Monitoring & Evaluation Guidebook 2010
BIODIVERSITY ECOSYSTEM – BROAD SCALE
10a. Are the effects on biodiversity shown through the cumulative change
in old-growth by biogeographic province consistent with the estimates of
the Forest Plan (change could include effects of timber harvest, land
exchanges or conveyance, windthrow, insect and disease, climatic
changes, etc.)?
Goals and Objectives:
Maintain ecosystems capable of supporting the full range of native and desired
non-native species and ecological processes. Maintain a mix of representative
habitats at different spatial and temporal scales (USDA Forest Service 2008a, p.
2-4).
Maintain a Forest-wide system of old-growth and other Forest habitats (including
reserves, non-development LUDs and beach, estuary, and riparian corridors) to
sustain old-growth associated species and resources (USDA Forest Service
2008a, p. 2-4).
Sampling / Reporting Period:
Annual sampling with 5-year reporting period.
Evaluation Criteria:
Assess indicators of change in forest type and abundance, including:


Changes in mortality trends among specific forest types.
Changes in forest type or abundance from north to south.
Indicators include changes in tree abundance and relative abundance, changes
in snag abundance, changes in understory species richness, changes in forest
land cover, and changes in stand structure.
Precision and Reliability:
All variables examined and the resulting evaluation should provide medium to
high precision and medium to high reliability. High precision is due to sampling
of the GIS database and FIA database that includes data that is carefully
maintained. Reliability is tempered by sources of error and bias that include
limitations of resource inventories and delay in detecting and incorporating
resource changes due to natural causes. Though these sources of error and
bias reduce reliability, most should be improved or eliminated during the life of
the Forest Plan.
1
Monitoring & Evaluation Guidebook 2010
Data Sources:
FIA data collected on the Tongass would be used in conjunction with forest
spatial GIS coverages for timber, understory, snag and vegetation broad scale
data attributes.
Data Collection:
Download the FIA data from the FIA database from FIA data specialist with the true unfuzzed location data Work with FIA spatial group to overlay data using the FIA
spatial intersection tool on spatial map of the suitable lands and unsuitable lands
from Forest GIS layers, forest ownership and stratify the data by these
parameters.
Examine five prominent tree species (Sitka spruce, red cedar, yellow cedar,
Western hemlock, and mountain hemlock) as well as two rare species (Pacific
silver fir and subalpine fir); look at the number of trees or volume for data from
two different inventory years to determine the ecological importance and to
calculate the percentage of trees for each species. Break out the data by Forest
Plan biogeographic province from north to south and look at the data sets to
identify differences. Use the FIA EVALIDatorPC tool to pull the tree abundance
data by biogeographic province.
Examine the abundance of snags in the plots comparing the data over the 10
year re-measure period. Break out the data by Forest Plan biogeographic
province group from north to south and look at the data sets to identify
differences. Use the FIA EVALIDatorPC tool to pull the snag abundance data by
biogeographic province.
Examine the findings in FIA phase 3 data to define understory vegetation by
forest type.
Examine the forested land cover to look at the distribution of the size classes.
Compare these data against the desired conditions in the Forest Plan. Break
out the data by Forest Plan biogeographic province from north to south and look
at the data sets to identify differences. Use the FIA EVALIDatorPC tool to pull
the forested land cover data by biogeographic province.
Examine forest types and size classes to look at the distribution of the size
classes. Break out the data from north to south and look at the data sets to
identify differences over time. Break out the data by Forest Plan biogeographic
province group from north to south and look at the data sets to identify
differences. Use the FIA EVALIDatorPC tool to pull the stand structure data by
biogeographic province.
2
Monitoring & Evaluation Guidebook 2010
Results:
Evaluate the following questions using the noted indicators:
Question – What is the distribution of tree species across the forested
landscape? What tree species are increasing or decreasing in abundance
over time? Are rare tree species increasing or decreasing in abundance
over time? Indicator: Tree Abundance and Relative Abundance
Results – Develop tables showing the number of trees by species by
biogeographic province group for a given time period. Use the spatial
interaction tool to see where plots intersect GIS data layers to project the
differences and trends over different time periods.
Question – What is the abundance of snags and is it changing? Is land
management reducing snag abundance? Indicator: Snag Abundance
Results – Develop tables showing the snag abundance by biogeographic
province group for a given time period.
Question- What is the composition and diversity of understory vegetation
by forest type? Is native understory richness (number of species found by
forest type) changing over time? Indicator: Understory native plant
richness
Utilize FIA to product the following tables and compare successive
findings on a 5-year schedule for understory richness by forest type,
biogeographic province, and aspect.
o Estimate of species richness and differentiation for community
types (estimates the true number of species in the community
based on the number of species recorded only once or twice)
o Rates of plant identification and nativity of identified species
o Average percent vegetation cover by layer (layers broken out at 02ft, 2-6ft and 6-16ft above ground)
o Distribution of selected native and introduced species
Question- Are we gaining or losing forested land? Indicator: Forested
Land cover
Results – Develop tables showing the land cover by biogeographic
province for a given time period. Break out the data from north to south
and look at the data sets to identify differences. Use the FIA spatial
interaction tool to see where plots intersect GIS data layers to project the
differences and trends.
3
Monitoring & Evaluation Guidebook 2010
Question- What is the distribution of structural or age classes and how is
this changing? How does it compare to that expected under natural
disturbance regimes? What percentage is classified as late-successional
or old-growth? Indicator: Stand Structure
Results – Develop tables showing the number of trees by species by
biogeographic province group for a given time period. Use the FIA spatial
interaction tool to see where plots intersect GIS data layers to project the
differences and trends.
Analysis:
Compare the distribution of tree species, abundance, understory vegetation,
presence of exotic species, status of the land cover and stand structure to define
the status of cumulative change in biodiversity on the Forest over the two time
periods examined. Relate the status of these attributes and trends of the metrics
over time to potential drivers such as timber harvest, land exchanges or
conveyance, windthrow, insect and disease, and climate change.
Feedback Mechanism:
Changes in forest type and abundance need to be evaluated within the context of
Forest Plan predictions. If significant differences are found, initiate a forest
information need to investigate the potential drivers of the change.
References
Barrett, Tara M.; Christensen, Glenn A., tech. eds. 2011. Forests of southeast
and south-central Alaska, 2004–2008: five-year forest inventory and analysis
report. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-835. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 156 p.
USDA Forest Service. 2008a. Tongass National Forest Land and Resource
Management Plan. USDA Forest Service R10-MB-603b.
USDA Forest Service. 2008b. Tongass Land and Resource Management Plan
Final Environmental Impact Statement, Plan Amendment. USDA Forest
Service R10-MB-603c.
4