About the statistics

1. Administrative information

1.1. Name

Silviculture

1.2. Subject group

10.04.20 - Forestry

1.3. Frequency and timeliness

Not relevant.

1.4. Regional level

County and municipality level

1.5. Responsible division

430 - Division for Primary Industry Statistics

1.6. Legal authority

The Statistics Act, §§2-1, 3-2

1.7. Legal document(EU)

Not relevant.

1.8. International reporting

Not relevant.

2. Background and purpose

2.1. Purpose and history

The purpose of the statistics is to provide information at county level about silviculture and forest drainage.

The build-up of the forest administration prescribed in the Forestry Act of 1932 provided a platform for collecting statistical data on silviculture work etc. approved by the Forest Service and was thereby entitled to receive subsidies. Silviculture statistics begin with the fiscal year 1935/36. Before that the Ministry of Agriculture compiled statistics on silviculture, ditch cleaning and fertilizing of forests. The completed figures have been published by Statistics Norway. Statistics on new ditches for forest drainage have previously been compiled entirely by Statistics Norway on the basis of data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Statistics Norway has compiled all silviculture statistics since 1997.

2.2. Users and applications

The statistics are used by public agencies (Ministries, County Departments), forest owner's organisations and research institutes. Results from the silviculture statistics are included in the Aggregate Account for Forestry, which is compiled by Statistics Norway.

3. Statistics production

3.1. Population

The statistics only cover activities financed wholly or partly by the Forest Trust Fund and/or by goverment subsidies.

The Forest Trust Fund is a legalised fund where the forest owners set apart a certain amount of the gross value of their roundwood sold. Money from the fund can be used by the owner for forest investments, such as planting, clearing, drainage etc.

3.2. Data sources

The silviculture statistics are based on information from the Norwegian Agricultural Authority and their database on the Forest Trust Fund.

3.3. Sampling

Not relevant.

3.4. Collection of data

The Forest Service in each municipality keeps the Forest Trust Fund Account. The account is reported to the County Department of Agricultural Affairs (FMLA). The Norwegian Agricultural Authority obtains data from the  the Forest Trust Fund databases and organizes them on files forwarded to Statistics Norway.

3.5. Control and revision

If the data are unclear, the Norwegian Agricultural Authority or County Department of Agricultural Affairs is contacted so that any errors can be corrected.

3.6. Estimation

The statistics are published at municipality and county level.

3.7. Confidentiality

Figures based on less than three units (forest owners) are not published if this causes risk for identifying any of the units concerned.

4. Concepts, variables and classifications

4.1. Definitions of the main concepts and variables

Forest area planted or seeded

Forest area planted or seeded for forest production. Does not include supplementary planting.

Number of plants planted

Total number of plants planted. Cover both forest regeneration and supplementary planting.

Planting cost, total

Total cost of plants and planting. Covers both forest regeneration and supplementary planting.

Tending of young stands

Tending of young forest stands until first thinning.

Scarification

Spot removal of vegetation in order to improve the conditions for natural regeneration and the growth of forest plants.

Productive forest area

Forest area that under favourable stand conditions has an annual yield capacity per hectare of at least 1 cubic metre of wood including bark.

4.2. Standard classifications

Not relevant.

5. Sources of error and uncertainty

5.1. Measurement and processing errors

In some cases the reported area in the Forest account are estimated. Adaptations to the subsidies system can also occor.

5.2 Non-response errors

Not relevant.

5.3. Sampling errors

Not relevant.

5.4. Other sources of error

Not relevant.

6. Comparability and coherence

6.1. Comparability over time and space

During the period 1935/36-1949/50 the statistics apply to the fiscal year. In 1951 the calendar year was adopted, but the data for this year were combined with the data for the second half of 1950. The transition data from fiscal year to calendar year consequently cover 1 1/2 years. The 1998 figures for Finnmark and 1999 figures for Troms are missing.

6.2. Coherence with other statistics

Results from the Silviculture statistics may be compared with some of the results from the Sample survey of Agriculture and Forestry 2008.

7. Availability

7.1. Publications and other links

All forest statistics are collected on the theme page for forestry.

7.2. Microdata

Data sets are stored in Statistics Norway.


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