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Altitudinal vegetation belts in the system used in the guidelines for monitoring the sustainability and performance of protection forests (NaiS; Frehner et al. 2005), reduced to six classes. The variable represents a simplification of the NaiS altitudinal vegetation belts with ten classes (NAISHSTKOMB) in which the classes «hyperinsubric» and «colline» are merged with «colline with beech» to form the class «hyperinsubric and colline» and the class «lower montane» with «upper montane» and «lower/upper montane» to form the class «lower and upper montane». The information is based on the altitudinal vegetation belts determined by experts (accessible forest sample plots of NFI4 on the 1.4-km network; Arge Frehner et al. 2020), as well as on the altitudinal vegetation belts modelled for the period 1981-2010 (other sample plots; Zischg et al. 2021). n/a: located above the forest boundary modelled by Zischg et al. and sometimes in the area of lakes, which were relatively roughly cut out by Zischg et al.

Obstruction directly at the forest edge that makes it difficult or impossible for humans or animals to enter or leave the forest or restricts the spread of the shrub belt or herbaceous fringe - in ten classes. Reference: Field Survey (MID 982: Art der Waldrandbegrenzung)

Density of shelterbelt (forest mantle) and shrub belt with foliage from the ground to a height of 2 m - in four classes. Reference: Field Survey (MID: 43: Waldranddichte)

Ecological value of the forest edge according to the number of woody species present, as well as the weighted proportion of thorny shrubs, short-lived, light-demanding softwoods (birches, alders, poplars and willows) and other ecologically valuable woody species (e.g. oaks and rowan) – in three classes. Reference: Field Survey (MID 568: Pflanzenarten am Waldrand)

Ecological value of the forest edge as a habitat for animals and plants, classified into three classes according to the structural diversity and diversity of woody species along the forest edge. Reference: Field Survey (various attributes)

Number of tree and shrub species present along the forest edge – in five classes. The data is for a distance of 50 m along the edge of the forest. Reference: Field Survey (MID 568: Pflanzenarten am Waldrand)

Type of transition line between the forest and the open land along the forest edge - in five classes. Reference: Field Survey (MID 42: Waldrandverlauf)

Type and intensity of direct or indirect human interventions in the forest edge - in eight classes. Reference: Field Survey (MID 44: Waldrandzustand)

Value of the forest edge with respect to its vertical and horizontal structure, without taking the herbaceaous fringe into account - in three classes. Reference: Field Survey (MID 37: Waldrandaufbau, MID 42: Waldrandverlauf, MID 43: Waldranddichte, MID 38: Waldmantelbreite, MID 39: Strauchgürtelbreite)

Formation of the transition from forest to open land - in seven classes. Reference: Field Survey (MID 37: Waldrandaufbau)

Width of the shelterbelt (forest mantle), i.e. the part of the forest edge consisting of single individuals or graded rows of typical edge trees, i.e. trees with crowns that are one-sided and rather long – in four classes. Reference: Field Survey (MID 38: Waldmantelbreite)

Width of the shrub belt, i.e. that part of the forest edge which lies between the forest mantle and the herbaceous fringe and consists of woody plants (in NFI such plants ≤12 cm in diameter at breast height (dbh), excluding dwarf shrubs). Reference: Field Survey (MID 39: Strauchgürtelbreite)

Demarcation of Switzerland into five regions (Jura, Plateau, Pre-Alps, Alps and Southern Alps) with relatively uniform growth and timber production conditions. The production regions were established by the Federal Office of Forestry long before the first National Forest Inventory (NFI1, 1983-1985). With a small exception along Lake Geneva, the boundaries of the production regions still follow the municipal boundaries of the time. Unlike the NFI, the Forestry Statistics of the Federal Statistical Office don't use the production regions as demarcation but rather the forestry zones, whose boundaries are somewhat different.

Division of Switzerland into 14 regions (2 in the Jura, 3 on the Plateau, 3 in the Pre-Alps, 5 in the Alps and 1 in the Southern Alps). The economic regions are a subdivision of the production regions according to economic-geographical criteria.

Demarcation of Switzerland used in NFI for protective forest analyses. The six protective forest regions were derived from the economic regions by combining individual regions according to natural and statistical criteria.

Regional demarcation with the cantons as a unit, with the two half-cantons, Basel-Land and Basel-Stadt, combined into one canton for statistical reasons.

Regional demarcation with the forest districts as a unit. This variable is based on a survey of the cantonal forest services in winter 2022/2023.

Forest edge in the NaiS altitudinal vegetation belts: «hyperinsubric», «colline», «colline with beech», «submontane», «lower montane», «upper montane», «lower/upper montane» and «high montane». Reference: Field Survey (MID 29: Waldrandbeschreibung)

Forest edge in the NaiS altitudinal vegetation belts: «hyperinsubric», «colline», «colline with beech», «submontane», «lower montane», «upper montane», «lower/upper montane» and «high montane», which was recorded during the two inventories NFI4 and NFI5. Reference: Field Survey (MID 29: Waldrandbeschreibung)