Accuracy Assessment of the Preliminary Global Forest: Type 2020 Map (BN-25-03)

In December 2024, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre released a preliminary Global Forest Type 2020 map as an optional tool to help assess the risk of deforestation and forest degradation on the plot of land from which forest and wood products originated.

While this map may serve as an initial screening tool to assess deforestation risk, due to its inconsistent accuracy in identifying forest types, it may not be useful for degradation compliance assessments under the European Union Deforestation Regulation.

In this study, accuracy of the European Union Joint Research Centre Global Forest Type 2020 map was assessed using two independent data sets:

• Using national plot-based forest inventory data from US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis program;
• Using stand-level, private company, forest inventory data in two states in the southern US.

The national data assessment indicates that accuracy in identifying planted pine stands was limited, with only 53% correctly classified.

The assessment of stand-level data sets shows that accuracy was low for nonforest areas (21%) and naturally regenerating forest stands (30%).

The national data set suggests the map may be reliable for broadly detecting deforestation but is likely inadequate for identifying forest degradation, as defined by the European Union Deforestation Regulation. Stand-level data indicate the map’s performance can vary substantially at finer spatial scales and is unreliable in identifying naturally regenerated pine stands. Accurate determination of naturally regenerated stands is a critical component of forest degradation assessments required by European Union Deforestation Regulation.

These findings highlight that accuracy trends are highly context dependent.

Authored by: Holly Munro, PhD, Senior Research Scientist, Forest Biometrician; Erik Schilling, PhD, Director, Eastern Forest Sustainability; Darren Miller, PhD, Vice President – Forestry Programs

Collaborators: Katherine Renwick, PhD; Christopher Woodall, PhD (U.S. Forest Service, Inventory Monitoring and Assessment Research, Washington, DC)

Download Accuracy Assessment of the Preliminary Global Forest: Type 2020 Map (BN-25-03)

Keywords: deforestation, degradation, forest inventory and analysis, forest monitoring