Table 22.2a. Relative standard errors (%) of area of forest land by IUCN1 category, ownership and boreal zone in Canada.
Boreal zone IUCN category Ownership Total
Federal Provincial Territorial Municipal Indigenous Private Other2
Non-boreal NA 39.05 1.64 17.78 22.34 15.79 2.75 18.52 1.40
IA 88.19 41.03 - - - 55.32 5.92 33.95
IB - 13.18 63.11 - - 78.64 25.65 12.94
II 17.05 6.41 97.49 100.00 88.50 44.50 84.36 5.96
III - 41.10 - - - 65.31 100.30 39.98
IV 17.94 20.22 - - - 39.54 95.09 18.14
VI 100.12 99.95 - - - 98.66 - 98.18
OTHER - 64.98 - - - 54.29 100.24 52.63
Subtotal 15.46 1.60 17.24 22.34 15.79 2.74 18.09 1.37
Boreal NA 25.37 0.71 1.71 18.14 5.31 6.84 10.97 0.66
IA - 33.59 - - - - 0.00 33.59
IB 70.90 6.61 16.00 - 67.86 99.92 59.55 6.07
II 7.99 5.06 14.47 - 1.73 97.96 37.86 4.08
III - 43.37 100.00 - - - 0.00 40.18
IV 69.26 15.44 43.52 10.34 45.16 66.16 89.81 14.01
V - 100.00 - - - - - 100.00
VI 52.47 71.08 39.18 - 94.82 - 6.16 29.88
OTHER - 18.82 14.30 - 60.81 - 99.19 11.52
Subtotal 7.50 0.72 1.69 18.14 5.27 6.79 10.51 0.66
Canada NA 21.28 0.66 1.70 14.09 5.04 2.57 9.44 0.60
IA 88.19 26.54 - - - 55.32 5.92 24.72
IB 70.90 5.91 15.66 - 67.86 61.80 59.54 5.50
II 7.24 3.97 14.47 100.00 88.29 41.68 34.75 3.37
III - 29.91 100.00 - - 65.31 100.30 28.43
IV 66.51 12.33 43.52 10.34 45.16 33.95 91.86 11.13
V - 100.00 - - - - - 100.00
VI 52.47 95.23 39.18 - 94.82 98.66 6.16 28.79
OTHER - 18.08 14.30 - 60.81 54.29 75.90 11.26
Total 6.75 0.67 1.69 14.09 5.00 2.55 9.09 0.60
Source: Canada's National Forest Inventory, combined remeasured (2007-2017) and projected (2006-2017 with NFI projection system) data (Version 3.1, October 2025) (http://nfi.nfis.org)
Note: The Non-boreal zone in the Arctic ecozones (Arctic Cordillera, Northern Arctic, Southern Arctic) are not inventoried. The total land and water area amounts to approximately 252,202.08 thousand ha.
1 IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature (http://www.iucn.org). Data obtained from the Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) (https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-wildlife-areas/protected-conserved-areas-database.html).
2 Missing, unknown or other ownerships.
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) category
IUCN Category Description
NA Not protected
Ia Protected area managed mainly for science
Ib Protected area managed mainly for wilderness protection
II Protected area managed mainly for ecosystem protection and recreation
III Protected area managed mainly for conservation of specific natural features
IV Protected area managed mainly for conservation through management intervention
V Protected area managed mainly for landscape/seascape protection and recreation
VI Protected area managed mainly for the sustainable use of natural resources
Other Protected with missing or unknown category