XN Ecology · Forests
Forests: what a managed forest gives besides timber, measured
For forest managers we measure the ecosystem services of the forest, polygon by polygon, from LiDAR, satellite and the manager's own records, in the format of the forestry sector's natural capital reporting.
The framework
Seven ecosystem services, chosen by the forestry sector
The Forestry Natural Capital Project, brought together by the International Sustainable Forestry Coalition (ISFC) and the Capitals Coalition with the support of the TNFD, is building the first common approach to measure and value forestry's natural capital: 18 forestry companies, over 23 million hectares in 38 countries. Its participants chose the seven services to measure following the TNFD LEAP approach and the Natural Capital Protocol.
- 1
Timber and fibre
The sustainable supply of wood, the service a managed forest exists for.
- 2
Water quantity
How much water the forest holds and releases.
- 3
Carbon
What the trees store and take up each year.
- 4
Habitat and biodiversity
The condition of the habitats and the species they hold.
- 5
Water quality
Sediments and pollutants the forest keeps out of the streams.
- 6
Air quality
Particulate matter the canopy removes from the air.
- 7
Recreation and culture
Access, visits and the value the forest has for people.
Sources: Forestry Natural Capital Project (Capitals Coalition) · The seven priority ecosystem services, participants' release of 10 November 2025
A forest in New Zealand
A managed forest, polygon by polygon
We delivered the natural capital report of a managed forest in New Zealand for its 2025 reporting year, in the project's reporting template.
Measured
- Habitat condition, with a composite index computed on all 2,701 habitat polygons, on the manager's own classification aligned to the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology
- Forest structure measured from the manager's LiDAR on 69% of the estate: canopy height, not assigned by class
- Carbon of the production stands, stand by stand
- The pressure of invasive species, possums, rats and ungulates, inside the condition score
- Freshwater: environmental DNA from laboratory samples
In part
- Biodiversity intactness: not computed, because the estate has no abundance data and the global layers, at about one kilometre, are coarser than most polygons
- Ecosystem function: not yet in the index; satellite net primary productivity is the next step
Stays with the forest manager
- Timber inventories, volumes and commercial records: the manager's data, which we incorporate
- Carbon credits and their registry
- Forest certification, such as FSC: a separate process
The review
Seven comments, answered with the figures
The report went through the project's review. We answered its seven comments one by one: three with a change we confirmed, four with the figures behind them, and we named the steps that bring the condition index closer to a full Ecosystem Integrity Index in the next reporting period.
FAQ
Questions on forests and ecosystem services
Is it a certification?
No. It is natural capital reporting: what the forest gives and in what condition. Forest certification, such as FSC, is a separate process.
What is the Forestry Natural Capital Project?
An initiative of the ISFC and the Capitals Coalition, with the TNFD's support, to measure and value forestry's natural capital in a common way: 18 forestry companies, over 23 million hectares in 38 countries.
What data do you need from us?
The forest's perimeter, the classification of its stands and what you already measure: inventories, LiDAR, pest and fauna surveys. Satellite and our models fill the rest, polygon by polygon.
30 minutes with the team, on XN Ecology.
Video call on Google Meet
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