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What information does NFI collect?
- Introduction
- Confidentiality of data
- How good are the data?
- Can you use data held by the NFI?
- How are the data handled?
- Can you contribute to the NFI databases?
Introduction
The NFI encompasses a wide range of forest-related data, from the most detailed site data to the broadest Australia-wide summaries. It covers public and private forests, and native and plantation forests. It collates information about a wide range of forest characteristics such as their type, location, distribution, height, crown density, growth stage and/or planting date, ownership and protection status. For example, NFI databases can be used to calculate:
- the extent of native forest cover in Australia;
- the extent, species, period of planting, and location of plantation forests;
- the extent of major forest types and their representation in conservation reserves or in areas listed as World Heritage, National Estate or as wilderness;
- changes in forest cover over time; and
- the tenure of forests, by forest type and by State or Territory.
The NFI holds datasets on other forest attributes including soils, administrative boundaries, climate, mineral deposits, topography, rare and endangered species, and social and economic aspects. The NFI also has a dataset of vegetation as it might have been before European settlement.
How good are the data?
The accuracy of forest mapping continues to improve, especially as improvements in technology are applied to the collection and analysis of data. However, since the data are provided by a wide range of sources and are collected for a variety of reasons, they are not always of comparable quality or at the same scale. One of the tasks of the NFI is to identify gaps and deficiencies in the data and to work with stakeholders including agencies and private organisations to address them.
How are the data handled?
Databases held by the NFI are stored using a geographic information system (GIS), which is a computer application involving the storage, analysis, retrieval and display of spatial data. The most familiar type of spatial data is a map - a GIS is really a way of storing map information electronically. The NFI uses ARC/INFO GIS software operating on a Unix platform. A secure computing interface enables the safe handling of confidential data.
The NFI GIS is capable of producing high-quality maps, tables and graphs in a form useful to a range of interest groups including land managers, policy-makers and consultants. It can compile summary data for each State and Territory and for the nation as a whole. In addition, the nature of the data and the way they are stored permit powerful analyses: these can assist forest and infrastructure planning at various scales, from the regional through to the national.
Confidentiality of data
Organisations and individuals contributing data to the NFI retain custodial rights to their data, including in relation to confidentiality and access. To guarantee confidentiality, a code is used instead of the owner's name to identify different datasets. It is therefore not possible to identify data as originating from any particular source when data are aggregated to the national level. Where requests for information seek larger-scale regional datasets, permission must be obtained from those organisations and individuals contributing data in the area of interest.
Can you use data held by the NFI?
The NFI currently has a number of spatial data products available. These are:
- distribution of forest by broad forest type;
- distribution of forest tenure;
- distribution of broad forest type by forest tenure;
- distribution of forests by broad canopy cover (closed/open/woodland); and
- National Plantation Inventory regional boundaries.
This information is summarised nationally and by State and Territory. For further information on other NFI spatial data products, contact the NFI Database Manager.
Such spatial data products can be used for many purposes, including:
- environmental impact statements;
- development plans;
- plantation expansion and management plans;
- regional, State and national land-use plans;
- conservation plans; and
- tourism and recreation plans.
Can you contribute to the NFI databases?
The NFI provides a framework within which data collected at a regional or State and Territory level can be used for broader applications. The NFI invites individuals and organisations collecting spatial forest data to contact it with a view to sharing information. This could be mutually beneficial: the NFI can improve the quality and completeness of its data, and providers can gain an enhanced understanding of the wider context in which their data sit, which will be useful for planning purposes.