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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) – 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)

Combination of the 18 groups of NaiS site types, each with a similar objective for the main tree species (NAISGGROB20), into 10 large associations known as «forest formations». *As the characterisation of the site types in the NaiS-NFI project is on a small scale, it is possible that non-forest site types such as meadow, pasture and rock may be present in sample plots that are classified as «forest» in NFI. Similarly, «forest without shrub forest“ may also contain «shrub forest» site types.

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.

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.

Demarcation of Switzerland into six regions with similar flora and fauna. The six regions correspond to the basic categories in the publication «The Biogeographical Regions of Switzerland», which was published by FOEN in 2022.

Forest of which less than two-thirds is covered with shrubs that can be accessed on foot.

Forest that was less than two-thirds covered with shrubs in the five inventories NFI1 (1983-1985), NFI2 (1993-1995), NFI3 (2004-2006), NFI4 (2009-2017) and NFI5 (2018-2026) and was accessible on foot.

Accessible forest without shrub forest («a.f.w.s.f.»), i.e. forest that is less than two-thirds covered with shrubs and can be accessed on foot, which is situated in a forest that the cantons designated «protective forest» in 2022 according to the harmonised criteria of SilvaProtect-CH (Losey & Wehrli 2013).

Area designated in the five Inventories NFI1 (1983-1985), NFI2 (1993-1995), NFI3 (2004-2006), NFI4 (2009-2017) and NFI5 (2018-2026) as «accessible forest without shrub forest» (a.f.w.s.f.), i.e. «forest without shrub forest» that can be accessed on foot and is situated in a forest that the cantons designated «protective forest» in 2022 according to the harmonised criteria of SilvaProtect-CH (Losey & Wehrli 2013).

Sub-grids 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of 9 on the sampling grid with a mesh size of 1.4 km (base grid).

NFI's sampling grid with a mesh size of 1.4 km. The 1.4-km grid is the grid size covering all the previous terrestrial Inventories, which is why it is also called the base grid.