The Focal Species Toolkit
Background
The USDA Forest Service is required to monitor National Forests and Grasslands to assess whether management plans are maintaining or restoring ecological integrity. As part of this monitoring effort, each planning unit selects at least one focal species -- or one focal species assemblage -- that represents a specific aspect of ecological integrity or management plan effectiveness. Planning units can then understand ecological integrity by monitoring this focal species or assemblage.
Although selecting a focal species may seem simple, it can be a complex process. It is important that the focal species selection process carefully rules out factors that can make potential focal species unsuitable and even misleading.
To address this challenge, authors from the Rocky Mountain Research Station and the National Forest System co-developed a user-friendly guide containing several resources to assist planning units with focal species selection. This toolkit is available by clicking the image at right or on Treesearch.
Resources included in the Toolkit
The Focal Species Toolkit contains several resources to support National Forest System planning units with focal species selection. These resources are intended to help land and resource management plans align with the 2012 Planning Rule and to design monitoring plans that are as cost-effective and efficient as possible.
Included resources:
- Fillable worksheet (click image at left to access): Guides users through the process of selecting focal species and documenting the decision
- Flow chart: Illustrates the structured focal species selection process
- Examples: Filled-out worksheets illustrating real decisions about focal species selection
- Forest Service Handbook references: Shows how each step of the focal species selection process aligns with the Forest Service Handbook
- Analysis details: Data analysis options that address different information needs
- Monitoring program design details: Information about effectively designing a focal species monitoring program
Publications
The Focal Species Toolkit is available at the hyperlink in the citation below. Additionally, a fillable PDF version of the Focal Species Selection Worksheet included in the Toolkit is available here.
- Erin Taylor, Jamie S. Sanderlin, Jennifer Helm, Diane Probasco, Sarah Sawyer, Donna Shorrock, Valerie Stein Foster. 2025. A toolkit to assist Forest Service National Forests and Grasslands with selecting focal species under the 2012 Planning Rule