The 1st and 2nd Swiss National Forest Inventories (NFI) provided the most extensive geo-referenced data-set  concerning Swiss forests. NFI-data concerning standing volume, site characteristics, potential yield, forest structure, ownership and forest functions are available. In the Swiss forest health survey forest condition is  assessed annually by terrestrial assessments. Both surveys cover the whole of Switzerland. Special  investigations have been undertaken in limited regions. These studies include CIR-aerial photo surveys and maps for forest management planning or the planning of forest functions.
Data-sets related to forest information which are of general interest are provided by numerous federal agencies. Those data-sets include landuse categories, digital terrain models, data on climate, geology, vegetation, and site quality. Some restrictions in the application of satellite imagery for forest classification are presented.
As the non-timber functions of forests are gaining importance, an example for the assessment of forest functions based on existing geo-referenced data is presented.