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NE-FIA Annual Forest Inventory

NE-FIA Annual Forest Inventory. Chip Scott Program Manager Forest Inventory and Analysis USFS Northeastern Research Station Newtown Square, PA. Purposes of this Meeting:.

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NE-FIA Annual Forest Inventory

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  1. NE-FIA Annual Forest Inventory Chip Scott Program Manager Forest Inventory and Analysis USFS Northeastern Research Station Newtown Square, PA

  2. Purposes of this Meeting: • To inform our users about FIA, the changes in the Program, the data and analytical tools available, and our publications. • To stay in touch with our FIA users to meet their needs as we are able.

  3. Forest Inventory and Analysis Report on status and trends in the Nation’s forested resources: • Forest area, extent, composition. • Tree growth, harvest, mortality. • Wood volume, biomass, carbon. • Forest health, sustainability.

  4. Forest Inventory and Analysis • Part of US Department of Agriculture … … Forest Service … Research and Development • Implemented in collaboration with States • In operation for 75 years

  5. Northeastern FIA • Responsible for 13 states • Sample all lands • Conduct measurements on 93 million acres of forest land

  6. 1998 Farm Bill (PL 105-185) • Major change in FIA business model: • Periodic inventory => continuous inventory • Non-NFS lands => all forest lands • Less consistency => more consistency • Narrower scope => broader scope (FHM) • Irregular cycle => predictable cycle • Self contained => partnerships

  7. Forest Inventory and Analysis:Three Phase Sample • Phase 1 – Remote sensing for stratification into forest and nonforest. • Phase 2 - Nationwide system of sample plots, 1 every 3 mi (6,000 ac). • Phase 3 – 1 of 16 Phase 2 plots measured for extended suite of ecosystem data (96,000 ac).

  8. Forest Inventory and AnalysisMethods Phase 1 – Remote sensing for stratification into forest and nonforest.

  9. Forest Inventory and AnalysisMethods Phase 2 - Nationwide system of sample plots

  10. Five-Year Panel Year One Year Two Year Three Year Four Year Five 1 2 3 4 3 5 4 1 5 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 3 1 4 5 1 2 3 Phase 2 Interpenetrating Design

  11. Forest Inventory and Analysis:Three Phase Sample • Phase 1 – Remote sensing for stratification into forest and nonforest. • Phase 2 - Nationwide system of sample plots, 1 every 5 km (6,000 ac). • Phase 3 – 1 of 16 Phase 2 plots measured for extended suite of ecosystem data.

  12. Phase 3 Indicators The subplot is where the basic tree measurements ( with a DBH of 5.0 inches and greater) are collected including crown condition and damage symptoms, growth, mortality, and quality measures of the tree for use. Information relating to regeneration is collected on the microplot for trees with a DBH less than 5.0 inches (seedlings and saplings). The vegetation plots are used to identify all vegetation to the species level and also the height zone that the species occupies in the stand. Information on exotic or introduced plants can be extracted from the species list from each plot.

  13. Phase 3 Indicators (cont.) The down woody material transects (line samples) are used to gather information on trees and tree branches. General plot and stand descriptive data is collected on various portions of the plot. Soil samples are analyzed in at a laboratory for basic soil nutrient parameters, pH, and soil aluminum. Other descriptive information are used to estimate potential soil erosion. Also ozone bioindicator plant data are collected on their own network of plots.

  14. Forest Inventory and Analysis:Other Program Components • National Woodland Owner Survey. • Timber Products Output. • Special Studies – regional assessments, special problems.

  15. NE-FIA Organization • Program Manager – Chip Scott • Data Collection – Dave Alerich • Information Management – Tom Frieswyk • Analysis – Will McWilliams • Techniques Development – Mike Hoppus

  16. Data Collection • Equipping crews with new Portable Data Recorders with GPS • Where appropriate, moving toward using one-person crews with additional equipment (laser range-finders, satellite beacons, satphones, and a second vehicle) • QA/QC on roughly 10% of plots

  17. Information Management • Developing national program for use on PDR’s • Developing National Information Management System (NIMS) • Collaborating on the development of national FIADB and web tools.

  18. Analysis and Reporting • Shifted from periodic to annual reporting • First to combine Phase 2 and Phase 3 in a single annual report • Now shifting to developing the first 5-year comprehensive analytical report • Hiring 1-2 Research Ecologists to analyze Phase 3 data and to link it with Phase 2 and other data.

  19. Techniques Development • Developed methods for rapidly stratifying satellite imagery for Phase 1 • Developing methods for creating mapped products, such as forest type, biomass, fragmentation, and tree species distribution • Developing more efficient field methods, such as the Tree Taper Study.

  20. Regional Organization • NE-FIA Regional Management Team • Representatives from each State • National Forest System representative • Forest Health Monitoring Regional Manager • NE-FIA Program Manager • NE-FIA Users’ Group • Meet once each year

  21. National Organization • FIA Management Team • Representatives from 3 State regions • 2 National Forest System representatives • Forest Health Monitoring Program Leader • FIA Program Leader and Managers • Meets 3 times a year & calls every other month • FIA Executive Team meets yearly • National FIA Users’ Group meets once each year

  22. National Organization (cont.) • FIA Technical Bands • Data Acquisition Band • Information Management Band • Analysis Band • Indicator Advisor Band • Statistics Band • Remote Sensing Band

  23. Implementation of Annual Inventories • Where are we regionally? • Where are we nationally?

  24. Survey Dates

  25. Annual FIA Fieldwork Status, 2003 Full Annual FIA

  26. Availability of State FIA Data, November 2003 Age of the most recent data available to the public in online FIA databases. 1 year old More than 5 years old 2 to 5 years old

  27. FIA Products: National reports and analyses

  28. FIA Products: • State annual reports and 5-year comprehensive analyses.

  29. FIA Products: • Regional assessments.

  30. FIA Products: • Online databases

  31. FIA Services • Consultations and assistance in obtaining, interpreting data (Spatial Data Services). • Collaboration in research using FIA data. • Assistance to other countries in developing forest inventory and monitoring programs. • Reporting to international bodies on the state of US forests.

  32. For more information: • Contact: FIA Northeastern Research Station 11 Campus Blvd., Suite 200 Newtown Square, PA 19073 610-557-4075 ctscott@fs.fed.us www.fs.fed.us/ne/fia fia.fs.fed.us • Sign up for quarterly NE-FIA Newsletter

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