NE-FIA Annual Forest Inventory
Chip Scott
Program Manager
Forest Inventory and Analysis
USFS Northeastern Research Station
Newtown Square, PA
Purposes of this Meeting:
To inform our users about FIA, the changes
in the Program, the data and analytical tools
available, and our publications.
„ To stay in touch with our FIA users to meet
their needs as we are able.
„
Forest Inventory and Analysis
Report on status and trends in the Nation’s
forested resources:
‹ Forest area, extent, composition.
‹ Tree growth, harvest, mortality.
‹ Wood volume, biomass, carbon.
‹ Forest health, sustainability.
Forest Inventory and Analysis
„
Part of US Department of Agriculture …
… Forest Service
… Research and Development
„
Implemented in collaboration with States
„
In operation for 75 years
Northeastern FIA
„
„
„
Responsible for
13 states
Sample all
lands
Conduct
measurements
on 93 million
acres of forest
land
1998 Farm Bill (PL 105-185)
„
Major change in FIA business model:
‹ Periodic inventory => continuous inventory
‹ Non-NFS lands => all forest lands
‹ Less consistency => more consistency
‹ Narrower scope => broader scope (FHM)
‹ Irregular cycle => predictable cycle
‹ Self contained => partnerships
Forest Inventory and Analysis:
Three Phase Sample
„
Phase 1 – Remote sensing for stratification into
forest and nonforest.
„
Phase 2 - Nationwide system of sample plots, 1
every 3 mi (6,000 ac).
„
Phase 3 – 1 of 16 Phase 2 plots measured for
extended suite of ecosystem data (96,000 ac).
Forest Inventory and Analysis
Methods
Phase 1 – Remote sensing for stratification into
forest and nonforest.
Forest Inventory and Analysis
Methods
Phase 2 - Nationwide system of sample plots
Phase 2 Interpenetrating Design
Five-Year Panel
Year One
Year Two
Year Three
Year Four
Year Five
1 2
3 4
3 4
5 1
5 1
2 3
1 2
3 4
5 1
3 4
5 1
2 3
Forest Inventory and Analysis:
Three Phase Sample
„
Phase 1 – Remote sensing for stratification
into forest and nonforest.
„
Phase 2 - Nationwide system of sample
plots, 1 every 5 km (6,000 ac).
„
Phase 3 – 1 of 16 Phase 2 plots measured
for extended suite of ecosystem data.
Phase 3 Indicators
The subplot is where the basic tree measurements ( with a
DBH of 5.0 inches and greater) are collected including
crown condition and damage symptoms, growth,
mortality, and quality measures of the tree for use.
Information relating to regeneration is collected on the
microplot for trees with a DBH less than 5.0 inches
(seedlings and saplings).
The vegetation plots are used to identify all vegetation to the
species level and also the height zone that the species
occupies in the stand. Information on exotic or introduced
plants can be extracted from the species list from each plot.
Phase 3 Indicators (cont.)
The down woody material transects (line samples) are used
to gather information on trees and tree branches.
General plot and stand descriptive data is collected on
various portions of the plot.
Soil samples are analyzed in at a laboratory for basic soil
nutrient parameters, pH, and soil aluminum. Other
descriptive information are used to estimate potential soil
erosion.
Also ozone bioindicator plant data are collected on their
own network of plots.
Forest Inventory and Analysis:
Other Program Components
„
National Woodland Owner Survey.
„
Timber Products Output.
„
Special Studies – regional assessments,
special problems.
NE-FIA Organization
Program Manager – Chip Scott
•Data Collection – Dave Alerich
•Information Management – Tom Frieswyk
•Analysis – Will McWilliams
•Techniques Development – Mike Hoppus
Data Collection
Equipping crews with new Portable Data
Recorders with GPS
„ Where appropriate, moving toward using
one-person crews with additional equipment
(laser range-finders, satellite beacons,
satphones, and a second vehicle)
„ QA/QC on roughly 10% of plots
„
Information Management
Developing national program for use on
PDR’s
„ Developing National Information
Management System (NIMS)
„ Collaborating on the development of
national FIADB and web tools.
„
Analysis and Reporting
Shifted from periodic to annual reporting
„ First to combine Phase 2 and Phase 3 in a
single annual report
„ Now shifting to developing the first 5-year
comprehensive analytical report
„ Hiring 1-2 Research Ecologists to analyze
Phase 3 data and to link it with Phase 2 and
other data.
„
Techniques Development
Developed methods for rapidly stratifying
satellite imagery for Phase 1
„ Developing methods for creating mapped
products, such as forest type, biomass,
fragmentation, and tree species distribution
„ Developing more efficient field methods,
such as the Tree Taper Study.
„
Regional Organization
„
„
„
NE-FIA Regional Management Team
‹ Representatives from each State
‹ National Forest System representative
‹ Forest Health Monitoring Regional Manager
‹ NE-FIA Program Manager
NE-FIA Users’ Group
Meet once each year
National Organization
„
„
„
FIA Management Team
‹ Representatives from 3 State regions
‹ 2 National Forest System representatives
‹ Forest Health Monitoring Program Leader
‹ FIA Program Leader and Managers
‹ Meets 3 times a year & calls every other month
FIA Executive Team meets yearly
National FIA Users’ Group meets once each year
National Organization (cont.)
„
FIA Technical Bands
‹ Data Acquisition Band
‹ Information Management Band
‹ Analysis Band
‹ Indicator Advisor Band
‹ Statistics Band
‹ Remote Sensing Band
Implementation of Annual
Inventories
Where are we regionally?
„ Where are we nationally?
„
Survey Dates
State
Last Periodic
Annual Started
1998
2003
Delaware
1999
2004
Maine
1995
1999
Maryland
1999
2004
Massachusetts
1998
2003
New Hampshire
1997
2002
New Jersey
1999
2004
1993
2002
1991
2001
1989
2000
Rhode Island
1998
2003
Vermont
1997
2003
West Virginia
2001
2004
Connecticut
New York
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Annual FIA Fieldwork Status, 2003
Full Annual FIA
Availability of State FIA Data, November 2003
Age of the most recent data available to the public in online FIA databases.
1 year old
2 to 5 years old
More than 5 years old
FIA Products:
National reports and analyses
FIA Products:
„
State annual reports and
5-year comprehensive
analyses.
FIA Products:
„
Regional
assessments.
FIA Products:
„
Online databases
FIA Services
„
Consultations and assistance in obtaining,
interpreting data (Spatial Data Services).
„
Collaboration in research using FIA data.
„
Assistance to other countries in developing
forest inventory and monitoring programs.
„
Reporting to international bodies on the state of
US forests.
For more information:
„
„
Contact:
FIA
Northeastern Research Station
11 Campus Blvd., Suite 200
Newtown Square, PA 19073
610-557-4075
ctscott@fs.fed.us
www.fs.fed.us/ne/fia
fia.fs.fed.us
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