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Quality assurance (QA) in international forest monitoring programmes: activity, problems and perspectives from East Asia and Europe

L’assurance qualité (AQ) dans les programmes de surveillance des forêts : activités, problèmes et perspectives pour l’Asie de l’Est et l’Europe

Abstract

  • • The quality of monitoring is defined by its ability to provide data that (i) allow estimates of the status of the target resource with defined precision level, (ii) permit change detection with defined power, and (iii) are comparable through space and time. To achieve these requirements a Quality Assurance (QA) perspective is essential.

  • • To what extent QA was considered and data quality achieved in international forest monitoring programmes in East Asia and Europe? What is missing?

  • • Past and present QA activity in forest monitoring in East Asia and Europe revealed that most attention was given to evaluate and promote comparability of measurements, with special emphasis on analytical chemistry. Much less attention was given to field sampling and to the overall monitoring design. QA approaches were unbalanced among the various investigations, and several problems with data comparability remained over years.

  • • Despite considerable work on data quality control, parts of the monitoring process are still poorly covered by QA and revealed weaknesses in design and implementation. More comprehensive, formal and stringent QA procedures are necessary in international monitoring initiatives. Steps currently being undertaken for a more comprehensive QA approach are presented.

Résumé

  • • La qualité de la surveillance est définie par sa capacité à fournir des données qui (i) permettent des estimations de l’état de la ressource cible, définie à un niveau de précision, (ii) permettent la détection des changements de puissance définie et (iii) sont comparables à travers l’espace et le temps. Pour satisfaire à ces exigences d’assurance qualité (QA) la perspective est essentielle.

  • • Dans quelle mesure l’assurance qualité a été examinée de même que la qualité des données obtenues dans les programmes internationaux de surveillance des forêts en Asie de l’Est et l’Europe? Qu’est-ce qui manque?

  • • L’activité passée et présente dans l’assurance qualité de surveillance des forêts en Asie de l’Est et Europe a révélé que la plus grande attention a consisté à évaluer et promouvoir la comparabilité des mesures, avec un accent particulier sur la chimie analytique. Beaucoup moins d’attention a été accordée à l’échantillonnage sur le terrain et au modèle de surveillance globale. Les approches de QA ont été déséquilibrées entre les différentes enquêtes, et plusieurs problèmes avec la comparabilité des données sont restés au fil des années.

  • • Malgré un travail considérable sur la qualité des données de contrôle, des parties du processus de suivi sont encore mal couvertes par l’assurance qualité et des lacunes de conception et de mise en œuvre ont été révélées. Des procédures d’assurance qualité plus complètes, structurées et rigoureuses sont nécessaires dans les initiatives internationales de surveillance. Les étapes actuellement entreprises pour une approche plus globale d’assurance qualité sont présentées.

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Ferretti, M., König, N., Rautio, P. et al. Quality assurance (QA) in international forest monitoring programmes: activity, problems and perspectives from East Asia and Europe. Ann. For. Sci. 66, 403 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1051/forest/2009025

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