Canada's National Forest Inventory: What can it tell us about old growth?

Canada's National Forest Inventory is a periodic compilation of existing inventory information from across the country. The main sources of information are detailed, stand-level descriptions contained in provincial, territorial, and industrial management-level inventories. Typical management inventories do not identify old growth as a specific attribute. Therefore, the National Forest Inventory, based on management-level inventories, does not specifically show old growth. Indicators of old growth, such as stand age and maturity, are contained in the national inventory and are analysed to illustrate the distribution of forest in Canada by age and maturity. A further analysis by selected species is also provided. Finally, a new plot-based national inventory that will provide additional old-growth indicators is discussed. Key words: forest inventory, inventory attributes, old growth, old-growth indicators, NFI, CanFI, EOSD