Treesearch

The official U.S. forest carbon inventories (U.S. EPA 2008) have relied on tree biomass estimates that utilize diameter based prediction equations from Jenkins and others (2003), coupled with U.S. Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) sample tree measurements and forest area estimates. However, these biomass prediction equations are not the equations used in the current public national FIA dataset (FIADB3), which utilizes regionally specific prediction equations, nor are they based on current FIA volume estimates. We describe and investigate an approach that is proposed for...

Forest access road construction is a necessary component of many on-the-ground forest vegetation treatment projects. However, the fuel energy requirements and associated carbon dioxide emissions from forest road construction are unknown. We present a method for estimating diesel fuel consumed and related carbon dioxide emissions from constructing forest roads using published results from a study designed to measure road construction costs together with machine productivity and fuel consumption rates. Our resulting estimate of diesel fuel required per mile of road constructed on slopes up...

The National Inventory and Monitoring Applications Center (NIMAC) was created by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program in 2006. NIMAC addresses a growing need, expressed by FIA partners, for technical assistance in designing and implementing monitoring plans for forests at scales finer than that provided by the FIA standard inventory. NIMAC's goal is to develop leading-edge forest ecosystem monitoring methods and tools to help FIA and other organizations monitor forests, resulting in comparable results across the landscape. Methods and software tools are designed for use by land...

Forest survey planning typically begins by determining the area to be sampled and the attributes to be measured. All too often the data are collected but underutilized because they did not address the critical management questions. The Design Tool for Inventory and Monitoring (DTIM) is being developed by the National Inventory and Monitoring Applications Center in collaboration with the National Forest System (NFS) and the Remote Sensing Applications Center. DTIM will assist inventory planners by stepping them through the monitoring process: 1) identifying key customers and broad objectives...

The U.S. Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program collects information on trees in areas that meet its definition of forest. However, the inventory excludes trees in areas that do not meet this definition, such as those found in isolated patches, in areas with sparse or predominantly herbaceous vegetation, in narrow strips (e.g., shelterbelts), or in riparian areas. In the Plains States, little is known about the tree resource in these noninventoried, nonforest areas, and there is a great deal of concern about the potential impact that invasive pests, such as the...

The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program utilizes an algorithm to consistently determine the forest type for forested conditions on sample plots. Forest type is determined from tree size and species information. Thus, the accuracy of results is often dependent on the number of trees present, which is highly correlated with plot area. This research examines the sensitivity of a forest-type algorithm to changes in amounts and types of input data that result from altering the sample plot area. Logistic regression was used to determine which plot metrics have the most influence on...

The demand for timely, consistent, and reliable forest inventory and monitoring information for Wisconsin's state forests has increased significantly. A wide range of publics and partners, including businesses, organizations, and citizens alike are well aware of the benefits of sustainable forestry and are working together to increase knowledge through an annual comprehensive forest inventory and monitoring program. In response, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and the National Inventory and Monitoring Applications Center (NIMAC) of the U.S. Forest Service, Forest...

Analysis and display of forest composition, structure, and pattern provides information for a variety of assessments and management decision support. The objective of this study was to produce geospatial datasets and maps of conterminous United States forest land ownership, forest site productivity, timberland, and reserved forest land. Satellite image-based maps of forest land cover, geospatial datasets of land protection and ownership, and data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program were integrated to produce forest land maps....

Six years after its 2002 detection near Detroit, MI, the emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) has spread hundreds of miles across the Upper Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. Human-assisted transportation of infested ash materials is the primary mechanism of EAB dispersal over long distances. Natural spread occurs locally and is influenced by factors, such as host availability, meteorological conditions, and landscape configuration. This study looks at the effects of ash density and landscape pattern on current EAB distribution. Forest Inventory and...

There are two events occurring in Colorado that are concerning forest managers in Colorado. There is severe and widespread mortality of lodgepole pine due to the mountain pine beetle and aspen forests in some areas of the state have experienced widespread, severe, and rapid crown deterioration leading to mortality. Implementation of the Forest Inventory and Analysis annual inventory coincided with the two mortality events, providing an opportunity to test the utility of the annual inventory system. Preliminary analysis suggests that annual inventory data can quantify status and trends.