Forest health monitoring

Forest health monitoring (FHM) focuses on the health of the forest ecosystem. Recognition of the importance of forest health and, especially, the role of monitoring, increased with the acceptance of the Santiago Declaration. The declaration was accompanied by a set of criteria and indicators for the conservation and sustainable management of temperate and boreal forests. The criteria focus on conservation of biological diversity, maintenance of productive capacity, maintenance of forest ecosystem health, conservation of soil and water resources within forests, maintenance of forest contribution to global carbon cycles, and enhancement of long‐term multiple socioeconomic benefits to meet the needs of societies. The declaration calls for quantitative measurements of indicators associated with the criteria. The periodic and systematic measurement of the indicators requires nations to have FHM programs.