Forests are determined both by the presence of trees and the absence of
other predominant land uses. The trees should be able to reach a
minimum height of 5 m. Young stands that have not yet but are
expected to reach a crown density of 10% and tree height of 5 m are
included under forest, as are temporarily unstocked areas.
• The term includes forests used for purposes of production, protection,
multiple-use or conservation (i.e. forest in national parks, nature reserves
and other protected areas), as well as forest stands on agricultural lands (e.g.
windbreaks and shelterbelts of trees with a width of more than 20 m), and
rubberwood plantations.
• The term specifically excludes stands of trees established primarily for
agricultural production, for example fruit tree plantations. It also excludes
trees planted in agroforestry systems.