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Altitude above sea level in classes of 400 m. Reference: Digital height model DHM 25 from Swisstopo

Altitudinal vegetation belts in the system used in the guidelines for monitoring the sustainability and performance of protection forests (NaiS; Frehner et al. 2005) – in ten classes, whereby the classes «hyperinsubric», «colline» and «colline with beech» and «lower and upper montane» only occur in the Southern Alps (S), the classes «submontane», «lower montane», «upper montane» only in the Northern Alps (N) and the classes «high montane», «subalpine» and «upper subalpine» on both sides of the Alps. 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.

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.

Type of trees and shrubs ≥12 cm in diameter at breast height (dbh) in two classes (conifers or broadleaves). Reference: Field Survey (MID 50: Baumart)

Proportions of conifers and broadleaves making up the stand structure, classified according to their proportional basal areas into four classes: pure conifer forest: 91-100 % conifers, mixed conifer forest: 51-90 % conifers, mixed broadleaved forest: 11-50 % conifers and pure broadleaved forest: 0-10 % conifers. Reference: Field Survey (MID 265: Mischungsgrad)

Stage of stand development, defined by the dominant diameter at breast height (dbhdom = dbh of the 100 largest [thickest] trees per hectare). Young growth/thicket: dbhdom <12 cm, pole timber: dbhdom 12-30 cm, young timber: dbhdom 31-40 cm, medium timber : dbhdom 41-50 cm, old timber: dbhdom >50 cm, mixed: trees of different development stages, no development stage predominant or groups of different development stages covering < 500 m². Reference: Field Survey (MID 261: Entwicklungsstufe)

Classification of forests into 12 classes («types») according to their development, structure and management. Unlike in the 17-class forest-type classification, in this 12-class classification all development stages (from young growth to timber) are subsumed in the class «uniform high forest». Reference: Field Survey (MID 255: Nutzungskategorie, MID 257: Waldtyp nach Aufnahmeanleitung LFI, MID 260: Waldform, MID 267: Bestandesstruktur, MID 261: Entwicklungsstufe)

Areas in higher and lower altitude zones classified according to the system used for altitudinal vegetation belts in the guidelines for monitoring the sustainability and performance of protection forests (NaiS; Frehner et al. 2005). The boundary between the higher and lower altitudes runs between the «upper montane» and «lower montane» levels on the Northern Alps and between the «high montane» and «upper/lower montane» levels to the Southern Alps. 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.

Forest ownership, classified according to the two categories: 'public' and 'private'. Reference: Forest Service Survey (MID 365: Eigentum)

Type of trees and shrubs ≥12 cm in diameter at breast height (dbh). The three most common species or species groups in Switzerland (spruce - Picea spp.; fir - Abies spp.; beech - Fagus sylvatica) are in individual classes, while the remaining species are classified as «other conifers» or «other broadleaves». Reference: Field Survey (MID 50: Baumart)

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.