Germany (D), Austria (A) and Switzerland (CH) share a long tradition in monitoring the economic performance of forest enterprises by means of forest accountancy networks. The results generated by these networks are a valuable empirical basis for forestry sector statistics in these countries. In the context of international analyses it is common practice to compare results between countries directly, without addressing the issue of compatibility. However, severe biases and even misjudgements may result from such simplistic approaches. These networks have been developed as national solutions, and their results are neither grounded on common methodological standards nor on attuned definitions, so that their compatibility is not guaranteed. The rising interest in international comparisons indicates that existing accountancy networks may well serve additional purposes. At the same time the importance of compatibility, if not standardisation, is highlighted. The institutions in charge of forestry accountancy networks in these countries recently launched an initiative to establish comparable datasets and to provide additional background information allowing a sound interpretation of any differences. This paper reflects the associated challenges, describes the agreements achieved as well as the common approaches adopted, and presents respective forestry financial results. This example illustrates the prospects as well as the limitations of deriving comparable data from heterogeneous sources. Initially, only few ratios are suited for valid comparisons. However, international compatibility could be improved substantially by computing alternative aggregates following a
Forest enterprise key figure comparison Germany – Austria – Switzerland
The forest enterprise networks in the so-called DACH region (Germany [D], Austria [A] and Switzerland [CH]) have a long tradition going back to the 1950s. Due to different concepts and definitions, however, the national results are not directly comparable. Therefore, the aim of the DACH initiative is to enhance the comparability of national data sets and to draw conclusions for the forestry sector from the comparison of key figures. In order to achieve this, differences between country- specific indicator definitions were first identified and then offset as much as possible. A subsequent key figure analysis showed that certain forestry key figures of the DACH forest enterprise network can be made comparable, revealing the effects of the partially different conditions in the countries. The comparison of key figures over the years 2008 to 2013 shows that the German and Austrian forest enterprises achieved continuous profits in forest management. In contrast, the Swiss forest enterprises were in deficit despite extensive subsidies and compensations. This is partly due to the significantly higher expenses for timber harvesting, silviculture and forest road infrastructure, resulting in part from higher labor costs and in particular a much higher operational personnel density.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.