FIA National Assessment of Data Quality for Forest Health Indicators

FIA National Assessment of Data Quality for Forest Health Indicators PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Forest health
Languages : en
Pages : 88

Get Book Here

Book Description

FIA National Assessment of Data Quality for Forest Health Indicators

FIA National Assessment of Data Quality for Forest Health Indicators PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Forest health
Languages : en
Pages : 88

Get Book Here

Book Description


FIA National Assessment of Data Quality for Forest Health Indicators

FIA National Assessment of Data Quality for Forest Health Indicators PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Forest health
Languages : en
Pages : 80

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the U.S. Forest Service collects vast amounts of field data to assess the condition and trends of the nations forest resources. A quality assurance (QA) program is implemented to assure that data are collected accurately with consistent protocols. A random subset of field plots is chosen to receive an additional, independent measurement by another field crew. This blind check approach allows for comparison of measurements between the two crews. The measurement differences are evaluated against measurement quality objectives (MQO), which specify a level of measurement precision for each attribute. In this report, differences in repeated measurements from blind check data are analyzed to assess the quality of forest health data nationwide. For the understory vegetation indicator, the ground cover variables attained the MQO or were slightly below the desired level. Variables related to canopy and species identifcation were substantially below the MQO. Tree crown attributes that effectively met the MQO include crown light exposure, crown dieback, and foliage transparency. The uncompacted crown ratio, vigor class, and crown density measurements did not attain the MQO standards. Quality assessment for the lichen indicator is evaluated using a second measurement by an expert and not an independent measurement by another field crew. Overall, the MQO was not attained, although compliance improved over time and western regions were close to achieving the standard. Most variables measured for the down woody material indicator were below MQO standards. Due to the sampling protocols for the ozone indicator, direct analyses of MQO attainment are not possible. Mean biosite index was not significantly different between crews, although there were some large discrepancies on individual plots. There was agreement on presence/absence of ozone damage for about 80 percent of the plots. For field measurements of forest soils, 10 of the 12 variables attained the MQO. Although MQOs are not specifically stated for laboratory analyses of soil properties, comparisons were performed to assess the variability of lab measurements.

Analyzing Lichen Indicator Data in the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Analyzing Lichen Indicator Data in the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program PDF Author: Will-Wolf
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781505907261
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 70

Get Book Here

Book Description
Lichens are one of several forest health indicators sampled every year for a subset of plots on the permanent grid established by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. This report reviews analysis procedures for standard FIA lichen indicator data. Analyses of lichen data contribute to state, regional, and national reports that evaluate spatial pattern and temporal trends in forest biodiversity, air quality, and climate. Data collection and management follow standard national protocols. A lichen species richness index (the number of species per FIA plot) is available for all areas soon after data collection. Air quality and climate indexes (for defined regional gradients and based on lichen species composition at plots) are developed from an FIA lichen gradient model. Critical steps in standard data analysis include screening plots to exclude biased data, selection of appropriate populations, then analysis, presentation, and interpretation of data.

Crown-condition Classification

Crown-condition Classification PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Forest canopies
Languages : en
Pages : 92

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, conducts a national inventory of forests across the United States. A systematic subset of permanent inventory plots in 38 States is currently sampled every year for numerous forest health indicators. One of these indicators, crown-condition classification, is designed to estimate tree crown dimensions and assess the impact of crown stressors. The indicator features eight tree-level field measurements in addition to variables traditionally measured in conjunction with FIA inventories: vigor class, uncompacted live crown ratio, crown light exposure, crown position, crown density, crown dieback, foliage transparency, and crown diameter. Indicators of crown health derived from the crown data are intended for analyses at the State, regional, and national levels, and contribute to the core tabular output in standard FIA reports. Crown-condition measurements were originally implemented as part of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program in 1990. Except for crown diameter, these measurements were continued when the FIA Program assumed responsibility for FHM plot-based detection monitoring in 2000. This report describes in detail the data collection and analytical techniques recommended for crown-condition classification.

Research Paper RMRS

Research Paper RMRS PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Forests and forestry
Languages : en
Pages : 140

Get Book Here

Book Description


The Enhanced Forest Inventory and Analysis Program--national Sampling Design and Estimation Procedures

The Enhanced Forest Inventory and Analysis Program--national Sampling Design and Estimation Procedures PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Forest health
Languages : en
Pages : 96

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service is in the process of moving from a system of quasi-independent, regional, periodic inventories to an enhanced program featuring greater national consistency, a complete and annual sample of each State, new reporting requirements, and integration with the ground sampling component of the Forest Health Monitoring Program. This documentation presents an overview of the conceptual design, describes the sampling frame and plot configuration, presents the estimators that form the basis of FIA's National Information Management System (NIMS), and shows how annual data are combined for analysis. It also references a number of Web-based supplementary documents that provide greater detail about some of the more obscure aspects of the sampling and estimation system, as well as examples of calculations for most of the common estimators produced by FIA.

Swiss National Forest Inventory – Methods and Models of the Fourth Assessment

Swiss National Forest Inventory – Methods and Models of the Fourth Assessment PDF Author: Christoph Fischer
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030192938
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 424

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Swiss National Forest Inventory (NFI) is a forest survey on national level which started in 1982 and has already reached its 5th survey cycle (NFI5). It can be characterized as a multisource and multipurpose inventory where information is mainly collected from terrestrial field surveys using permanent sample plots. In addition, data from aerial photography, GIS and forest service questionnaires are also included. The NFI's main objective is to provide statistically reliable and sound figures to stakeholders such as politicians, researchers, ecologists, forest service, timber industry, national and international organizations as well as to international projects such as the Forest Resources Assessment of the United Nations. For Switzerland, NFI results are typically reported on national and regional level. State of the art methods are applied in all fields of data collection which have been proven to be of international interest and have even served as a basis for other European NFIs. The presented methods are applicable to any sample based forest inventory around the globe. In 2001 the Swiss NFI published its methods for the first time. Since then, many methodological changes and improvements have been introduced. This book describes the complete set of methods and revisions since NFI2. It covers various topics ranging from inventory design and statistics to remote sensing, field survey methods and modelling. It also describes data quality concepts and the software framework used for data storage, statistical analysis and result presentation.

Forest Inventory and Analysis National Data Quality Assessment Report for 2000 to 2003

Forest Inventory and Analysis National Data Quality Assessment Report for 2000 to 2003 PDF Author: James E. Pollard
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Forest surveys
Languages : en
Pages : 52

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Forest Inventory and Analysis program (FIA) is the key USDA Forest Service (USFS) program that provides the information needed to assess the status and trends in the environmental quality of the Nation's forests. The goal of the FIA Quality Assurance (QA) program is to provide a framework to assure the production of complete, accurate and unbiased forest information of known quality. Specific Measurement Quality Objectives (MQO) for precision are designed to provide a window of performance that we are striving to achieve for every field measurement. These data quality goals were developed from knowledge of measurement processes in forestry and forest ecology, as well as the program needs of FIA. This report is a national summary and compilation of MQO analyses by regional personnel and the National QA Advisor. The efficacy of the MQO, as well as the measurement uncertainty associated with a given field measurement, can be tested by comparing data from blind check plots where, in addition to the field measurements of the standard FIA crew, a second QA measurement of the plot was taken by a crew without knowledge of the first crew's results. These QA data were collected between 2000 and 2003 and analyzed for measurement precision between FIA crews. The charge of this task team was to use the blind-check data to assess the FIA program's ability to meet data quality goals as stated by the MQO. The results presented indicate that the repeatability was within project goals for a wide range of measurements across a variety of forest and nonforest environments. However, there were some variables that displayed noncompliance with MQO goals. In general, there were two types of noncompliance: the first is where all the regions were below the MQO standard, and the second is where a subset of the regions was below the MQO standards or was substantially different from the other remaining regions. Results for each regional analysis are presented in appendix tables. In the course of the study, the task team discovered that there were difficulties in analyzing seedling species and seedling count variables for MQO compliance, and recommends further study of the issue. Also the task team addresses the issue of trees missed or added and recommends additional study of this issue. Lastly, the team points out that traditional MQO analysis of the disturbance and treatment variables may not be adequate. Some attributes where regional compliance rates are dissimilar suggest that regional characteristics (environmental variables such as forest type, physiographic class, and forest fragmentation) may have an impact on the ability to obtain consistent measurements. Additionally, differences in data collection protocols may cause differences in compliance rates. For example, a particular variable may be measured with a calibrated instrument in one region, while ocularly estimated in another region.

Forest Health Monitoring Program Inplementation Plan for Fifty States

Forest Health Monitoring Program Inplementation Plan for Fifty States PDF Author: United States. Forest Service
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Environmental monitoring
Languages : en
Pages : 72

Get Book Here

Book Description


Managing for Healthy Ecosystems

Managing for Healthy Ecosystems PDF Author: David J. Rapport
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1420032135
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 1548

Get Book Here

Book Description
One of the critical issues of our time is the dwindling capacity of the planet to provide life support for a large and growing human population. Based on a symposium on ecosystem health, Managing for Healthy Ecosystems identifies key issues that must be resolved if there is to be progress in this complex area, such as: Evolving methods f