FORESTRY, 2023

The total forest land area in 2023 remained at approximately the same level as in 2022 and amounted to about 2.76 million hectares.

The total logging in both state-owned and privately-owned forests in 2023, as compared to 2022, decreased by 2.7%. Expressed in the quantity of roundwood, it was a decrease of about 143 thousand m³.

The total production of coniferous wood increased by 4.7%, while the total production of non-coniferous wood decreased by 3.7%, as compared to the previous year.

In 2023, the production of fuel wood decreased by 1.0%, or by about 25 thousand m³, while the production of industrial roundwood (wood in the rough) decreased by 4.3%, or by about 118 thousand m³, as compared to 2022.

The total damages in forestry in 2023, as compared to 2022, increased by 508.1%. Concerning individual types of damages, the highest increase was recorded for the number of damages caused by weather conditions.

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

Sources and methods of data collection

Data on forestry products and felled timber until 2013 were obtained by collection and processing of data on reporting units engaged in the forestry and timber felling activity as defined in the NKD 2007 section A Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, division 02 Forestry and logging.

Since 2014, data related to forestry have been taken over from the Directorate for Forestry, Hunting and Wood Industry of the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as from the limited liability company Hrvatske šume as an administrative data source.

Data on production of forestry products have been harmonised since 2014 with the international Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire (JFSQ), which is submitted to Eurostat and other relevant institutions at the annual level.

Coverage and comparability

Reporting units referred to in the data are forest management offices of the limited liability company Hrvatske šume and of other legal entities classified into activities defined in section A Agriculture, forestry and fishing, division 02 Forestry and logging, as well as legal entities classified into other activities but engaged in the forestry, logging and related service activities.

Data have been generated in the form of databases prepared by the limited liability company Hrvatske šume and submitted to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics in the form adjusted for further processing.

Definitions

Forest is, as defined in Article 5 of the Forests Act (NN, Nos 68/18, 115/18, 98/19, 32/20 and 145/20), land overgrown with forest trees and/or its shrubby forms, shrubs and ground vegetation on an area of 0.1 ha and more, where forest products are continuously produced, socially beneficial functions are realised and there are balanced relations between biocenosis and habitat. Forests also include forests in protected areas according to a special regulation; forest seed facilities of the seed source type (if it is an integral part of the forest complex) and seed stand; monuments of park architecture originating from natural forests; protection belts of trees with a surface of 0.1 ha and more and a width of 20 m and more; forest lanes up to 5 m wide; forest roads and light lanes near roads up to 5 m wide; routes of water supply, wastewater drainage (sewerage), oil pipelines, gas pipelines, electricity and other lines up to 5 m wide within forest complex.

According to Article 22 of the Forests Act (NN, Nos 68/18, 115/18, 98/19, 32/20 and 145/20), forests are divided by purpose as follows:

–  Production forests serve for the production of wood and non-wood forestry products, providing that their socially beneficial functions are preserved and improved.

–  Protective forests are primarily used for the protection of soil, water, settlements, establishments and other property, providing that their socially beneficial functions are preserved and improved. Works in such forests are done only in respect to their primary function.

Special-purpose forests are:

1) protected forests

2) urban forests

3) forest seed facilities

4) forests for scientific research

5) forests for the purpose of the defence of the Republic of Croatia

6) forests for the purpose prescribed by special regulations.

Other forest land encompasses non-overgrown non-production land (lanes, light lanes near roads, power-transmission lines, oil pipelines etc.) as well as non-overgrown production land (clearings, smooth rocky grounds, reed patches etc.).

Arid land encompasses forest roads of more than 5 meters width, water paths, channels, swamps, harsh karst, areas under construction establishments, gravel pits, stone pits etc.

Logs (of non-coniferous and coniferous wood) are parts of timber intended for further processing by sawing, sometimes by cutting and peeling, as they have good physical and chemical characteristics, so they are intended to be industrially processed. It includes logs for cutting and logs for veneer and peeling.

Industrial roundwood (non-coniferous and coniferous) includes all kinds of wood suitable for mechanical processing, such as sawlogs and veneer logs, mining timber, transmission-line and telephone-line pylons as well as other oval timber.

Pulpwood is round and chopped wood of conifers, beech and soft non-coniferous wood. It is used in the production of cellulose and artificial fibres.

Fuel wood (of non-coniferous and coniferous wood) is intended either to be used directly as fuel or for the production of charcoal. It is a kind of wood whose worming capacity is exploited. Therefore, their level of dryness, dimensions and the way how they are arranged are very important characteristics. According to the type of wood, there is a hard fuel wood (beech wood, hornbeam wood, Turkey oak wood and oak wood) and soft fuel wood (birch wood, poplar-wood, willow wood, alder wood).

Other industrial roundwood (wood in the rough) includes small technical wood suitable for the production of wooden props, poles, various laths and pillars for fences, handles for various tools and similar. They are made of stump flanges, sweet chestnut, ash-tree, cornelian cherry, sweet and sour cherry etc. They are chopped in winter.

Abbreviations

Published by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Zagreb, Ilica 3, P. O. B. 80
Phone: (+385 1) 48 06 111
Press corner: press@dzs.hr

Persons responsible:
Edita Omerzo, Director of Spatial Statistics Directorate
Lidija Brković, Director General

Prepared by:
Mario Valentić and Ana Pavetić

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