Table 9C.1a. Relative standard errors (%) for annual change in area of forest land by IUCN1 category, age class and terrestrial ecozone in Canada.
Terrestrial ecozone IUCN category Age (years) Total
1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-160 161-180 181-200 201+ Other2
Taiga Plains NA 23.08 16.24 9.97 26.00 2.24 2.57 29.63 43.59 26.89 49.62 51.44 40.59 1.73
IB - 84.65 30.84 37.94 32.25 19.34 77.43 100.39 97.10 - 52.40 - 14.09
II 67.49 67.56 23.69 48.48 25.05 13.33 51.40 69.38 66.22 98.88 52.54 - 10.41
III - - - 100.02 47.91 - - - - - - - 46.95
V - - - - 97.24 - - - - - - - 97.24
VI 100.00 81.46 77.37 74.95 40.61 35.95 100.00 100.00 - - - - 27.42
OTHER - 58.90 76.50 47.54 34.58 14.09 - - - - - - 12.76
Subtotal 22.95 15.65 8.84 21.29 2.25 2.51 28.56 42.05 25.84 46.58 51.41 40.59 1.69
Taiga Shield NA 30.51 12.33 9.62 6.25 10.80 5.38 2.43 3.76 48.12 64.89 21.74 11.37 1.97
IB 100.00 82.40 57.23 64.97 68.73 20.97 16.30 - - - - 41.48 11.73
II - 50.24 31.20 37.18 32.00 107.42 12.29 28.43 100.00 100.00 100.00 15.13 10.27
III - - - - 98.98 73.43 100.09 - - - - - 63.70
V - - - - 99.99 99.99 - - - - - - 98.20
Subtotal 30.32 11.89 9.20 6.17 10.27 5.27 2.37 3.76 44.25 60.62 21.55 9.56 1.90
Boreal Shield NA 14.06 6.44 9.34 13.44 5.62 5.82 5.28 12.13 131.56 54.75 56.86 15.10 2.74
IA 55.11 101.32 50.10 54.35 88.85 69.47 74.44 100.00 - - - 99.12 28.43
IB 42.98 27.62 24.51 35.80 38.44 54.85 72.01 113.18 72.59 127.19 - 62.11 13.62
II 35.59 22.25 19.73 28.25 13.39 17.55 15.28 27.77 67.15 45.05 54.92 58.90 7.05
III 59.76 40.98 29.62 27.68 24.89 18.80 99.53 - - - - 100.37 12.30
IV 39.32 27.43 35.69 28.41 18.18 44.82 24.33 68.49 - - - 90.36 12.16
VI 68.47 75.22 57.80 73.89 72.07 70.08 79.42 - - - - 71.60 37.09
OTHER 71.59 44.59 38.93 26.50 45.37 47.84 53.37 83.34 - - - 100.01 16.37
Subtotal 12.76 5.96 7.75 10.52 4.96 5.23 4.91 11.04 67.39 48.28 42.41 14.39 2.42
Atlantic Maritime NA 13.10 18.51 11.58 10.64 15.67 14.40 38.12 36.10 200.0* 200.0* 0.00 24.51 5.39
IA 86.08 82.49 65.19 80.79 58.00 58.87 99.95 - - - - 29.22 34.10
IB 79.15 149.98 200.0* 34.22 45.94 59.83 - - - - - 96.26 32.53
II 62.13 43.25 42.73 43.66 32.17 44.99 64.30 99.99 - - - 53.54 17.22
III 99.99 86.82 100.35 100.35 84.66 99.99 - - - - - - 49.51
IV 62.66 70.72 43.40 45.73 51.52 59.34 - 89.90 - - - 56.25 23.85
VI 99.95 74.92 94.71 99.95 99.26 99.95 - - - - - 99.95 66.85
OTHER 97.51 96.65 82.77 58.66 99.95 - - - - - - 100.23 52.28
Subtotal 12.58 16.65 11.00 9.77 13.37 13.61 32.80 32.97 200.0* 200.0* 0.00 24.16 5.00
Mixedwood Plains NA 16.81 15.49 96.38 21.43 16.85 34.97 59.04 50.16 99.99 - - 34.64 9.39
IA 200.0* 104.51 79.74 54.62 99.93 - - - - - - 99.99 42.65
II 76.96 200.0* 57.27 200.0* 200.0* 73.09 73.22 96.11 - - - - 48.06
IV 11.70 94.37 83.46 71.63 71.98 99.93 99.99 - - - - 75.95 37.44
VI 100.08 - 100.08 - 100.08 - - - - - - - 59.50
OTHER 99.93 71.57 83.14 - 73.78 99.99 99.99 - - - - 72.03 38.43
Subtotal 16.62 15.16 68.94 20.29 15.99 32.86 45.66 48.46 99.99 - - 33.98 8.88
Boreal Plains NA 29.35 31.93 8.21 11.96 18.59 19.85 17.21 32.76 33.76 200.0* 54.33 16.41 5.35
IA - 100.00 100.00 92.38 73.88 0.00 0.00 - - - - - 57.72
IB 67.97 69.83 105.16 98.82 58.41 88.65 200.0* 105.87 0.00 100.03 100.03 - 34.42
II 44.68 40.98 24.88 38.98 20.75 40.07 35.98 73.57 51.07 61.88 106.34 91.24 12.78
III - 100.00 80.80 73.42 70.67 100.00 100.00 - - - - - 77.29
IV 110.53 81.34 57.42 68.13 147.59 174.80 97.85 99.09 - - - 93.45 33.90
V 0.00 85.84 99.69 89.17 81.27 70.69 0.00 - - - - 100.00 58.98
VI 78.14 66.05 79.31 53.24 63.15 70.75 - - 10.72 - - 100.00 36.95
OTHER 100.00 82.13 65.88 62.62 55.22 68.30 72.14 100.00 - 100.00 - - 29.40
Subtotal 27.14 26.65 7.73 11.19 14.55 17.54 15.92 31.04 32.44 100.75 44.56 16.32 4.87
Prairies NA 12.11 10.19 31.93 14.26 13.35 60.45 46.09 89.91 - - - 31.56 6.67
IB 100.00 - - - - - - - - - - - 100.00
II 66.12 55.41 76.33 121.29 84.89 77.55 99.99 - - - - - 32.00
III 99.99 99.99 99.99 - - - - - - - - 99.99 66.51
IV 49.83 50.12 52.37 80.99 47.84 - - - - - - - 27.76
V 99.99 - 99.99 90.31 - - - - - - - - 72.13
VI 20.27 1.00 99.99 98.19 67.37 - - - - - - 99.99 66.16
OTHER - - 99.99 99.99 - - - - - - - 99.99 86.49
Subtotal 12.25 10.08 28.21 13.91 14.30 71.44 99.48 89.91 - - - 29.32 6.53
Taiga Cordillera NA 94.15 24.05 70.26 76.00 36.98 6.19 6.96 52.54 57.75 99.99 - 70.69 4.78
IB - - 99.99 194.88 70.98 34.00 35.03 - - - - - 22.97
II - 99.99 64.84 200.0* 31.94 72.86 27.00 - - - - - 23.87
III - - - 99.99 99.99 99.99 99.99 - - - - - 70.61
IV - 91.70 63.20 69.71 - 50.78 51.43 - - - - - 30.66
V - - - 99.93 - 99.93 - - - - - - 99.23
OTHER 87.90 96.86 87.17 72.94 60.25 60.29 22.30 - - - - - 19.18
Subtotal 88.99 22.89 58.71 61.44 29.22 6.01 6.42 52.54 57.75 99.99 - 70.69 4.45
Boreal Cordillera NA 50.65 12.38 89.94 34.17 15.50 12.64 16.46 18.70 44.08 67.19 21.97 35.89 6.60
IB 100.00 59.60 103.85 200.0* 62.16 53.70 187.73 200.0* 74.77 65.47 36.66 0.00 23.93
II - 60.83 40.99 36.36 35.60 36.45 28.88 57.72 58.78 87.86 26.19 - 13.07
IV - 69.35 69.64 85.86 62.79 72.19 59.20 67.79 75.58 100.00 100.00 100.00 30.29
Subtotal 50.63 11.90 61.69 30.36 14.21 11.96 14.10 17.80 32.12 41.49 15.40 34.06 5.78
Pacific Maritime NA 89.81 68.35 100.03 200.0* 50.49 169.23 200.0* 70.50 200.0* 54.22 200.0* 26.74 28.86
IA - - - 0.00 - 100.14 135.51 100.14 100.14 - 77.20 50.52 48.24
IB 99.99 112.93 200.0* 76.63 65.23 85.38 72.83 87.46 200.0* 50.51 50.75 99.99 31.23
II 99.99 142.95 81.56 65.66 74.08 105.68 179.44 61.42 59.88 200.0* 27.72 53.70 19.87
III - 77.87 63.14 99.99 99.99 99.99 85.27 - 99.99 - 70.46 - 42.46
IV 0.00 - 91.49 - 99.99 99.99 - - - - 108.34 - 68.25
Subtotal 87.11 57.23 72.68 133.18 38.87 93.96 106.63 41.42 69.84 46.01 30.07 24.20 15.58
Montane Cordillera NA 18.78 116.33 129.68 18.37 44.98 72.86 125.60 26.01 147.17 117.29 75.48 62.69 14.09
IA - - - - - 99.94 99.94 99.94 - - - - 88.71
IB 100.18 157.66 87.06 45.77 179.80 42.75 54.96 200.0* 50.25 58.95 79.43 73.09 26.21
II 85.09 111.11 73.59 91.20 51.26 111.41 94.91 37.08 36.11 43.30 27.60 54.68 15.96
III - - - - 100.00 100.00 100.00 - - - 0.00 - 70.23
IV - 200.0* 73.15 69.15 69.05 59.39 69.71 97.83 64.77 - 87.14 100.00 35.52
VI - - 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 - - - - 100.00 56.40
OTHER 99.94 99.94 99.94 99.94 81.35 99.94 - - - - - - 48.74
Subtotal 18.49 91.94 63.57 16.91 33.73 45.05 62.02 21.17 47.51 41.54 29.61 45.19 9.87
Hudson Plains NA 50.30 18.31 15.35 35.81 4.50 6.94 5.91 85.19 100.00 99.99 - 34.89 3.18
IB 78.33 92.75 71.04 99.93 30.36 64.53 36.44 - - - - 70.75 20.21
II 99.99 92.32 48.80 63.28 53.26 37.95 28.90 78.49 100.11 - - 100.10 18.81
III - - - - 71.08 90.84 - - - - - 99.98 60.95
Subtotal 47.11 17.71 14.73 32.11 4.43 6.82 5.76 83.78 93.31 99.99 - 30.34 3.10
Canada NA 7.73 4.53 4.71 4.98 2.25 2.15 2.06 3.83 25.40 40.84 19.23 7.63 1.11
IA 46.97 70.75 35.43 38.37 44.46 66.46 63.48 74.03 100.14 - 77.20 70.48 19.86
IB 34.89 22.14 19.93 20.58 20.14 11.98 13.17 78.27 47.14 33.06 30.03 32.03 6.32
II 27.29 15.47 11.42 17.02 9.08 10.38 9.33 17.16 24.88 35.72 15.59 18.23 4.07
III 52.35 45.24 27.42 26.18 20.97 17.81 48.56 - 99.99 - 70.46 66.94 10.95
IV 35.32 25.84 22.53 21.08 15.16 33.04 19.77 45.53 67.99 100.00 68.32 61.45 8.76
V 99.99 85.84 96.13 78.62 64.69 87.55 0.00 - - - - 100.00 53.64
VI 59.06 48.84 51.17 41.85 34.13 32.03 72.99 100.00 10.72 - - 75.95 20.20
OTHER 53.27 36.31 28.83 22.01 23.04 13.02 21.24 78.66 - 100.00 - 91.56 8.44
Total 7.26 4.21 4.17 4.47 2.13 2.03 1.98 3.78 17.60 23.03 11.57 6.92 1.04
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 or unknown age class.
* 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