This document compares growing stock and forest increment between Nepal's last two national forest assessment reports from 1987-1998 and 2010-2014. It finds that while forest cover, biomass, and total stem volume have increased according to the more recent assessment, average stem volume per hectare has decreased. Specifically, the number of smaller-diameter stems increased but larger stems decreased. Overall, continued community forest management and increased protection efforts have likely contributed to expanding forest area and growth in Nepal in recent decades. However, more frequent national forest assessments would provide more robust data for policymaking and planning.

1. Comparison of Growing Stock and Forest Increment
between Last Two National Assessment Reports of
Forest in Nepal
Manoj Paudel
Msc. Forestry
Faculty of forestry
AFU
(A term paper of SFM)
1
© Paudel,M (2021)

2. Outlines of presentation
© Paudel,M (2021) 2
1 INTRODUCTION
2 OBJECTIVES
3 METHODOLOGY
4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
5 CONCLUSION

3. 1. INTRODUCTION
 According to Forest Act (2049), “Forest” means an area fully or partly
covered by trees.
 LRMP(1977-1984), NFI(1987-1988) and FRA(2010-2014) are the main
three national assessment survey of forest done in Nepal.
 According to FRA (2010-2014), Forest is area of land of at least 0.5 ha and
a minimum width/length of 20 m with a tree crown cover of more than 10%
and tree height of 5 m at maturity.
 According to NFI (1987–1998) , Forest means all land with forest cover,
i.e. which covers with more than 10% cover and not used primarily for
purpose other than forestry. Temporarily clear cut area also under the
heading of forest.
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4.  DFRS implemented Forest Resource Assessment (FRA),Nepal Project
(2010–2014) and National Forest Inventory (NFI), Nepal project (1987-
1998) with financial and technical assistance from the Government of
Finland.
 Carbon stock: carbon content in above-ground and below-ground
biomass, and soil.
 Growing stock: The sum of all trees by number or volume or biomass
growing in a unit area.
 National level forest resource information is important for policy-making,
strategic level planning, and international reporting by government
(DFRS/MoFSC, 2015).
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5. 2. OBJECTIVES
The general objective of this paper is to compare growing Stock and forest
Increment between Last Two Assessment reports in Nepal.
The specific objectives of this paper are to compare
• Forest cover (%) found from different assessments in Nepal.
• Percentage share by different species in GS.
• Average stem volume (m3/ha).
• Number of stems per hectare by DBH class.
• Total biomass(million tonnes) and total stem volume ob (million m³).
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6. 3. METHODOLOGY
Data collection done from secondary information sources such as:
Surfing related website.
Previous assessment reports.
Published and unpublished research paper.
Informal discussions etc.
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7. Objective 1: To compare forest cover (%) found from different assessments in Nepal
Source: (DFRS/MoFSC, 2015) * Includes some shrub area; **OWL
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4.FINDINGS & DISCUSSION
LRMP
(1978/1979)
NRSC
(1984)
Master Plan
(1988)
NFI
(1994)
DoS
(1995)
FRA
(2010-2014)
Forest area 38 35.9* 37.4 29 38.3* 40.36
Shrub Land 4.7 4.8 10.6 4.38**
Total 42.7 35.9* 42.2 39.6 38.3* 44.74
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Forest cover(%) found by different assessments in Nepal
 Outmigration from villages and the
success of community forests
increased the area of forest in Nepal.
(Niraula et al. 2013; Gautam et al.
2002; Poudel et al. 2015, Nepal times,
2019).
 Due to larger minimum mapping unit
(MMU) in NFI, smaller forest patches
which were excluded in the previous
inventory could have been included in
the recent one may increased the
area of forest (DFRS/MoFSC, 2015).

8. © Paudel,M (2021) 8
SN Scientific Name Local Name Percent Share in GS
(Inventory Period)
Change in Percent
Share in GS
2010-2014
(FRA)
1987-1998
(NFI)
1 Shorea robusta Sal, Sakhuwa, Agragh 19.3 28.2 -8.9
2 Quercus spp Oak, Khasru 14.8 7.6 7.2
3 Pinus roxburghii Khotesalla, Ranisalla 7.1 6.3 0.8
4 Rhododendron spp Laligurans 5.3 3.3 2
5 Terminalia alata Asna, Saj 4.7 7.6 -2.9
6 Abies spec Talispatra 4.6 4.9 -0.3
7 Pinus wallichiana Gobre salla 3.8 1.1 2.7
8 Alnus nepalensis utis 3.56 2.9 0.66
9 Schima wallichii Chilaune 2.7 2.0 0.7
Objective 2: To compare percentage share by different species in GS.
 Sal forests in Nepal are shrinking with poor regeneration and there is change in species
composition as well (Sapkota et al., 2009) .
 Climate changing scenario showed decreasing suitable habitat for the Abies species in
the future with the plant expanding and moving up in the mountain (Joshi, 2015).
 About 83% of the Nepal’s temperate forests are oak forests, which are found
distributing along the altitudinal gradients(Poudel, Sasaki, & Abe, 2020).

9. Objective 3: To compare number of stems per hectare by DBH class.
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DBH class
Inventory
Period
10–20 cm 20–50 ≥50 Total
NFI 1987–1998 244 143 21 408
FRA 2010–2014 287 125 18 430
+43 -18 -3 +22
 The number of stems with DBH ≥10 cm in FRA (2010-2014) is higher than NFI (1987–
1998)
 But only in DBH class (10-20cm ), it was observed higher no. of stems/ ha in FRA.

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Objective 4:To compare average stem volume (m³/ha).
155
160
165
170
175
180
NFI 1987-1998 FRA 2010-2014
Average stem volume (m³/ha)
164.76 m3/ha
178 m3 / ha
 Average stem volume is higher in NFI than FRA by 13.24 m3 /ha.
 Number of stem per ha is higher only in 10-20 cm DBH in FRA assessment results
low average stem volume in FRA than NFI.

11. © Paudel,M (2021) 11
NFI 1987-1998* FRA 2010-2014
Biomass
(million tonnes)
Total stem volume
(million m3)
Biomass
(million tonnes)
Total stem volume
(million m3)
Forest area 428.5* 387.5* 1159.65 982.33
Shrub - - 77.67 4.58
OWL - - 6.3 76.65
Total 428.58* 387.5* 1243.62 1063.56
Objective 5: To compare biomass(million tonnes) and total stem volume ob (million m³)
*= Reachable forest i.e. 52% of total area ( i.e. 2.18 million ha) in NFI
 In NFI projection total estimated value of total stem volume in millions m3 is 795 and
biomass in million tonnes is 873.
 Increasing cover area, different assessment methods etc. may increase in growing
stock in FRA although there is decrease in average stem volume per hac.

12. 5. CONCLUSION
Department of forest , department of national park and wildlife reserve , govt.
of Nepal and success of CF etc. played vital role to increase the forest area in
Nepal.
Pole sized number of stems in recent assessment was high which means more
biomass and growing stock could achieved in near future if we manage forest of
Nepal properly.
Cover area, number of stems per ha, total stem volume and total biomass have
been increased but average volume of stem has been decreased in recent
assessment.
Interest of good regeneration and fast growing species have been increased in
CF and private forest.
Up to date only 3 assessments were done in forest of Nepal which is very few
times due to this it lacks the National level forest resource information which is
important for policy-making, strategic level planning, and international reporting
by government.
Different assessment techniques, different instruments etc. in the data collection
at different forest assessment surveys in Nepal may results the variation in
findings. © Paudel,M (2021) 12

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