A study on integrating surveys of terrestrial natural resources: The Oregon Demonstration Project

Abstract

An interagency project demonstrated the feasibility of integrating Federal surveys of terrestrial natural resources and offers a vision for that integration. At locations selected from forest inventory and analysis, National forest system Region 6, and national resources inventory surveys in a six-county area in Northern Oregon, experienced teams interpreted and made measurements on aerial photographs and measured on-site a range of soil, vegetation and animal attributes. The project demonstrated the feasibility of conducting a combined FIA/NFS/NRI survey at the substate level and suggests an approach that will preserve the utility of the critical historic information from these surveys. We suggest a framework for estimating the extent of forest and range land that explains FIA/NRI differences and provides a common basis for both surveys. We suggest indicator and protocol criteria that will allow compatible national and regional estimates over all vegetation types and stress the importance of including measurement repeatability in the design of the combined survey. We envision a program that integrates and-or coordinates inventory efforts measuring status and tends of terrestrial ecosystems under a combined structure supported by probability-based sampling.

Citation

Goebel, J. Jeffery; Schreuder, Hans T.; House, Carol C.; Geissler, Paul H.; Olsen, Anthony R.; Williams, William. 1998. A study on integrating surveys of terrestrial natural resources: The Oregon Demonstration Project. EPA/600/R-98/032. Corvallis, OR: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory. 44 p.