FIA Phase 2 (P2) Down Woody Material (DWM) Update

1. FIA Phase 2 (P2) Down Woody Material (DWM) Update Larry T. DeBlander User Group Webinar April 13, 2010 Ogden, UT

2. FIA P2 DWM Update • DWM-general background • IWFIA P2 DWM-data analysis • IWFIA P2 DWM-examples of data uses • Future P2 DWM-national vs. regional

3. FIA P2 DWM Update • DWM-general background • IWFIA P2 DWM-data analysis • IWFIA P2 DWM-examples of data uses • Future P2 DWM-national vs. regional

4. FIA P2 DWM Update • DWM-general background • IWFIA P2 DWM-data analysis • IWFIA P2 DWM-examples of data uses • Future P2 DWM-national vs. regional

5. FIA P2 DWM Update • DWM-general background • IWFIA P2 DWM-data analysis • IWFIA P2 DWM-examples of data uses • Future P2 DWM-national vs. regional

6. FIA P2 DWM Update • DWM-general background • IWFIA P2 DWM-data analysis • IWFIA P2 DWM-examples of data uses • Future P2 DWM-national vs. regional

7. Definition of DWM Dead material within forests in various stages of decay such as fallen trees, branches, and leaf litter

8. Three main uses of DWM information: • Major component of forest biomass and carbon. • Fuels information for fire modeling and fire effects. • Wildlife/structure information.

9. Six Major DWM Components Coarse Woody Debris (CWD) Fine Woody Debris (FWD) Duff Litter

10. Line Intersect Sampling (LIS) All FWD and CWD pieces that intersect the plane of the transect are tallied by transect diameter transect DWM pieces

11. Fuel-Hour Classes (CWD and FWD) The fuel "hour" class corresponds to the fuel diameter and is a direct reference to the amount of time it takes for an idealized cylinder of vegetation of that size to reach equilibrium moisture content (the amount of time it takes for the material to dry out after being completely wet/soaked).

12. Wildlife The DWM Inventory describes the amount and condition of wildlife habitat through estimation of coarse woody debris attributes.

13. Point sampling All Duff and Litter is sampled for depth and averaged by condition

14. 30 ° 2 Transect Information FWD < 0.25” 270 ° & 0.26” - 0.99” 6 ft. s.d. FWD 1.00” - 10 ft. s.d. 150 ° 2.99” CWD = > 3.00 ” 30 ° 24 ft. h.d. 1 s.d.= slope dist., h.d.=horizontal dist. 270 ° 30 ° 30 ° Key 150 ° 4 3 Sub -plot 270 ° 270 ° CWD Transect FWD Transect 150 ° 150 ° Distances between sub - plot points: 120 ft., Distance from sub - plot center and microplot center: 12 ft., Distance between Sub - plot 1 and sub - plots 2, 3, and 4: 207.8 ft. at angles (degrees) 150, 210, and 270 respectively. Phase 3 DWM transect design Litter and duff depth 12 - 24 ft transects for CWD = 288 feet

15. Three - 120 ft transects for CWD = 360 feet Three FWD transects at endpoints Three duff/litter point samples at transect endpoints IWFIA P2 Transect Design

16. Number of DWM plots by State (P2 vs. P3) : *Does not yet include 2009 plots Plots in parenthesis are projected totals for a full cycle

17. FIA P2 DWM Update • P2 DWM-general background • IWFIA P2 DWM-data analysis • IWFIA P2 DWM-examples of data uses • Future P2 DWM-national vs. regional

18. Data Analysis Objective--Analyze IWFIA’s P2 CWD biomass data to determine the effects of transect lengths on the confidence of estimates by forest types of varying average biomass and sample size. Purpose--To use this empirical data to help decide on an efficient national DWM protocol design.

19. Assumptions: • The CWD transect design dictates the overall layout for all DWM components (CWD, litter/duff, FWD, etc). • This analysis contained four years of data for five annual states, which is about equivalent to doubling a full-cycle compliment of plots for one state.

20. Factors affecting analysis: • Not all plots sample one condition. • Not all plots sample 360 feet of transect length due to snow, water, hazardous conditions, etc. • Analysis sub-sampled a possible 7,560 plots for those with (1 condition and 360 feet) of transect sampled in order to compare transects of equal length. • This resulted in 5,734 plots that sampled 57,329 pieces of CWD for this analysis.

21. Methods: • Calculated the average biomass of CWD pieces by plot for 4 transect length samples (1-48’, 3-48’, 3-72’, 3-120’). • Calculated percent standard errors by forest type and the 4 different transect lengths. • Focused on the effects of percent standard errors on: 1) number of pieces/plots by forest type 2) high biomass types vs. low biomass types.

22. Three - 48 ft transects on subplots Three – 72 ft transects between subplots IWFIA P2 CWD Transect Design

26. Data Analysis

27. Data Analysis

28. Data Analysis Conclusion • Some forest types that are uncommon will probably never have “good estimates” (better than 20 percent standard error) regardless of transect length. • n< 250 pieces for high or low biomass forest types. • n<20 plots for high biomass types and n<80 plots for low biomass types. • Greater than 360’ transect would require too much field time (already over 1 hr. ave. per plot). • Not sampling DWM on at least all the subplots causes problems with under-sampling conditions and thus integrating DWM data with the tree data and other inventory components. • Therefore, a good compromise for P2 CWD transect length is between 48’ – 360’.

29. FIA P2 DWM Update • P2 DWM-general background • IWFIA P2 DWM-data analysis • IWFIA P2 DWM-examples of data uses • Future P2 DWM-national vs. regional

30. IWFIA P2 DWM • All estimates (volume, biomass, carbon, etc.) are “per acre” at the plot/condition level. • Population estimates with expansion factors should be available this summer.

31. IWFIA P2 condition compiled variables

32. DWM component by state and type (7,560 plots)

33. Timber forest type (all states)

34. Woodland forest type (all states)

35. Stand age by types (all states)

36. CWD large-end diameter class--20”+

37. Total forest biomass by component (Montana timber types)

38. Effect groups from LANDFIRE Fuel Loading Models (FLM)LANDFIRE (Lutes and others 2009)

39. Effect groups from 7,560 IWFIA plots run through LANDFIRE First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM) program (Duncan Lutes 2010)

40. FLM plot/condition classifications are currently under review by LandFire --When finalized they can be used as inputs to fire effects models to compute smoke emissions, fuel consumption, and carbon released to the atmosphere.

41. FIA P2 DWM Update • P2 DWM-background • IWFIA P2 DWM-data analysis • IWFIA P2 DWM-examples of data uses • Future P2 DWM-national vs. regional

42. Subplot Macroplot CWM transects Litter and duff depth FWM transects Extra transect on subplot option 360° Longer transect length on macroplot option 2 180° 1 270° 90° 45° 315° 4 3 135° 225° National DWM Transect Design4 - 48’ transects (192’ total)

43. Three Protocol Options: BASE Option - Simplified and more efficient to derive volume, biomass, and carbon. WILDLIFE/ECOLOGY Option - similar to existing P3 protocol with some additional efficiencies. RAPID ASSESSMENT Option - with maximum flexibility for one-time inventories of specific events (e.g., hurricanes).

44. National P2 DWM variables

45. Questions? Larry T. DeBlander User Group Webinar April 13, 2010 Ogden, UT Phone: 801-625-5204 Email: ldeblander@fs.fed.us

46. Nonstocked types (all states)

47. Three - 48 ft transects on subplots Three – 72 ft transects between subplots IWFIA P2 CWD Transect Design

48. Primary objectives for a national P2/P3 DWM protocol: • Provide flexibility for optional variables while maintaining a suite of base variables appropriate for consistency at both the P2 and P3 levels. • Develop an integrated (P2/P3) and efficient protocol with an emphasis on biomass and carbon estimation at the P2 level. • Facilitate future trend analysis and integrity of essential DWM components compatible with the current national protocol (P3). • Retain a national core protocol for DWM at the P3 plot level.