Treesearch

The Forest Inventory and Analysis program of the USDA Forest Service is the go-to source for data to estimate carbon stocks and stock changes for the annual national greenhouse gas inventory (NGHGI) of the United States. However, the different pools of forest carbon have not always been estimated directly from FIA measurements. As part of the new forest carbon accounting framework, pools historically estimated from models based upon the literature, and lacking FIA data, are getting updated with fresh models utilizing empirical data on the forest floor, soils, and down dead wood collected...

Prediction of forest biomass and carbon is becoming important issues in the United States. However, estimating forest biomass and carbon is difficult and relies on empirically-derived regression equations. Based on recent findings from a national gap analysis and comprehensive assessment of the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (USFS-FIA) component ratio method (CRM) for estimating both biomass and carbon using historical individual tree biomass data, alternative approaches for predicting forest biomass and carbon were evaluated. The different CRM approaches tested included:...

The FIA program does not directly measure forest C stocks. Instead, a combination of empirically derived C estimates (e.g., standing live and dead trees) and models (e.g., understory C stocks related to stand age and forest type) are used to estimate forest C stocks. A series of recent refinements in FIA estimation procedures have sought to reduce the uncertainty associated with the national C inventory by: 1) refining forest floor C estimates with in situ data, 2) updating the live belowground and understory C pools modeling approaches, 3) refining objective delineations between woodland...

Woodpeckers (Picidae) are important natural enemies attacking emerald ash borer (EAB) Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire in North America. There can be considerable variation in predation levels within and between sites, and among different times of year; therefore, understanding what causes these differences is necessary for effectively predicting EAB population dynamics. We examined the temporal dynamics of woodpecker predation on EAB in Michigan and Maryland, as well as how they were affected by season, region, resource availability, tree size and crown condition. In Michigan, we quantified...

This resource update provides an overview of forest resources in Georgia based on an inventory conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program at the Southern Research Station in cooperation with the Georgia Forestry Commission. Estimates are based on field data collected using the FIA annualized sample design and are updated yearly. The estimates presented in this update are for the measurement year 2014 with comparisons made to data reported in 2013 and prior years. This resource update is also available as an interactive Forest Inventory Factsheet.

The Southern Plains region contributes significantly to the Nation’s wheat and beef production. Winter wheat is the principal annual crop, with much of it serving dual-use as a cool-season annual forage in addition to grain production. Cattle are raised on extensive pasture and rangelands across the region. Agricultural production and farm income in the Southern Plains are sensitive to weather variability. For example, the severe 2010/2011 drought resulted in the loss of billions of dollars in the agriculture sector. Agricultural losses were estimated to exceed $1.7 billion in Oklahoma and...

A national system of field inventory plots (FIA) is the primary data source for the annual assessment of US forest carbon (C) stocks and stock-change to meet reporting requirements under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The inventory data and their role in national carbon reporting continue to evolve. The framework of the previous C accounting system (up through 2015) was developed more than a decade ago when FIA’s annual inventory system was just being implemented and contemporary questions regarding the terrestrial C sink (e.g., attribution) did not...

Quantifying carbon stock losses after wildfire events is challenging due to the lack of detailed information before and after the disturbance. We propose to use the extensive Western FIA database (including periodic and annual inventories) to recreate pre- and post-fire conditions to better estimate actual carbon losses. Methods include using remeasurement date where available, growth models for forecasting and backcasting, and wildfire data and mapping from the United States Geological Survey. We will discuss the results and provide specific examples to demonstrate the proposed modeling...

We present a hierarchical framework that uses a large multispecies felled tree database to inform a set of general models for predicting tree foliage biomass, with accompanying uncertainty, within the FIA database. Results suggest significant prediction uncertainty for individual trees and reveal higher errors when predicting foliage biomass for larger trees and for conifers. Consequently, we found large uncertainties when applying the fitted models to predict plot-scale foliage biomass for FIA data within Minnesota. These results suggest that applying general equations with fixed parameter...

Forest ecosystems are the largest terrestrial carbon sink on earth with more than half of their net primary production moving to the soil via the decomposition of litter biomass. Therefore, changes in the litter carbon pool have important implications for global carbon budgets and carbon emissions reduction targets and negotiations. Litter accounts for an estimated 5 percent of all forest ecosystem carbon stocks worldwide. Given the cost and time required to measure litter attributes, many nations that are signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)...