Table 22.4a. Relative standard errors (%) of area of forest land by IUCN1 category, ownership and managed forest region in Canada.
Managed forests IUCN category Ownership Total
Federal Provincial Territorial Municipal Indigenous Private Other2
0 NA 78.69 58.29 37.56 51.94 40.61 18.48 25.63 46.16
IA - 60.15 - - - - - 60.15
IB - 57.34 - - - - - 57.34
II 79.33 32.75 - - 99.06 69.53 95.16 30.16
III - 63.29 - - - 65.87 102.27 52.71
IV 12.33 102.40 - - - 109.49 104.95 102.01
VI 101.32 - - - - - - 101.32
OTHER - - - - - 103.19 103.19 95.15
Subtotal 63.38 46.63 37.56 51.94 40.61 18.26 24.47 37.63
11 NA 31.85 0.50 5.61 27.24 48.76 11.93 14.29 0.52
IA - 36.60 - - - - - 36.60
IB - 19.30 - - - 100.11 0.00 19.27
II 52.39 17.11 100.44 - - 97.74 50.19 16.52
III - 31.43 - - - 100.00 - 31.37
IV - 14.34 - - - 60.73 - 14.12
V - 100.06 - - - - - 100.06
VI 56.03 78.54 - - - - - 77.09
OTHER - 83.80 - - - - - 83.80
Subtotal 27.79 0.50 5.61 27.24 48.76 11.90 14.26 0.52
12 NA 86.50 1.34 9.40 64.64 31.06 22.06 67.30 1.38
IA - 56.02 - - - - - 56.02
IB - 69.59 - - - 99.15 - 69.34
II 103.20 22.58 - - - 73.60 0.00 22.45
IV - 67.53 - - - 99.88 - 65.45
Subtotal 66.58 1.34 9.40 64.64 31.06 22.05 67.30 1.38
13 NA 44.05 0.91 1.65 27.30 33.12 29.22 17.15 0.82
IB - 34.30 62.11 - - - 100.03 29.80
II 69.54 34.91 49.79 - - - 89.47 31.74
IV 100.06 70.17 49.67 - - - 100.06 43.64
VI 100.06 - 78.88 - - - - 64.88
OTHER - 45.68 14.21 - 75.39 - 98.82 14.17
Subtotal 41.85 0.91 1.64 27.30 32.96 29.22 17.13 0.82
20 NA 35.01 8.34 12.92 86.93 73.29 12.03 31.74 6.83
IA 84.94 27.29 - - - 78.81 6.40 25.85
IB 70.36 5.38 15.30 - 70.48 66.47 100.14 5.05
II 6.40 3.13 13.35 1.73 - 42.06 35.87 2.78
III - 31.10 99.92 - - 73.36 101.71 29.48
IV 96.65 13.22 43.35 10.63 45.01 42.02 98.09 12.02
V - 100.32 - - - - - 100.32
VI 52.92 97.03 38.84 - 94.89 100.06 6.56 28.75
OTHER - 17.54 - - - 90.44 0.00 17.42
Subtotal 6.24 2.52 7.78 86.91 38.69 21.35 32.55 2.23
31 NA 13.01 9.53 - 89.35 87.78 39.79 96.38 7.59
IA - 64.94 - - - 135.67 - 67.57
IB - 114.73 - - - - - 114.73
II 32.45 106.00 - - - 32.45 - 85.26
Subtotal 13.00 9.52 - 89.35 87.78 38.70 96.38 7.57
32 NA 65.07 18.92 11.33 101.46 6.10 24.81 55.97 5.89
IB - 11.18 - - - - - 11.18
II - 61.57 - - 2.83 - 0.00 61.57
IV - - - - - 102.38 - 102.38
OTHER - 36.18 - - - - - 36.18
Subtotal 65.07 18.87 11.33 101.46 6.10 24.60 55.97 5.88
33 NA 56.47 2.51 - 42.38 60.45 19.25 37.21 2.51
IA - 78.24 - - - 91.28 - 71.14
IB - 12.92 - - - - - 12.92
II 55.44 28.64 - - - 100.35 0.00 52.32
III - 76.81 - - - - - 76.81
IV - 58.98 - - - 58.49 - 43.56
OTHER - - - - - 101.51 - 101.51
Subtotal 54.93 2.46 - 42.38 60.45 19.01 37.21 2.53
40 NA 111.34 19.34 17.44 68.50 3.74 32.66 61.11 3.65
IB - 107.29 100.33 - 100.07 - - 84.37
II 84.96 80.88 - - - 100.82 102.81 58.08
OTHER - - 89.59 - 60.26 - 99.55 59.12
Subtotal 84.19 19.28 17.42 68.50 3.74 32.66 61.10 3.65
50 NA 41.70 9.81 - 22.18 30.88 1.61 37.63 1.63
IA 91.37 96.85 - - - 68.55 0.00 56.83
IB - 42.05 - - - 1.00 - 42.05
II 52.36 20.03 - 100.03 100.11 86.30 99.99 43.07
III - 68.01 - - - 78.56 - 64.43
IV 86.89 24.45 - - - 55.61 99.99 46.03
VI - 100.57 - - - 96.44 - 83.79
OTHER - 53.04 - - - 50.18 - 50.17
Subtotal 30.84 9.57 - 22.18 30.86 1.62 37.54 1.63
100 NA 63.59 3.63 8.86 37.86 16.21 10.82 32.02 3.33
IA 108.82 63.16 - - - - 0.00 62.20
IB - 17.15 70.60 - 71.59 77.59 1.41 16.44
II 45.54 11.07 66.12 - 0.00 50.63 68.06 10.59
III - 57.84 - - - - 0.00 57.84
IV - 32.91 - - 97.40 57.58 88.72 32.14
VI 96.14 103.41 100.07 - 100.09 - - 73.35
OTHER - 54.29 46.55 - 82.51 - 0.00 44.76
Subtotal 37.68 3.38 8.63 37.86 15.94 11.77 28.97 3.12
Canada NA 13.41 0.48 1.54 13.62 3.18 1.57 9.95 0.45
IA 81.91 25.82 - - - 49.98 6.40 24.08
IB 70.36 5.13 15.21 - 66.05 50.41 92.69 4.83
II 6.33 3.03 13.29 98.43 86.33 40.25 33.94 2.71
III - 28.11 99.92 - - 65.08 72.44 26.76
IV 58.07 11.85 42.95 10.63 44.57 32.92 72.10 10.77
V - 94.47 - - - - - 94.47
VI 49.75 85.41 38.73 - 94.77 74.04 6.56 27.89
OTHER - 17.24 14.17 - 59.42 44.75 78.20 10.93
Total 5.78 0.49 1.54 13.62 3.17 1.58 9.56 0.46
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 Arctic ecozones (Arctic Cordillera, Northern Arctic, Southern Arctic), and the Taiga Plains and Hudson Plains ecozones located in Nunavut, are not inventoried. These non-inventoried areas total 262,189.89 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
Managed forest
Code Description
0 Not available
11 Long term volume or area based Crown timber dispositions
12 Short term volume or area based Crown timber dispositions
13 No current Crown timber dispostions
20 Legal protection status (IUCN class IA, IB, II, III, IV, V, VI equivalent)
31 Reserved by the Federal government for military or other purposes
32 Reserved by the Federal government under the Indian Act
33 Reserved or designated restricted use by provincial or territorial government
40 Aboriginal lands
50 Privately-owned lands
100 Water