Improving estimates of forest disturbance by combining observations from Landsat time series with U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis data

2014 ◽  
Vol 154 ◽  
pp. 61-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd A. Schroeder ◽  
Sean P. Healey ◽  
Gretchen G. Moisen ◽  
Tracey S. Frescino ◽  
Warren B. Cohen ◽  
...  
2008 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn W. Kromroy ◽  
Jennifer Juzwik ◽  
Paul Castillo ◽  
Mark H. Hansen

Abstract Damage and mortality data are collected as part of the US Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) ongoing assessments of the nation's timberlands. The usefulness and value of FIA tree data in assessing historical levels of oak decline and oak mortality were investigatedfor seven Midwestern states. The data were collected during two periodic inventories conducted between the early 1970s and the mid-1990s. One-tenth to one-third of the oak trees had decline-associated damage in a given inventory, but no trends over time were apparent across the states. Thepercentages of dead trees ranged from less than 1 to 11 across all inventories and states; mortality was higher in the late inventory than the early inventory for all states. This is the first reported attempt to quantify oak decline across the Midwestern Region and it was accomplished using FIA tree data. The major concerns of the approach used are the subjective nature of the damage codes used to tabulate declining oaks and the inconsistencies and inherent subjectivities in the FIA recorded codes. The major drawback for non-FIA researchers is the time required to understand the intricacies of the FIA system.


2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 207-208
Author(s):  
David L. Azuma ◽  
Larry Bednar

Abstract This note outlines a method for evaluating plot size selection for an inventory of western juniper woodlands in eastern Oregon. The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service in Portland, Oregon, used this method to evaluate several plot sizes to measure seedlings and saplings in the 1998 inventory of eastern Oregon. By choosing a 5 m radius plot, the probability of tallying no seedlings or saplings on four subplots is less than 10% for the three sample densities (0.01, 0.02, and 0.03 trees/m2) used. West. J. Appl. For. 17(4):207–208.


2019 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Wurtzebach ◽  
R Justin DeRose ◽  
Renate R Bush ◽  
Sara A Goeking ◽  
Sean Healey ◽  
...  

Abstract In 2012, the US Forest Service promulgated new regulations for land-management planning that emphasize the importance of scientifically credible assessment and monitoring strategies for adaptive forest planning and the maintenance or restoration of ecological integrity. However, in an era of declining budgets, the implementation of robust assessment and monitoring strategies represents a significant challenge for fulfilling the intent of the new planning rule. In this article, we explore opportunities for using data and products produced by the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program to support the implementation of the 2012 Planning Rule. FIA maintains a nationally consistent statistical sample of field plots that covers most national forests with hundreds of plots. We suggest that leveraging FIA data and products can generate efficiencies for assessment, planning, and monitoring requirements detailed in the 2012 Planning Rule, and help fulfill the adaptive intent of the new planning rule. However, strong national leadership and investment in regional-level analytical capacity, FIA liaisons, and decision-support tools are essential for systematically realizing the benefits of FIA data for forest planning across the National Forest System.


2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristofer D Johnson ◽  
Richard Birdsey ◽  
Andrew O Finley ◽  
Anu Swantaran ◽  
Ralph Dubayah ◽  
...  

1991 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerold T. Hahn ◽  
Mark H. Hansen

Abstract This paper presents tree volume models developed for major timber species in the Central States (Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa). Models for estimating gross tree volume (either cubic foot or board foot International ¼-in. log rule) and percent cull were developed for 23 species or species groups. These models estimate volume based on observed dbh and tree site index. Nonlinear regression techniques were used to fit a Weibull-type function to estimate gross volume with a data set containing observations from more than 50,000 trees measured throughout the region. A simple linear model was used to estimate percent cull in a tree for each of several tree classes. These models are being used in the statewide inventories now underway in Missouri and Iowa and may be used by anyone desiring volume-per-tree estimates that are comparable to USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis estimates in these areas. North. J. Appl. For. 8(2):47-57


2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (12) ◽  
pp. 2968-2980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald E McRoberts ◽  
Geoffrey R Holden ◽  
Mark D Nelson ◽  
Greg C Liknes ◽  
Dale D Gormanson

Forest inventory programs report estimates of forest variables for areas of interest ranging in size from municipalities, to counties, to states or provinces. Because of numerous factors, sample sizes are often insufficient to estimate attributes as precisely as is desired, unless the estimation process is enhanced using ancillary data. Classified satellite imagery has been shown to be an effective source of ancillary data that, when used with stratified estimation techniques, contributes to increased precision with little corresponding increase in cost. Stratification investigations conducted by the Forest Inventory and Analysis program of the USDA Forest Service are reviewed, and a new approach to stratification using satellite imagery is proposed. The results indicate that precision may be substantially increased for estimates of both forest area and volume per unit area.


2020 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Coeli M Hoover ◽  
Renate Bush ◽  
Marin Palmer ◽  
Emrys Treasure

Abstract Although many forestry practitioners have a general understanding of the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program and the type of data collected, most non-expert users of FIA reports and basic data are unlikely to be familiar with the breadth of information available and the many potential uses of the data. We present case studies from three USDA Forest Service regions to highlight a variety of applications of FIA data, from informing the forest plan revision process to supplying managers with timely information on important forest attributes at the stand and landscape scales. These examples illustrate the utility of FIA data in meeting managers’ information needs, the importance of the linkages between research and management throughout the agency, and the role that the FIA program can play in fostering those collaborations.


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