- Sustainable Development Indicator (SDI) Group
- SDI Inventory, Organized by Sponsoring Organization
- Sustainable Development Indicator (SDI) Group
United States Department of Agriculture Indicators
The SDI Group derived the following indicators from those under consideration by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service as part of their national and international initiative on Sustainable Forest Management. Clicking on the issue or the SDI Framework element name will allow you to view all related indicators.
- Consumption Non-wood Products (90)
- Definition: supply and consumption/use of non-wood products from forests
- Issue: Land Use/Deforestation
- SDI Framework Element: Crude Materials for Further Processing
- Crude Materials for Further Processing Characteristic: Amount of Wood Products
- Cultural Forest Land (98)
- Definition: area and percent of forest land managed in relation to the total area of forest land to protect the range of cultural, social and spiritual needs and values
- Issue: Government/Conservation
- SDI Framework Element: Forest Land
- Forest Land Characteristic: Area of Forest Land
- Dead Forest Water Bodies (79)
- Definition: Number of water bodies that have lost half of their native fish populations
- Issue: Biodiversity/Changing Biodiversity
- SDI Framework Element: Biota Population
- Biota Population Characteristic: Number of Water Bodies
- Dead Forest Water Bodies (80)
- Definition: Percent of water bodies in forest areas (e.g. stream kilometers, lake hectares ) with significant variation from the historic range of variability in pH, dissolved oxygen, levels of chemicals (electrical conductivity), sedimentation or temperature change.
- Issue: Environment Quality/Water Quality
- SDI Framework Element: Water Systems
- Water Systems Characteristic: Number of Water Bodies
- Diminished Forest Land (74)
- Definition: area and percent of forest land with diminished biological components indicative of changes in fundamental ecological processes (e.g. soil, nutrient cycling, seed dispersion, pollination)
- Issue: Biodiversity/Changing Biodiversity
- SDI Framework Element: Ecosystem Diversity
- Ecosystem Diversity Characteristic: Area of Forest Land
- Diminished Soil Forest Land (77)
- Definition: Area forest land with soil of low organic content divided by total forest area
- Issue: Resource/Soil Quality
- SDI Framework Element: Soil Capacity
- Soil Capacity Characteristic: Area of Forest Land
- Endangered Forest Species (64)
- Definition: the status (rate, threatened, endangered, or extinct) of forest dependent species at risk of not maintaining viable breeding populations, as determined legislation or scientific assessment
- Issue: Biodiversity/Changing Biodiversity
- SDI Framework Element: Species Diversity
- Species Diversity Characteristic: Number of Species
- Environmentally dependent Jobs (400)
- Definition: Total number of jobs involved in resource extraction, agriculture, recreation, and other industries that depend upon the environment
- Issue: Economic Performance/Environmentally Dependent Industry
- SDI Framework Element: Forestry Industry
- Forestry Industry Characteristic: Number of Jobs
- Exotic Species Plantations (69)
- Definition: The area and growing stock of plantations of native and exotic species
- Issue: Biodiversity/Exotic Species
- SDI Framework Element: Agricultural Land
- Agricultural Land Characteristic: Area of Land
- Forest Data Users (116)
- Definition: number of users of data published on trends in forest ecosystems
- Issue: Education/Information Access
- SDI Framework Element: Social Institutions
- Social Institutions Characteristic: Number of Users
- Forest Defendant Species (63)
- Definition: The number of forest dependent species;
- Issue: Government/Sustainable Development Education
- SDI Framework Element: Species Diversity
- Species Diversity Characteristic: Number of Species
- Forest Diversity by Age (59)
- Definition: extent of area by forest type and by age class or successional stage
- Issue: Biodiversity/Changing Biodiversity
- SDI Framework Element: Ecosystem Diversity
- Ecosystem Diversity Characteristic: Area of Forest Land
- Forest Diversity by Type (58)
- Definition: Ecosystem Diversity Extent of area by forest type relative to total forest area
- Issue: Biodiversity/Changing Biodiversity
- SDI Framework Element: Ecosystem Diversity
- Ecosystem Diversity Characteristic: Area of Forest Land
- Forest Ecosystem Research (119)
- Definition: dollars designated for research aimed at improving forest management and understanding of forest ecosystem characteristics and function
- Issue: Government/Sustainable Development Education
- SDI Framework Element: Expenditures
- Expenditures Characteristic: Amount of Money Spent
- Forest Fragmentation (62)
- Definition: fragmentation of forest types
- Issue: Biodiversity/Changing Biodiversity
- SDI Framework Element: Ecosystem Diversity
- Ecosystem Diversity Characteristic: Area of Forest Land
- Forest Indicators (118)
- Definition: Total number of organizations (Federal, state, and local) developing indicators on sustainable forest management
- Issue: Education/Information Access
- SDI Framework Element: Governments and Legal Institutions
- Governments and Legal Institutions Characteristic: Number of Groups
- Forest Industry Growth (102)
- Definition: growth in per capita income levels in forest dependent communities compared to national growth rate
- Issue: Economic Performance/Environmentally Dependent Industry
- SDI Framework Element: Forestry Industry
- Forestry Industry Characteristic: Income
- Forest Industry Jobs (100)
- Definition: Direct and indirect employment in the forest sector and the forest sector employment as a proportion of total employment.
- Issue: Economic Performance/Environmentally Dependent Industry
- SDI Framework Element: Forestry Industry
- Forestry Industry Characteristic: Number of Jobs
- Forest Investment (94)
- Definition: Total money invested in Forest maintenance per year
- Issue: Infrastructure/Capital Investment
- SDI Framework Element: Investment
- Investment Characteristic: Amount of Money Spent
- Forest Investment Return (97)
- Definition: Total money invested per dollar extracted
- Issue: Infrastructure/Capital Investment
- SDI Framework Element: Investment
- Investment Characteristic: Amount of Money Spent
- Forest Land for Timber (67)
- Definition: Area of forest land and net area of forest land available for timber production.
- Issue: Land Use/Deforestation
- SDI Framework Element: Productive Capacity
- Productive Capacity Characteristic: Area of Forest Land
- Forest Law Enforcement (113)
- Definition: number of persons designated to enforce laws, regulations, guidelines that promote the sustainable use of forests
- Issue: Government/Environmental Protection
- SDI Framework Element: Justice, Public Order and Safety
- Justice, Public Order and Safety Characteristic: Number of Officers
- Forest Management Laws (107)
- Definition: Extent to which the legal framework (laws, regulations, guidelines) supports the conservation and sustainable management of forests, including the extent to which it encourages best practice codes for forest management.
- Issue: Government/Environmental Protection
- SDI Framework Element: Law
- Law Characteristic: Number of Regulations
- Forest Management Laws (108)
- Definition: number of laws, regulations, and guidelines supporting the conservation and sustainable use of forests
- Issue: Government/Environmental Protection
- SDI Framework Element: Law
- Law Characteristic: Number of Regulations
- Forest Management Schools (111)
- Definition: total number of colleges which offer courses in sustainable forest management
- Issue: Government/Sustainable Development Education
- SDI Framework Element: Intellectual and Cultural Organizations
- Intellectual and Cultural Organizations Characteristic: Number of Schools
- Forest Management Spending (123)
- Definition: dollars designated for research and development aimed at improving forest management and delivery of forest goods and services, including ability to predict impacts on forests of possible climate change
- Issue: Climate/Global Climate Change
- SDI Framework Element: Expenditures
- Expenditures Characteristic: Amount of Money spent
- Forest Measurements (117)
- Definition: capacity to measure and monitor changes in the conservation and sustainable management of forests, including scope, frequency and statistical reliability of forest inventories, assessments, monitoring and other relevant information
- Issue: Education/Information Access
- SDI Framework Element: Governments and Legal Institutions
- Governments and Legal Institutions Characteristic: Amount of Data Collected
- Forest Planning Policy (105)
- Definition: Extent to which the legal framework (laws, regulations, guidelines) supports the conservation and sustainable management of forests, including the extent to which it provides for periodic forest-related planning, assessment, and policy review that recognizes the range of forest values, including coordination with relevant sectors.
- Issue: Government/Public Policy
- SDI Framework Element: Law
- Law Characteristic: Number of Regulations
- Forest Policy (110)
- Definition: Number of plans released each year related to sustainable forest management
- Issue: Government/Public Policy
- SDI Framework Element: Governments and Legal Institutions
- Governments and Legal Institutions Characteristic: Number of Plans
- Forest Policy Hearings (106)
- Definition: Number of people who attend public hearings related to sustainable forest management
- Issue: Government/Public Policy
- SDI Framework Element: Law
- Law Characteristic: Number of People
- Forest Product Infrastructure (112)
- Definition: Dollars of capital per dollar extracted
- Issue: Infrastructure/Public Infrastructure
- SDI Framework Element: Crude Lumber and Wood Products
- Crude Lumber and Wood Products Characteristic: Amount of Money
- Forest Product Recycling (89)
- Definition: Tons of recycled paper per year
- Issue: Waste/Waste Handling
- SDI Framework Element: Waste
- Waste Characteristic: Mass of Waste
- Forest Product Trade Policy (115)
- Definition: Number of trade policies supporting sustainable forest management
- Issue: Government/Public Policy
- SDI Framework Element: Governments and Legal Institutions
- Governments and Legal Institutions Characteristic: Number of Trade Policies
- Forest Products Biomass (84)
- Definition: total mass of carbon in wood products
- Issue: Climate/Global Climate Change
- SDI Framework Element: Contribution to Global System
- Contribution to Global System Characteristic: Mass of Carbon
- Forest Property Rights (104)
- Definition: Extent to which the legal framework (laws, regulations, guidelines) supports the conservation and sustainable management of forests, including the extent to which it clarifies property rights, provides for appropriate land tenure arrangements, recognizes customary and traditional rights of indigenous people, and provides means of resolving property disputes by due process.
- Issue: Government/Environmental Protection
- SDI Framework Element: Law
- Law Characteristic: Number of Regulations
- Forest Recreation Facilities (92)
- Definition: Number of facilities per visitor
- Issue: Individual/Recreation
- SDI Framework Element: Forest Land
- Forest Land Characteristic: Number of Facilities
- Forest Research (95)
- Definition: Total research and development expenditures per year
- Issue: Infrastructure/Capital Investment
- SDI Framework Element: Investment
- Investment Characteristic: Amount of Money Spent
- Forest Research Labs (121)
- Definition: Total number of research organizations that conduct research on sustainable forest management
- Issue: Government/Sustainable Development Spending
- SDI Framework Element: Intellectual and Cultural Organizations
- Intellectual and Cultural Organizations Characteristic: Number of Laboratories
- Forest Resource Accounting (120)
- Definition: Capacity to conduct and apply research and development aimed at improving forest management and delivery of forest goods and services, including development of methodologies to measure and integrate environmental and social costs and benefits into markets and public policies, and to reflect forest related resource depletion or replenishment in national accounting systems.
- Issue: Economic Performance/Economic Satellite Accounts
- SDI Framework Element: Expenditures
- Expenditures Characteristic: TBD
- Forest Species Population (66)
- Definition: Population levels of representative species from diverse habitats monitored across their range.
- Issue: Biodiversity/Changing Biodiversity
- SDI Framework Element: Biota Population
- Biota Population Characteristic: Species Population
- Forest Substanance Use (103)
- Definition: Protected areas of Forest Land used for subsistence purposes.
- Issue: Government/Conservation
- SDI Framework Element: Forest Land
- Forest Land Characteristic: Area of Forest Land
- Forest Valuation (114)
- Definition: extent to which economic policies and measures support the conservation of forests
- Issue: Government/Public Policy
- SDI Framework Element: Governments and Legal Institutions
- Governments and Legal Institutions Characteristic: Number of Policies
- Forest Visitor Days (93)
- Definition: number of visitor days attributed to recreation and tourism, in relation to population and forest area
- Issue: Individual/Recreation
- SDI Framework Element: Leisure Time
- Leisure Time Characteristic: Time
- Forest Worker Wages (101)
- Definition: Average wage rates and injury rates in major employment categories within the forest sector.
- Issue: Economic Performance/Environmentally Dependent Industry
- SDI Framework Element: Income
- Income Characteristic: Income
- Human Forest Impact Spending (122)
- Definition: millions of dollars devoted to research aimed at improving forest management and predicting impacts of human intervention on forests
- Issue: Biodiversity/Habitat Change
- SDI Framework Element: Expenditures
- Expenditures Characteristic: Amount of Money Spent
- Modified Forest Land (72)
- Definition: Area and percent of forest affected by processes or agents beyond the range of historic variation, e.g. by insects, disease, competition from exotic species, fire, storm, land clearance, permanent flooding, salinisation, and domestic animals
- Issue: Biodiversity/Habitat Change
- SDI Framework Element: Forest Land
- Forest Land Characteristic: Area of Forest Land
- Modified Forest Streams (76)
- Definition: Percent of stream kilometers in forested catchments in which stream flow and timing has significantly deviated from the historic range of variation.
- Issue: Production/Erosion
- SDI Framework Element: Water Systems
- Water Systems Characteristic: Length of Streams
- New Technology Spending (96)
- Definition: Total dollars spent on new technology per year
- Issue: Infrastructure/Capital Investment
- SDI Framework Element: Expenditures
- Expenditures Characteristic: Amount of Money Spent
- Non-Timber Forest Product Removal (71)
- Definition: Annual removal of non-timber forest products (e.g. fur bearers, berries, mushrooms, game), compared to the level determined to be sustainable.
- Issue: Resource/Renewable Resources
- SDI Framework Element: Crude Lumber and Wood Products
- Crude Lumber and Wood Products Characteristic: Amount Non-Timber Products
- Polluted Forest Land (73)
- Definition: Area and percent of forest land subjected to levels of specific air pollutants (e.g. sulfates, nitrate, ozone) or ultra violet B that may cause negative impacts on the forest ecosystem.
- Issue: Environment Quality/Air Quality
- SDI Framework Element: Forest Land
- Forest Land Characteristic: Area of Land
- Protected Forest by Age (61)
- Definition: Extent of areas by forest type in protected areas defined by age class or successional stage
- Issue: Government/Conservation
- SDI Framework Element: Forest Land
- Forest Land Characteristic: Area of Forest Land
- Protected Forest by Type (60)
- Definition: Extent of areas by forest type in protected area categories as defined by IUCNN2 or other classification systems.
- Issue: Government/Conservation
- SDI Framework Element: Forest Land
- Forest Land Characteristic: Area of Forest Land
- Public Forest Hearings (109)
- Definition: total number of public hearings related to sustainable forest management
- Issue: Government/Public Policy
- SDI Framework Element: Organizing People
- Organizing People Characteristic: Number of Hearings
- Recreational Forest land (91)
- Definition: Area and percent of forest land managed for general recreation and tourism, in relation to the total area of forest land.
- Issue: Individual/Recreation
- SDI Framework Element: Forest Land
- Forest Land Characteristic: Area of Forest Land
- Reduced Range Forest Species (65)
- Definition: number of forest dependent species that occupy a small portion of their former range
- Issue: Biodiversity/Changing Biodiversity
- SDI Framework Element: Species Diversity
- Species Diversity Characteristic: Number of Species
- Soil Compaction Forest Land (78)
- Definition: Area forest land with compacted soil divided by total forest area
- Issue: Resource/Soil Quality
- SDI Framework Element: Soil Capacity
- Soil Capacity Characteristic: Area of Forest Land
- Total Forest Biomass (82)
- Definition: Total forest ecosystem biomass and carbon pool, and if appropriate, by forest type, age class, and successional stages.
- Issue: Climate/Global Climate Change
- SDI Framework Element: Forest Land
- Forest Land Characteristic: Mass of Carbon
- Total Forest Biomass (83)
- Definition: total mass of carbon in forest ecosystem
- Issue: Climate/Global Climate Change
- SDI Framework Element: Contribution to Global System
- Contribution to Global System Characteristic: Mass of Carbon
- Total Tree Growing Stock (68)
- Definition: Total growing stock of both merchantable and nonmerchantable tree species on forest land available for timber production.
- Issue: Land Use/Deforestation
- SDI Framework Element: Productive Capacity
- Productive Capacity Characteristic: Volume
- Toxic Forest Land (81)
- Definition: Area and percent of forest land experiencing an accumulation of persistent toxic substances.
- Issue: Environment Quality/Contamination of Soil
- SDI Framework Element: Forest Land
- Forest Land Characteristic: Area of Forest Land
- Value All Forest Products (88)
- Definition: Dollars of wood and non-wood products per year divided by Gross Domestic Product times 100
- Issue: Production/Production Efficiency
- SDI Framework Element: Crude Lumber and Wood Products
- Crude Lumber and Wood Products Characteristic: Amount of Money
- Value Non-wood Forest Products (86)
- Definition: Dollars of non-wood forest products per year
- Issue: Production/Production Efficiency
- SDI Framework Element: Crude Lumber and Wood Products
- Crude Lumber and Wood Products Characteristic: Amount of Money
- Value Wood Products (85)
- Definition: Dollars of wood and wood products per year
- Issue: Production/Production Efficiency
- SDI Framework Element: Crude Lumber and Wood Products
- Crude Lumber and Wood Products Characteristic: Amount of Money
- Wood Product Removal (70)
- Definition: Annual removal of wood products compared to the volume determined to be sustainable.
- Issue: Land Use/Deforestation
- SDI Framework Element: Harvesting of Biota
- Harvesting of Biota Characteristic: Volume
- Wood Products Consumption (87)
- Definition: supply and consumption of wood and wood products, including consumption per capita
- Issue: Land Use/Deforestation
- SDI Framework Element: Crude Lumber and Wood Products
- Crude Lumber and Wood Products Characteristic: Amount of Wood Products