They are a key component of the environment. Their positive effects are manifold. They intercept and store rain, thus moderating river run-off and protecting the soil against erosion. They are an ecological habitat and reserve.
Forests improve the surface climate, clean the air and bind carbon dioxide.
In addition they have an important economic and cultural function. The assessment and monitoring of forests is organised at the national or even sub-national level and the requirements for forest inventories differ. European forest statistics, collected by the European Statistical Office, are in many cases incomplete or out of date. There is a need for uniform inventory and monitoring concepts on a European level. The model is invertible and can be implemented as an operational satellite data processing algorithm.