Indicators for Pan-European sustainable forest management criteria - A practical evaluation

The growing interest in Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) led to the publication of Portuguese standard "NP4406: 2003 - Sustainable Forest Management", the application of which is still in an initial stage. In this study, we explore how the certification phenomenon is influencing monitoring practices by describing a Portuguese forest company's practical experience in implementing the SFM criteria and indicators recommended by this standard to areas of maritime pine, cork and holm oak, and scrub in a forest management unit in central Portugal. We adapted our evaluation methodology from the one used by the Federation of Portuguese Forest Producers (FPFP). We identify key attributes of "ideal indicators" and provide both a "good" and a "bad" example of indicators found in NP 4406 according to each attribute. For indicators that are calculated using classic forest inventory techniques, methods for gathering and treating data have been established for many years. However, for others (e.g., biodiversity, defoliation) the methods proposed by NP 4406 and FPFP revealed practical difficulties. It is also necessary to clarify the way in which forest monitoring results of this kind can be incorporated in decision-making.