Forests are identified and classified according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Circular No. 34/2009/TT-BNNPTNT dated June 10, 2009.
By its origin, existing forests are divided into natural forest and planted forest;
Natural forests: forests are available in nature or restored by natural regeneration, including primary and secondary forests.
Planted forests: refer to forests which are planted by human, including: new plantations on land without forests; replanted forests after timber harvest of existing planted forests, naturally regenerating forests from harvested planted forests.
Canopy cover is the level of coverage of canopy trees in a vertical direction per unit of forest area expressed in tenths.
The planted forest which does not has canopy layer is the planted forest in the first years, the canopy cover of tree is below 0.1.
Newly concentrated forests are planted forests in the first year, meet the technical standards for afforestation.
By purposes of use, forests are divided into protection forests, special-use forests and production forests.
Protection forests: forests are mainly used to protect water resources, protect land, prevent erosion, combat desertification, limit disasters, regulate climate and protect the environment.
Special-use forests: forests are mainly used for nature conservation, the standard sample of the national ecosystem, and forest genetic resources; scientific research; protection of historical and cultural relics, tourist attraction; serve for rest and tourism, combined with environmental protection.
Production forests: forests are mainly used for production and trading of timber, and non-timber forest products, combined with purposes of protection and environmental protection.
The existing forest area refers to the total forest area at a given time.
Output of timber and non-timber forest products includes output of timber, firewood, bamboo, neohouzeaua, bambusa nutans, dendrocalamus barbatus, etc., and other products such as shellac, resins, oleaginous fruits, nuts, etc., harvested and collected from natural forests, planted forests and scattered forests in a certain period of time.