Design & Analysis
Tools for Inventory &
Monitoring:
DATIM
Background
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Monitoring is conducted at a variety of scales and for
a variety of purposes.
•
•
FS spends roughly half a billion/year on I&M
•
Each Forest is left to develop their own monitoring
and analytical approach
•
Potential exists for improving efficiency and
consistency of information.
Under the new Planning Rule, Forests will likely be
conducting annual evaluations of ecological
conditions and trends in achieving plan goals
Vision
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Improve monitoring designs and data analyses by
developing nationally consistent tools
•
Create inventory and monitoring tools: Design Tool
(DTIM) and Analytical Tools (ATIM)
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Initial focus on vegetation monitoring, but will expand
to other resources that use plot-based sampling
•
While the tools will be publicly accessible, they are to
be designed with NFS in mind.
Approach
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Leverage existing data, research and tools, including
Regional I&M tools, FSVeg, and Geospatial Interface
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Use Forest Inventory & Analysis (FIA) data as base
level for intensification
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Draw upon FIA’s research into estimation methods
and on optimal sampling and plot design
•
•
Build upon existing FIA design and analysis tools
Focus on National Forest System needs, including
climate change monitoring, then generalize
Approach (cont.)
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Created a core team to develop the requirements for
the tools
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Funded a Project Manager, a documentation
specialist, and a team of developers
Inventory & Monitoring Toolkit
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Design Tool – to identify monitoring needs, and to
specify sampling design to balance cost and
precision in order to address monitoring questions.
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Portable Data Recorder Tool – software on PDR to collect, validate,
and transfer data. Not currently part of DATIM.
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Database and Compilation Tool – to store and
compute calculated fields
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Spatial / Tabular Analytical Tools – use standard
methods or spatial means of specifying area for
which to estimate tables and maps.
Design Tool for Inventory &
Monitoring (DTIM)
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Provide the Forest staffs with a method for designing
an important part of their monitoring program based
on available FIA and intensified grid data
•
Help determine key inventory and monitoring
questions.
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Evaluate existing FIA data and intensified grid data to
estimate current conditions and monitor trends
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Identify unmet information needs and sample sizes to
meet precision requirements, then estimate
acquisition costs.
Role of Design Tool for I&M (DTIM)
FIA and Regional
Data Sources
Information Needs
Design Tool
Forest Plan
Monitoring Guide
Plot List
Computed
Variable Protocols
List of Tables
Protocol Sample
Design
Data
Recorder
Field Data
Compilation
Tool
FSVeg
Spatial Data
Analysis
Tool
Results for Forest
Planning or
Cumulative Effects
Analytical Tool for Inventory &
Monitoring (ATIM)
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Apply NFS models and classification algorithms to
plot data and store computed values as part of the
data for further analysis.
•
Enable NFS to analyze plot data to derive estimates
of current conditions and trends using web and/or
PC-based analytical tools (FIDO and EVALIDator).
•
Use Spatial Intersection Tool using the Geospatial
Interface (GI) to localize analysis and to summarize
plot data by map attribute classes.
Analysis Tools for I&M
-------------- Compilation Phase ----------------Define Project
& Data (PSD)
FIA Data
FIA to FSVeg
Loader
Regional Data
FSVeg CSE
Loader
---------- Analysis Phase -------------
Spatial
Intersection
Tool (GI)
Boundary/
Strata
Spatial
Intersection
Tool (GI)
Published
Spatial data
User’s Spatial
Data
ATIM Web
(queries &
tables & maps)
ATIM PC
(queries &
tables)
Project
Tables
FSVeg
DATIM
Compilation
System
Proxy
DataMart
FSWeb access to
ATIM Web or to
download ATIM PC
Export
DATIM
Subset
Uses
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Adaptive approaches are needed to address emerging
monitoring requirements at the forest and landscape levels
associated with climate change, carbon reporting, bio-fuels, and
sustainability
•
Other Uses include:
– developing forest plan components
– forest plan monitoring associated with vegetation
– monitoring of broad-level incidence and spread of invasive plant
species
– monitoring and management of wildlife habitat
– cumulative effects analysis for project level planning
– monitoring and management of fuels.
Characteristics
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Forests need statistically sound and defensible
estimates of status and trends
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Must be consistent over time (remeasurement) and
space (scaling)
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FIA data have these characteristics and are freely
available for use at broad scales (>100,000 ac)
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FIA uses a spatially balanced design thus can be
used for any subset of the area, so data can be
associated with other spatial datasets (resources)
Objectives
1. Working with forest, regional, and national
monitoring staff within NFS, identify the needs for
design and analysis tools for monitoring and other
analysis.
2. Provide an expert system-based DTIM to guide
regional and forest staff through the development of
a forest monitoring plan. Stratifications will be
supported when there is need for focus on small
areas and rare types.
Objectives (cont.)
3. The DTIM will draw upon existing FIA and intensified
grid data to determine current condition and trend
and, if necessary, to develop FIA-compatible
designs to ensure efficient data collection. Other
inventory protocols will also be supported.
4. Develop analytical tools (ATIM) that are
customizable enough to meet NFS analysis needs –
above and beyond tables produced by FIA’s current
analytical tools, Forest Inventory Data Online (FIDO)
and EVALIDator.
Monitoring Steps
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Typically, forest inventory planning starts with identifying the
area to be sampled and the attributes to collect.
•
However, the survey will be better if planning starts with
identification of the objectives – begin with the end in mind
•
The four tools address most of the 15 monitoring steps NIMAC
has identified:
– Design Phase
– Data Collection
– Data Storage and Compilation
– Data Analysis and Decision Making
The Planning Phase
The Design Tool could help with the first 9 monitoring
steps
1.
Identify customers and set broad objectives – pick
from list of broad objectives based on desired
conditions or outcomes
2.
Select monitoring questions – pick from list of
generic questions based on the chosen objectives
3.
Select attributes – pick from list of metrics for the
questions chosen, then select from list of
categorical attributes used to make tables to
answer the questions. Then pick any additional
attributes of interest
The Planning Phase
4.
Assess existing data – use the Analytical Tool on
FIA or other existing data to determine whether
they are sufficient to answer the questions, or to
assess their variability if they are not adequate.
5.
Set time/cost and precision constraints – If existing
data are inadequate, then identify the costs of each
component of monitoring. Specify precision and
scale of analysis for key metrics.
6.
Develop an efficient plot and sampling design –
balance cost and precision in order to address
monitoring questions. Based on the plot design
chosen, determine sample size.
Field Planning
7.
Select plots – select plot locations in a spatially balanced
way based on chosen sample size and sampling rules.
Field Planning
8.
Plan field work – generate field manual text for
selected attributes
9.
Train – generate training materials for selected
attributes. Develop a QA/QC plan.
Data Collection
10. Collect data – Portable Data Recorder software can be
customized based on the planning phase.
11. Enter and store data – the data should be entered and
checked while in the field using PDR software, then
transferred electronically to the office.
The Compilation Tool
12.Compile data – the DATIM Compilation System
computes derived variables, such as basal area or
biomass, and stores them in an enhanced version
of FSVeg (a DataMart).
The Analytical Tools
13.Assess and interpret data – use the spatial/tabular
analytical tool to ask questions of the data and
compare the study area to the forest matrix.
EVALIDatorPC – MS Access Tool
FIDO – Forest Inventory Data Online
www.fia.fs.fed.us/tools-data
Spatial Interface to Analysis Tool
Select plots by:
Features (polygons)
User-defined polygon
Features in table
Distance from linear
features
Return list of plots
and polygon area
to ATIM for
estimating tables.
Final Steps in Adaptive Management
14.Evaluate objectives and monitoring protocol.
Did
the data collected meet the information needs?
15.Decide on future forest/grassland management
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Biennial Monitoring
Reports
Watershed Assessments
Climate Scorecard
Plan Amendments or
Revisions
Broad-scale monitoring
Benefits
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National consistency in developing monitoring plans
and in reporting estimates on NFS lands, plus the
design and analysis tools would be integrated and
linked to one another.
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Enhanced forest and region monitoring design skills
resulting in efficient and effective monitoring plans.
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Statistically defensible designs and resultant
estimates, which are consistent between FIA and
NFS.
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Ability to address mid-level information needs,
intensification of plots, changes in remeasurement
cycle, and addition of attributes.
Benefits (cont.)
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Used for customized reporting at forest, regional,
national and international levels.
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Centralized development means that changes can be
implemented once in response to user demand or to
environmental changes such as those from CIO.
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Integration with FIA for both the design and the
analytical tool.
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Allows forest staffs to leverage the existing FIA data
with intensified data that are available to them.
Next Steps
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Actively developing the ATIM and Spatial
Intersection Tools based on current
requirements.
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Vet requirements with stakeholder groups
– Land Management Planning community
– Inventory and monitoring staff at Regional and Forest levels
– Resource program managers in WO and ROs
Key Points
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Determine your questions (DTIM can help)
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FIA data can help answer questions at Forest and
landscape scales for suitable and unsuitable lands
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Tools available now and more coming to analyze
these mid-scale data
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Your feedback is helpful to make DATIM as useful as
possible to NFS across the country
Identify best dataset or sampling system to address
your questions. Find most efficient combination.
Contact DATIM Project Leader
Charles T. “Chip” Scott
National Inventory & Monitoring
Applications Center (NIMAC)
Forest Inventory & Analysis
USDA Forest Service
11 Campus Blvd., Suite 200
Newtown Square, PA 19073
610-557-4020
ctscott@fs.fed.us
www.nrs.fs.fed.us/nimac