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Estimates and standard error of the estimates

The results published in the NFI tables are estimates for variables in the Swiss forest (population parameters) whose true values are not known and must therefore be extrapolated (estimated) from the NFI sample data.

The extrapolations carry uncertainties. However, the accuracy of the extrapolations can be reliably estimated from the NFI sample, which is designed to be a random sample. To this end, all NFI tables include a second figure in addition to the estimate itself, namely the standard error of the estimate.

In most tables the percent standard error is reported (±%), but the absolute standard error (±) is also reported occasionally, especially for estimated percentages. The relationship between absolute and percent standard error is as follows:

percent standard error = absolute standard error / estimate × 100

absolute standard error = percent standard error × estimate / 100

Information on the forest road network is based on a full survey of all forest roads. In this case, there is no need to specify a standard error because there is no uncertainty caused by sampling.

Confidence interval of the estimate

With the estimate and the standard error of the estimate, the limits of the so-called confidence interval of the estimate can be calculated as:

lower limit = estimate – tQ × absolute standard error

upper limit = estimate + tQ × absolute standard error

If the simple standard error is used for the calculation (tQ = 1), then the 68% confidence interval is formed. In this case, the true value of the population parameter has a 68% probability of lying within this confidence interval of the estimate. If the double standard error is used (tQ = 2), then there is a 95% probability that the true value lies within this 95% confidence interval.

Significance of the estimate

The confidence interval can be used to statistically test whether the estimated population parameter is larger or smaller than a specific reference or target value, or whether two estimated population parameters truly differ (in the real population). For practical applications, proceed as follows: if a reference value lies outside the confidence interval, the estimated population value can be interpreted as being significantly different from it; if it lies within the confidence interval, the difference between the estimated population parameter and the reference value can be interpreted as random or not significant. When two population parameters are compared, they can be interpreted as differing significantly if their confidence intervals do not overlap.

Dealing with missing values

When calculating a results table, data are not always available for all combinations of characteristics^* of the classification variables and regional demarcation applied. In most cases, this indicates that the attribute estimated with the respective target variable does not occur or occurs only very rarely. Usually, the value 0 is used (imputed). However, as this value is not based on direct measurements, the associated standard error is represented with a full stop [.]. If the imputed value of 0 is referred to in the calculation, e.g. in the case of percentages or certain change estimates, no value can be entered. In this case, the estimated value and standard error are both represented with a full stop [.].

For example, no Arolla pines have been found and measured in the Swiss Plateau to date (growing stock of Arolla pines by production region). The values can be assumed to be missing because Arolla pine does not occur in the Swiss Plateau and therefore the growing stock there must be 0.

^* e.g. ‘Arolla pine’ characteristic of the classification variable ‘tree species’ and ‘Swiss plateau’ characteristic of the ‘regional demarcation’

Changes

There are two types of changes in the NFI:

The first type involves specific target variables relating to components of change, such as increment, fellings, mortality and losses. These target variables are only available for two consecutive inventory cycles, e.g. NFI3–NFI4. In the evaluation of components of change, the classification variable characteristic of the second inventory cycle is assigned to the first inventory cycle. These evaluations therefore do not take into account potential changes in a classification variable characteristic from the earlier to the later inventory (e.g. from private to public ownership).

With the second type of change, the difference in target variables, such as number of stems, growing stock or forest area, is used to assess the change between two inventory cycles. Target variables are generally used to represent states, such as that in NFI4, but can also indicate the net change between any two inventory cycles, e.g. NFI1–NFI4. In evaluations of change using these target variables, the change in a classification variable characteristic is considered in the analysis. Consequently, one can detect, for example, that the forest area without shrub forest increased between the two inventory cycles. This only has an effect on classification variables whose characteristic (class) can actually change, e.g. the affiliation with a forest area or the tree condition.

NFI5
number of stems
tree age (in 40-year classes) · conifers and broadleaves
regional demarcation: economic region
unit: 1000 n
evaluation area: accessible forest without shrub forest NFI1-NFI5
grid: 1.4 km grid, subgrids 1-5
state 2018/26
		economic region
		Western Jura		Eastern Jura		Western Plateau		Central Plateau		Eastern Plateau		Western Pre-Alps		Central Pre-Alps		Eastern Pre-Alps		Northwestern Alps		Central Alps		Northeastern Alps		Southwestern Alps		Southeastern Alps		Southern Alps		Switzerland
tree age (in 40-year classes)	conifers and broadleaves	1000 n	±%	1000 n	±%	1000 n	±%	1000 n	±%	1000 n	±%	1000 n	±%	1000 n	±%	1000 n	±%	1000 n	±%	1000 n	±%	1000 n	±%	1000 n	±%	1000 n	±%	1000 n	±%	1000 n	±%
n/a	n/a	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.
	conifers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	broadleaves	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	indeterminable	0	0	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	0	0	.	0	0	0	.	0	0	0	.	0	.	0	0	0	0	0	.	0	0
	total	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
=40 years	n/a	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.
	conifers	5177	16	1222	35	2993	28	8154	15	5575	16	1539	37	5913	19	3173	29	1655	29	541	48	888	39	2306	15	3586	21	1849	24	44572	6
	broadleaves	7382	12	4099	18	3491	22	5290	15	9216	10	1595	25	3606	15	1984	23	2479	21	432	32	1281	34	2325	22	2825	23	7751	15	53756	5
	indeterminable	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.
	total	12559	10	5320	17	6484	19	13444	12	14791	9	3134	23	9519	14	5158	21	4134	19	973	35	2169	28	4632	14	6411	17	9600	14	98328	4
41-80 years	n/a	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.
	conifers	13259	8	2180	22	1566	22	5836	16	6830	15	4984	19	11330	10	5755	14	5301	15	3090	20	2347	23	13273	12	16815	9	7109	13	99677	3
	broadleaves	14597	9	4538	14	3162	18	4716	13	7077	9	2247	23	7388	13	6248	13	4016	17	2151	24	2390	24	6374	15	3078	24	29540	7	97520	3
	indeterminable	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.
	total	27856	6	6719	13	4728	16	10552	11	13906	9	7231	16	18718	8	12003	11	9317	13	5241	18	4737	20	19647	10	19894	9	36648	6	197198	2
81-120 years	n/a	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.
	conifers	7093	9	687	24	1133	25	1925	17	2440	13	2250	16	6045	13	3857	13	2244	18	1719	21	1149	24	7214	13	8991	11	4079	14	50826	4
	broadleaves	5452	10	1613	18	2038	21	1508	15	2428	11	1201	26	1755	19	2748	18	1667	28	915	29	776	21	526	26	653	29	2807	14	26087	5
	indeterminable	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.
	total	12545	7	2300	16	3171	17	3433	12	4868	10	3451	16	7800	12	6604	12	3910	17	2634	19	1925	18	7740	12	9643	11	6886	10	76912	3
121-160 years	n/a	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.
	conifers	2752	11	168	36	294	35	525	23	584	22	1370	23	3346	14	1693	19	2280	21	1181	30	724	28	4587	13	5939	12	2870	13	28312	5
	broadleaves	1590	18	452	28	255	38	371	27	409	23	98	42	579	24	420	24	297	34	73	42	158	34	428	59	134	50	787	43	6053	10
	indeterminable	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.
	total	4342	10	619	25	549	27	896	20	994	17	1468	22	3925	13	2113	17	2578	19	1254	28	882	25	5016	13	6073	12	3657	14	34365	4
>160 years	n/a	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.
	conifers	1168	18	56	61	212	52	97	41	0	.	1089	44	1864	18	1036	25	2288	18	1121	27	590	29	5158	14	6842	11	2287	14	23808	6
	broadleaves	530	47	42	62	13	100	87	69	96	47	0	.	297	42	36	52	90	38	98	46	31	82	129	67	18	74	814	29	2282	17
	indeterminable	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.
	total	1698	19	98	46	225	50	184	45	96	47	1089	44	2161	17	1072	24	2378	17	1219	25	620	28	5287	14	6860	11	3101	12	26089	5
total	n/a	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	.
	conifers	29449	5	4313	16	6198	16	16537	10	15430	9	11232	13	28498	8	15513	10	13768	10	7654	16	5697	17	32539	8	42173	6	18194	10	247194	2
	broadleaves	29552	6	10744	11	8959	13	11973	9	19225	7	5141	17	13625	10	11437	11	8549	13	3668	21	4636	18	9782	12	6708	17	41699	6	185698	2
	indeterminable	0	0	0	.	0	.	0	.	0	0	0	.	0	0	0	.	0	0	0	.	0	.	0	0	0	0	0	.	0	0
	total	59000	4	15057	10	15157	11	28510	8	34655	6	16373	11	42123	6	26950	8	22317	9	11322	15	10333	14	42322	7	48881	6	59893	5	432892	2

Table citation

Abegg, M.; Ahles, P.; Allgaier Leuch, B.; Cioldi, F.; Didion, M.; Düggelin, C.; Fischer, C.; Herold, A.; Meile, R.; Rohner, B.; Rösler, E.; Speich, S.; Temperli, C.; Traub, B.,
2023: Swiss national forest inventory - Result table No. 1303947. Birmensdorf, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL

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