Table 22C.1a. Relative standard errors (%) for annual change in area of forest land by IUCN1 category, ownership and terrestrial ecozone in Canada.
Terrestrial ecozone IUCN category Ownership Total
Federal Provincial Territorial Municipal Indigenous Private Other2
Taiga Plains NA 50.59 24.07 11.18 71.66 78.04 111.83 94.78 10.10
IB - 66.06 18.97 - 99.88 - 0.00 18.25
II 39.93 70.95 23.17 - - - 100.00 19.45
III - - 48.03 - - - - 48.03
V - - 97.24 - - - - 97.24
VI 65.16 - 36.94 - 92.52 - - 30.99
OTHER - - 13.12 - 70.01 - 99.44 12.91
Subtotal 28.64 22.56 7.46 71.66 52.52 111.83 94.09 6.87
Taiga Shield NA 75.11 9.65 18.48 87.63 38.90 45.98 48.55 8.41
IB - 18.98 48.96 - 74.28 - 1.00 18.47
II - 9.59 - - - 45.23 86.75 9.57
III - 64.20 - - - - 100.08 63.92
V - 99.99 - - - - - 99.99
Subtotal 75.11 6.42 18.31 87.63 35.10 45.94 45.34 5.98
Boreal Shield NA 61.59 11.21 - 51.04 81.24 60.62 17.99 9.33
IA - 52.86 - - - 24.78 1.73 52.85
IB 100.00 24.02 - - - 100.00 4.90 23.37
II 103.35 10.10 - - 1.00 59.10 48.17 9.88
III - 14.26 - - - 100.00 99.97 14.22
IV 22.47 14.21 - - - 97.76 1.73 14.21
VI 98.88 56.05 - - - 98.29 1.73 52.30
OTHER - 20.45 - - - 100.01 2.00 20.34
Subtotal 62.66 5.81 - 51.04 81.24 57.73 16.97 5.43
Atlantic Maritime NA 65.67 28.27 - 63.43 0.00 18.55 37.62 16.52
IA 1.00 75.09 - - - 99.76 1.73 67.84
IB - 42.68 - - - 78.79 1.41 39.59
II 99.94 33.68 - 0.00 - 99.97 99.80 33.51
III - 80.81 - - - - - 80.81
IV - 40.49 - - - 62.69 82.07 39.77
VI - 97.24 - - - 17.29 - 97.23
OTHER - 99.97 - - - 76.51 100.24 62.92
Subtotal 88.63 16.99 - 63.43 0.00 17.83 36.39 12.67
Mixedwood Plains NA 112.13 48.51 - 62.14 83.36 57.57 177.39 36.84
IA 99.99 20.42 - - - 61.64 0.00 60.73
II 99.99 56.56 - - - 100.15 0.00 94.17
IV 1.73 121.61 - - - 78.56 99.99 67.45
VI - 100.08 - - - 100.08 - 74.23
OTHER - - - - - 68.74 99.99 67.83
Subtotal 74.14 44.63 - 62.14 83.36 38.74 112.48 28.69
Boreal Plains NA 33.34 22.33 51.50 160.66 158.24 10.07 12.53 9.44
IA - 100.00 - - - - 0.00 100.00
IB 100.00 68.95 - - - - 0.00 56.93
II 64.21 84.29 99.92 - - 65.75 99.42 56.01
III - 93.12 - - - - 0.00 93.12
IV - 58.49 - - - 63.39 91.79 38.97
V - 73.35 - - - - 64.63 62.53
VI - 48.00 - - - - 66.34 39.98
OTHER - 46.84 - - - - - 46.84
Subtotal 28.94 18.33 50.99 160.66 158.24 9.95 12.29 8.85
Prairies NA 97.46 47.17 - 55.24 190.80 12.60 10.90 8.54
IB - 1.00 - - - 100.00 - 99.67
II - 61.43 - - - 100.00 100.00 60.82
III - 99.99 - - - 99.99 - 98.85
IV - 64.51 - - - 55.98 71.48 37.09
V - 92.83 - - - - 99.27 92.46
VI 54.67 97.76 - - - 99.66 60.11 69.23
OTHER - 99.99 - - - - 0.00 99.99
Subtotal 96.48 32.28 - 55.24 190.80 12.37 10.78 8.62
Taiga Cordillera NA 124.72 - 18.38 - 53.75 - 2.83 17.64
IB - - 99.97 - - - - 99.97
II 63.99 - 27.47 - - - 100.16 26.56
III - - 99.99 - - - - 99.99
IV - - 52.83 - 45.09 - 1.73 34.41
V - - 99.93 - - - - 99.93
OTHER - - 20.32 - 99.99 - 0.00 20.13
Subtotal 63.43 - 12.23 - 36.39 - 96.83 11.73
Boreal Cordillera NA 68.43 179.37 32.19 100.00 97.27 63.44 74.25 41.89
IB 100.09 45.81 - - - - 1.00 45.79
II 97.18 18.23 41.91 - 100.00 - 111.68 16.70
IV - 100.00 92.10 - - - 0.00 72.96
Subtotal 88.99 20.75 24.70 100.00 96.78 63.44 62.28 15.86
Pacific Maritime NA 107.83 87.21 - 54.17 44.05 200.0* 118.41 38.15
IA - 73.53 - - - - 100.19 59.43
IB - 46.55 - - - - 1.00 46.55
II 75.24 24.23 - - 94.87 101.56 2.00 22.80
III - 71.54 - - - 99.99 - 70.65
IV - 100.08 - - - 91.86 - 91.59
Subtotal 61.78 24.65 - 54.17 44.03 141.88 114.58 19.55
Montane Cordillera NA 200.0* 30.02 - 61.42 35.43 30.46 31.31 16.81
IA - 99.94 - - - - - 99.94
IB - 33.74 - - - 100.00 3.00 33.71
II 46.38 25.77 - - - 99.67 78.03 24.16
III - 1.00 - - - - - 1.00
IV - 70.61 - - - 51.78 - 47.93
VI - 100.00 - - - - - 100.00
OTHER - 90.80 - - - - - 90.80
Subtotal 45.69 16.37 - 61.42 35.43 25.82 31.29 12.34
Hudson Plains NA - 36.78 - 100.00 57.59 100.00 32.08 24.44
IB - 51.70 - - - - 100.00 47.65
II 96.88 41.60 - - - - 94.75 40.29
III - 63.01 - - - - 93.76 60.76
Subtotal 96.88 26.54 - 100.00 57.59 100.00 31.17 20.15
Canada NA 26.19 6.85 8.43 26.80 19.82 8.34 9.36 4.11
IA 99.87 38.98 - - - 54.20 100.15 36.38
IB 70.85 12.26 18.55 - 71.53 75.32 99.94 10.27
II 25.68 6.20 16.34 0.00 68.92 56.62 45.17 5.60
III - 13.39 48.00 - - 77.25 82.00 12.88
IV 22.54 12.95 56.99 - 45.09 34.78 63.44 11.57
V - 63.59 82.62 - - - 61.52 56.94
VI 61.43 41.57 36.94 - 92.52 80.65 63.24 24.00
OTHER - 18.03 11.12 - 59.92 49.35 78.45 9.98
Total 17.11 3.89 5.93 26.80 17.86 7.90 9.07 2.84
Source: Canada's National Forest Inventory, combined remeasured (2007-2017) and projected (2006-2017 with NFI projection system) data, where plots with strong indicators of artificial change are removed. Artificial change between successive plot measurements can be caused by using different image sources, incorporating vintage baseline inventories, and updating photo-interpretation techniques (Version 3.1, November 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.
* When the calculated RSE value is inflated, usually due to the associated change estimate being small (near 0), a cap of 200% is substituted for presentation purposes.
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