FIA
2010 FIA Biomass Update
The Nation’s
Forest Census
W. Brad Smith
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
FIA
What’s hot? Biomass and carbon!
The Nation’s
Forest Census
Climate
Change
Land use/
Land cover
(or whatever)
Range
and Urban
Station
Forests and
Annual TPO
Biomass
and
Carbon
FIA
monitoring
engine
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
FIA
Biomass estimation goals
The Nation’s
Forest Census

National consistency

Biomass-volume compatibility in our
national database

Realistic estimates of any component
for any selected area
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
FIA
The Nation’s
Forest Census
FIA development of CRM

CRM is the Component Ratio Method for calculating
total biomass by tree component and



is a modified version of the commonly used biomass
expansion factor (BEF) approach
relies on FIA individual tree measurements to estimate
bole volume and missing and rotten material
relies on published biomass studies to establish
relationships between tree boles and other tree and site
components
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
To Date
FIA
Research Note NRS-38
The Nation’s
Specific Gravity and
Forest
Censusof
Other Properties
Wood and Bark for
156 Tree Species
Found in North
America

Bark for 156 Species of Trees Found in North America
(updates Jenkins and adds more data on bark and species green
Patrick D. Miles and W. Brad
Smith
2008 FIA Symposium
(RMRS-P-56)
Investigation into
Calculating Tree
Biomass and Carbon
in the FIADB Using a
Biomass Expansion
Factor Approach
Linda S. Heath, Mark H.
Hansen, James E. Smith, W.
Brad Smith, and Patrick D.
Miles
Prepared paper Specific Gravity and Other Properties of Wood and
weights)

Prepared paper Investigation into Calculating Tree Biomass and
Carbon in the FIADB Using a Biomass Expansion Factor Approach

Loaded the national database with new compatible component
data using the CRM-BEF approach and posted to the web
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
FIA
Carbon button, main FIA web page
http://fia.fs.fed.us
The Nation’s
Forest Census
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
Carbon in U.S. Forests
In an effort to provide further transparency and consistency in official U.S. forest carbon estimates, the FIA program of the U.S.
Forest Service is now providing carbon stock estimates through a selection of our online tools. As we endeavor to improve
national consistency of our carbon modeling and estimation procedures, there will be divergences between estimates from older
procedures and newer estimates such as provided on this web page. As we progress through this continuous improvement
process with our stakeholders, national consistency among carbon reporting tools and improved confidence in carbon estimates
will be achieved.

FIA
The Nation’s
Forest Census
Forest Carbon
Fact Sheet
Forest Carbon
Graphics
Forest Carbon Pool
Tables by EPA
Level II Ecoregion
Forest Carbon Pool Tables by State and Owner Group
Total Forest
Carbon
Live above-ground
carbon
Dead wood carbon
Forest floor carbon
Live below-ground
carbon
Soil organic
carbon
FIA
The Nation’s
Forest Census
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
USGS Report for EISA will report by modified EPA Level II Ecoregions only
FS RPA regions superimposed for reference
ROCKY MOUNTAIN
NORTH
PACIFIC
COAST
SOUTH
Figure 1. Level II ecoregions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by major RPA Assessment region. Ecoregion
boundaries within the United States are based on Omernik (1987); Alaska and Hawaii are not shown.

FIA
Carbon Progress
The Nation’s
Forest Census
1. IPCC annual carbon reported by FIA
2. Enhanced tree component reporting in FIADB
3. Basic estimates for all forest carbon pools
4. Units working on taper equations
5. Completion of CRM and Specific Gravity papers
6. Posted U.S. carbon by ecoregion to the web
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
FIA
Comparisons of biomass by species,
region and method were analyzed
The Nation’s
Forest Census
Because
CRM is only
sound wood
it generally,
tracks lower
than Jenkins
et. al
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program