Treesearch

The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is conducting a global assessment of tropical forest resources, which will be accomplished by mid-1992. This assessment requires, in part, estimates of the total area of tropical forest cover in 1990, and the rate of change in forest cover between 1980 and 1990. This paper describes: (1) the strategic process used to select the statistical and remote sensing methods that accomplish this objective, (2) general details and expected precision of the selected method, and (3) recommendations for monitoring and assessment actions...

This report describes the current status of 67 threatened, endangered, and vulnerable wildlife species in the Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S. Forest Service. Known or potential reasons for population declines and species susceptibility are identified; and distributions, habitats, specialized needs, and perceived threats of individual species are discusses.

This report was prepared in support of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Program and the USDA Forest Service's role in the program. Recent analyses of data on forest-dwelling species, many of which are neotropical migrants, show population declines in many North American areas. The literature review summarizes current information on population trends of neotropical migratory birds and the factors affecting migrant populations on the breeding and wintering grounds. Opportunities for research, monitoring, and conservation of these migrants on...

The COWFISH model, developed and applied in selected Montana streams, was tested on 14 streams in Idaho, Nevada, and Utah, where it proved to have little value for predicting numbers of trout in watersheds grazed by livestock. The model holds promise for estimating the health of stream channels and riparian complexes.

Includes 35 papers and six poster synopses presenting state-of-the-art knowledge on the nature and problems of integrating soils information and expertise into management of inland western forest resources. Papers emphasize regional information, but include data from world literature and previously unpublished material from regional experts.

The Kalman filter is a multivariate generalization of the composite estimator which recursively combines a current direct estimate with a past estimate that is updated for expected change over time with a prediction model. The Kalman filter can estimate proportions of different cover types for sub-continental regions each year. A random sample of high-resolution satellite scenes at time t=0 is classified into detailed categories to estimate proportion of cover types in the population, and its sample covariance matrix. Coarse-resolution weather satellite data at time t=0 are also classified...

The Kalman filter is a generalization of the composite estimator. The univariate composite estimate combines 2 prior estimates of population parameter with a weighted average where the scalar weight is inversely proportional to the variances. The composite estimator is a minimum variance estimator that requires no distributional assumptions other than estimates of the first 2 moments. The Kalman filter recursively combines 2 estimates: a past estimate that is updated for expected change over time, and a current, direct estimate.

Global and regional assessaents require timely information on landscape level status (e.g., areal extent of different ecosystems) and processes (e.g., changes in land use and land cover). To measure and understand these processes at the regional level, and model their impacts, remote sensing is often necessary. However, processing massive volumes of remotely sensing data can be infeasible if high resolution data are required for very large regions. Remote sensing of sample plots, rather than a census of the entire area, can solve certain problems. Statistical aspects of remote sensing for...

This comprehensive guidebook provides keys, illustrations, and descriptions that aid identification of the 1,600+ species and varieties of vascular plants growing in west-central Montana. The area covered encompasses Ravalli County and southern Missoula County, and it includes the Bitterroot National Forest and portions of the Lolo National Forest. This guidebook uses a minimum of technical terminology and is intended for use by the public as well as by scientists, foresters, and educators. It may also serve as a model for compilation of similar information in other regions.

Describes methods for approximating behavior and size of a wind-driven crown fire in mountainous terrain. Covers estimation of average rate of spread, energy release from tree crowns and surface fuel, fireline intensity, flame length, and unit area power of the fire and ambient wind. Plume-dominated fires, which may produce unexpectedly fast spread rates even with low ambient windspeeds, are covered and supplemental methods suggested for estimating their occurrence. The spread information can be used to estimate and map fire area and perimeter.