Understory

Research in Maine OverviewA source of innovative science and hands-on technology, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service’s Northern Research Station (NRS) addresses important natural resource management issues and provides solutions that inform land management decisions. This work improves the health of the nation’s public and private forests, and supports industries ranging from timber to recreation, protects water and air quality, and enhances wildlife habitat.

This manual documents data collection procedures, codes, standards, and definitions used by the Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis (PNW-FIA) program in the 2025 annual forest inventory of Alaska.

This document describes the standards, codes, methods, and definitions for urban Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) field data items. It describes FIA field procedures that are consistent and uniform across urban FIA units nationwide, along with some regionally-specific variables. Individual programs may add regional variables that support their core program but may not change or add to the nationally standard urban FIA requirements. Unless otherwise noted, the items in this field guide will be collected by all FIA units as specified. Items or codes specified as optional are not required by i...

This fact sheet summarizes research on burn severity patterns of the 2020 Labor Day Fires in Oregon. The fact sheet covers information regarding burn severity patterns and drivers and discusses post-fire delayed tree mortalityFor more information visit Collaborative Postfire Research and Monitoring: Supporting Oregon’s Natural and Cultural Resources Recovery Task Force.

Cutting-edge science produced by the Rocky Mountain Research Station improves timber management efficiency and profitability, projects future forest resources, reduces risks to timber resources, increases efficiency of silvicultural practices, protects water and soil, informs salvage logging, and improves reforestation efforts after fire, flood, blowdowns and other major disturbances. We partner with States, local governments, Tribes, rural communities, private companies and industry to develop and assess future wood supply, economic scenarios, timber harvesting techniques, biomass markets and...

The Stewardship Mapping and Assessment Project (STEW-MAP) is a comprehensive way to survey, map, and track all groups that work to conserve, manage, monitor, transform, advocate for, or educate the public about their local environments. STEW-MAP methodology provides a common platform where a wide range of stakeholders who are interested in shared stewardship activities can support natural resource management and community development. It can also serve as a way for managers and communities to better understand and support stewardship in their area. The STEW-MAP data are represented in a web ma...

For more than 90 years, the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has played an integral role in providing information vital to the management and conservation of the Nation’s forest resources. Nearly all major decisions regarding the Nation’s forests have been made with reference to and reliance on FIA findings and forest resource evaluations. Although FIA began as a timber inventory, today FIA provides authoritative data about forest carbon, forest products and services, biomass availability, economic development o...

This first business report for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Resources Planning Act (RPA) Assessment describes the process, costs, and products needed to conduct and support the decadal RPA Assessment, mainly covering the years that led to the publication of the 2020 RPA Assessment in 2023. This report reflects the RPA Assessment team’s commitment to accountability and transparency in delivering the best value, quality, and array of products in response to the authorizing legislation. The intent is to provide a foundation of evidence to highlight the complexity and import...

Stewardship Salons are collaborative, place-based co-learning spaces for the "stewards of stewardship". Salons are a place where participants are able to bring their expertise that they carry from all lived experiences, both personal and professional, into conversation with other distinct perspectives and ways of knowing. Salons provide a space for professional development where individuals feel validated in their experiences in natural resources management, building individual capacity that can lead to greater organizational and institutional sustainability. This guide provides an introductio...

This manual documents data collection procedures, codes, standards, and definitions used by the Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis (PNW-FIA) program in the 2025 periodic forest inventory of the Republic of Palau.