简介：Background:Nationalforestresourceassessmentsandmonitoring,commonlyknownasNationalForestInventories(NFI’s),constituteanimportantnationalinformationinfrastructureinmanycountries.Methods:ThisstudypresentsdetailsaboutdevelopmentsoftheNFIinChina,includingsamplingandplotdesign,andtheusesofalternativedatasources,andspecifically·reviewstheevolutionofthenationalforestinventoryinChinathroughthe20thand21stcenturies,withsomereferencetoEuropeandtheUS;·highlightstheemergenceofsomecommoninternationalthemes:consistencyofmeasurement;moreefficientsamplingdesigns;implementationofimprovedtechnology;expansionofthevariablesmonitored;scientifictransparency;·presentsanexampleofhowChina’sexpandingNFIexemplifiestheseglobaltrends.Results:MainresultsandimportantchangesinChina’sNFIaredocumented,bothtosupportcontinuedtrendanalysisandtoprovidedatauserswithhistoricalperspective.Conclusions:NewtechnologiesanddataneedsensurethattheChineseNFI,likethenationalinventoriesinothercountries,willcontinuetoevolve.Withinthecontextofhistoricalchangeandcurrentconditions,likelydirectionsforthisevolutionaresuggested.