsequent calculations rely on measured height values.
Herb cover	Coverage of herbaceous vegetation on a sampling plot, classified into categories.
Hydrology	A parameter indicating the presence or absence of water, surplus water in line with the categories used in district forest management plans.
Intensively spread	An aggressively expanding non-native species that harms native species by occupying their territory. Classification according to the List of Codes presented in the Appendix.
Level of management (Area covered by forest management plan)	A category used in taking statistical forest inventories to show whether or not a specific sampling plot is included in the National Forest Database, and if it is its status is indicated (forest compartment or other sub-compartment).
National Forest Database (NFD)	A database operated by the Directorate of Forestry of the National Food Chain Safety Office (NFCSO FD) to comply with the registration requirements provided in legislation. The database contains the data of district forest management plans produced by district level sylvicultural planning, information pertaining to the content and status of activities supervised by the Forest Authority, information on forest related grants as well as information and data relating to the Forest Protection Measurement and Monitoring System (Hungarian acronym EMMRE). Compartments serve as the basic unit of the database. The NFD covers both descriptive data and spatial information.
Native	A species naturally occurring in a region since the ultimate major climate change (Beech, end of Age I, 800 BC). Classification according to the List of Codes presented in the Appendix.
Naturalness	Information relating to a forest compartment in the National Forest Database, which refers to the status of naturalness of a life community in a forest. It shows the degree of proximity of natural processes and the status that evolved or was developed under the combined effect of former forest management to a natural forest community that matches the site.
Non-defined	This term appears in several instances when outcomes are reported. It is discussed in detail, due to space constraints, in the Chapter on the "Interpretation of outcomes". In general, sub-sets containing no actual data are classified as non-defined.
Non-native	A non-indigenous species regarded to be of alien origin in the current territory of the country or in a specific region. Classification according to the List of Codes presented in the Appendix.
Open grown (tree)	If canopy closure at the level of sample trees is below 30%, then any small trees below the canopy are classified as open grown. Small trees of a sampling plot where no single sample tree was surveyed are also classified in this category.
Origin	Origin is identified on the basis of the list of codes used for the purposes of district forest management plans when seed origin is indicated on the basis of additional grid categories when spaced planting is used.
Other wooded land (OWL)	According to the FAO/COST Action E43 definition other wooded land means land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover between 5-10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ, or land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with the combined canopy cover of trees and shrubs over 10%. Based on these two definitions, the Hungarian forest inventory keeps separate records of other wooded lands covered with trees only (OWL1) and shrub covered lands (OWL2). Please note that to calculate the value of other wooded land (OWL), as the term is used internationally, these two values need to be added.
Plot for field visiting	A subset of potential sampling points listed during preparatory (classification) work as points that need on-site survey, i.e. points that are likely to be terrain sampling points or where this possibility cannot be excluded definitely.
Region (NUTS2)	The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics of the whole territory of the European Union, including Hungary. At the level of NUTS2, the territory of Hungary is divided into 7 regions.
Sampling area (Sampling plot)	Sampling area is mostly interpreted to mean the complete circular area of 500 m2 defined using a radius of 12.62 m. References to alternative sampling plots must include additional features for specification, such as sampling plot for sampling small trees.
Sample circle	A circular shape with a radius of 12.62 m that defines a full sampling plot of 500 m2. The segments inside this circle are also defined as sample circles, but these are appropriately referred to as 7 m sample circles and 3 m sample circles.
Sample tree	Sampling plot tree specimens with at least 7 cm of breast height diameter are also taken tally of for forest inventory purposes, taking into account the rules applicable to establishing and using sample circle segments.
Segmentation of sampling area	A division of the complete sampling area defined by a radius of 12.62 m into component circles with a radius of 7 m and 3 m, where sample trees must meet different diameter limits to make it into the sample. Segmentation is used to increase the efficiency of job performance.
Shrub cover	The ratio of the canopy of shrubs projected to the ground of a sampling plot to the area of the sampling plot. The value must be indicated after categorisation.
Slope	The estimated or measured average inclination of a sampling plot.
Small tree	A specimen with less than 7 cm diameter at breast height surveyed in a circle with the smallest radius at 3 m and is classified by species into one of the three categories of height. The term does not include seed-leaf specimens.
Social class	Conditions identified on the basis of Kraft's height classification.
Soil texture	The percentage ratio of primary mineral components in soil compared to one another. Soils are categorised using the rules applied in district forest management plans.
Statistical forest inventory	A sampling driven statistical estimate of nationwide coverage with specific levels of representativeness, which provides information about expected values and related reliabilities by indicating confidence intervals depending on the accuracy of sampling. It seeks to support sound policy decisions by applying a specific set of definitions in respect of a territorial unit, as well as to assess, and to monitor the changes of resources.
Storeys (Number of storeys)	A stand needs to be identified as a stand with two storeys if there are other separate and easily distinguishable levels in addition to the first level. There is a separate option for describing selection forests.
Stump	The remaining part of a tree after felling left above the ground known as the stump is entered in case its top diameter reaches 20 cm and its central point is inside the sampling plot.
Subcompartment	Subcompartments are units of economic parcelling out during the work of district forest management planning. Forest sub-compartments covered with trees, including those temporarily unstocked (felling sites) are known as forest sub-compartments.
Subcompartment with other management function	Subcompartments are units of economic parcelling out during the work of district forest management planning, directly serve forest management purposes are known as other sub-compartments, such as open area, lanes and nurseries.
Tract	A 200 m × 200 m square located at the intersection point of the sampling grid with each of the corner points representing potential sampling points. The node of the sampling grid and the south-western corner point of the tract are identical.
Tree species	Species level definition of the species of a sample tree using the codes applied in district forest management plans. See Appendix, List of Codes for a detailed list and correlations.
Tree species group	The correlations used in district forest management plan are applied. See Appendix, List of Codes for a detailed list and correlations.
Under stand (small tree)	If canopy closure at the level of sample trees reaches 30%, then any small trees below are understood to constitute stock under stand.
Unstocked area	It follows from the method of taking forest inventories (i.e. only specimens of a certain diameter are classified as sampling trees) that unstocked areas include several component parts. These include areas which are unstocked in the classic sense as "cutting areas" as well as "understocked" areas, which are closely related. Certain statistics also classify forest land areas with the status "non-sampling point" and "surveying is obstructed in the sampling area" in this category. As no individual sample tree is entered unstocked areas also include areas classified as "small trees" and "young stand". Unless specific tables make reference to the interpretation of "unstocked" or "non-defined" areas, unstocked areas cover all of the categories distinguished above.
Wetness class	A value that indicates the level of water supply at site, which is determined on the basis of vegetation indicating the degree of water management.
Young stand	If sample trees are not surveyed individually as a result of the existing diameter constraints in a specific segment as established by segmenting a sampling plot and yet specimens at or above 7 cm can be located on the whole sampling plot, then the whole sampling plot is classified as a young stand.