Use of Ancillary Data to Improve the Analysis of Forest Health Indicators
Use of Ancillary Data to Improve the Analysis of Forest Health Indicators

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 52

ISBN-13:

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In addition to its standard suite of mensuration variables, the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the U.S. Forest Service also collects data on forest health variables formerly measured by the Forest Health Monitoring program. FIA obtains forest health information on a subset of the base sample plots. Due to the sample size differences, the two sets of variables have traditionally been analyzed separately. However, the analysis of forest health indicator data can occur in conjunction with not only other stand characteristics (mensuration variables such as live-tree volume), but also with a plethora of ancillary information such as climate data and satellite imagery. This document is designed to help people interested in using auxiliary information in the analysis of the forest health indicators. Readers are initially treated to topics related to exploratory data analysis. This introductory content is followed by presentation of various statistical methodologies that may be employed; each section provides empirical analyses and discussion of the technique being presented. To cultivate a common theme throughout the document, carbon attributes of coarse woody debris (i.e., downed deadwood of a minimum size) is used as the forest health variable of interest; however, the underlying concepts can be applied to analyses of other variables as well.

Use of Ancillary Data to Improve the Analysis of Forest Health Indicators
Use of Ancillary Data to Improve the Analysis of Forest Health Indicators

Author: Southern Research Station

Publisher: CreateSpace

Published: 2015-06-26

Total Pages: 62

ISBN-13: 9781508580799

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In addition to its standard suite of mensuration variables, the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the U.S. Forest Service also collects data on forest health variables formerly measured by the Forest Health Monitoring program. FIA obtains forest health information on a subset of the base sample plots. Due to the sample size differences, the two sets of variables have traditionally been analyzed separately. However, the analysis of forest health indicator data can occur in conjunction with not only other stand characteristics (mensuration variables such as live-tree volume), but also with a plethora of ancillary information such as climate data and satellite imagery. This document is designed to help people interested in using auxiliary information in the analysis of the forest health indicators. Readers are initially treated to topics related to exploratory data analysis. This introductory content is followed by presentation of various statistical methodologies that may be employed; each section provides empirical analyses and discussion of the technique being presented. To cultivate a common theme throughout the document, carbon attributes of coarse woody debris (i.e., downed deadwood of a minimum size) is used as the forest health variable of interest; however, the underlying concepts can be applied to analyses of other variables as well.

Analyzing Forest Health Data
Analyzing Forest Health Data

Author: William Dwight Smith

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 40

ISBN-13:

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This report focuses on the Forest Health Monitoring Programs development and use of analytical procedures for monitoring changes in forest health and for expressing the corresponding statistical confidences. The programs assessments of long-term status, changes, and trends in forest ecosystem health use the Santiago Declaration: S2Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Forest Management of Temporate and Boreal ForestsS3 (Montreal Process) as a reporting framework. Procedures used in five aspects of data analysis are presented. The analytical procedures used are based on mixed estimation procedures. Examples using the indicators are included, along with a clear link to the analytical procedures used (1) estimating change over time within groupsestimation of growth, harvest, mortality, and crown condition; (2) testing for differences in change over time among groupsfoliar transparency; (3) estimating change using covariatesimpact of drought on change in foliar transparency; (4) estimating plot values for unmeasured yearscomparison of observed and predicted (Best Linear Unbiased Predictions) values of foliar transparency, dieback, and total volume; and (5) estimating tree heightsexamples of using estimated tree heights to estimate tree volume.

Forest Health Indicators
Forest Health Indicators

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 24

ISBN-13:

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"Forest Inventory and Analysis. The Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program is the Nations continuous forest census. Since 1930, we have collected, analyzed, and reported information on the status and trends of Americas forests: how much forest exists, where it exists, who owns it, and how it is changing growing, dying, or being harvested. In response to widening customer interests, the FIA Program is developing a core program that will be implemented in the same manner on all U.S. forest lands. It includes sampling an extended suite of forest health indicators. The purpose of this brochure is to describe these health indicators: what we are measuring, why we believe these measurements are important, how we collect and interpret the data, and examples of what we have found to date. The FIA indicators discussed in this brochure are: crown condition, ozone injury, tree damage, tree mortality, lichen communities, down woody debris, vegetation diversity and structure, soil condition.

Ozone Bioindicators and Forest Health
Ozone Bioindicators and Forest Health

Author: Gretchen Cole Smith

Publisher:

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 106

ISBN-13:

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In 1994, the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) and Forest Health Monitoring programs of the U.S. Forest Service implemented a national ozone (O3) biomonitoring program designed to address specific questions about the area and percent of forest land subject to levels of O3 pollution that may negatively affect the forest ecosystem. This is the first and only nationally consistent effort to monitor O3 stress on the forests of the United States. This report provides background information on O3 and its effects on trees and ecosystems, and describes the rationale behind using sensitive bioindicator plants to detect O3 stress and assess the risk of probable O3 impact. Also included are a description of field methods, analytic techniques, estimation procedures, and how to access, use and interpret the ozone bioindicator attributes and data outputs such as the national ozone risk map.

Forest Health Monitoring
Forest Health Monitoring

Author: Barbara Lynn Conkling

Publisher:

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 159

ISBN-13:

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The Forest Health Monitoring Program produces an annual technical report that has two main objectives. The first objective is to present information about forest health from a national perspective. The second objective is to present examples of useful techniques for analyzing forest health data new to the annual national reports and new applications of techniques formerly used. The report's organizational framework is the Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests of the Montreal Process. Here, we present an approach to examining landscape context of forest and grassland in the United States. We explore the influence of environmental factors such as climate and air quality on a lichen species diversity indicator across the continental United States. This includes an analysis of the potential for monitoring changes in these environmental factors. We use Forest Inventory and Analysis phase 3 data to describe aspects of forest communities such as understory species composition, richness, and distribution, including discussion of invasive and introduced species. Tree mortality, which has been examined in previous Forest Health Monitoring reports, is analyzed in this report using a more intensive dataset to demonstrate the utility of Forest Inventory and Analysis phase 2 data. We explore spatial modeling of ozone injury risk, along with microscale and landscape-scale ancillary data that can be used in the modeling analyses. A discussion of redbay ambrosia beetle/laurel wilt risk includes current beetle/wilt distribution, host species distributions, climate matching, and spread modeling. Progress in monitoring and analyses of Phytophthora ramorum and sudden oak death is presented along with results from two different monitoring techniques.

Bioindicators of Forest Health and Sustainability
Bioindicators of Forest Health and Sustainability

Author: W. H. Fogal

Publisher: Sault Ste. Marie : Ontario Forest Research Institute

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 112

ISBN-13:

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The primary objective of the project reported in this document is to review and evaluate the use of remote sensing applications to assess forest health and sustainability. After an introduction discussing the concept of forest health and relationships between stress, strain, and damage, section 2 reviews the factors most likely to cause plant stress, the manner in which the stresses are manifested, and methods for detecting or determining those factors (both environmental and man-made). Section 3 focuses on the manifestations or markers of stress, related factors, and other indicators of health and vigour. This leads to a review of the role of remote sensing technology for supplying such information in section 4, which describes such tools as cameras, imaging spectrometers, satellite-borne sensors, and geographic information technologies. Section 5 reviews applications where remote sensing could contribute to forest health studies, and identifies the most promising technologies. A design framework for forest health monitoring is then outlined, and some general implementation strategies are suggested. Specific project stages and pilot studies are also proposed which are intended to develop essential methodologies or test new approaches to forest health remote sensing. Finally, financial implications of various project options are assessed. The appendix includes discussion of temporal and spatial considerations for monitoring forest health and sustainability.

Forest Health Monitoring
Forest Health Monitoring

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 124

ISBN-13:

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The Forest Health Monitoring Program's annual national reports present results from forest health data analyses focusing on a national perspective. The Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests are used as a reporting framework. This report has five main sections. The first contains introductory material. The next three sections, S2Landscape Structure, S3 S2Abiotic and Biotic Factors, S3 and S2Forest Conditions, S3 contain results of data analyses. Some of the indicators discussed use data collected from ground plots. These include ozone bioindicator plants; changes in trees (crown condition, mortality, and stand age); and soils (forest floor depth). Other indicators or indicator groups use data about insects and diseases, and remotely sensed or ground-based data about distance to roads, forest edge, interior forest, drought, fire, and air pollution (sulfates, nitrates, and ozone). Identifying patterns and observing possible relationships is an important part of national level analysis and reporting. The fifth section S2Integrated Look at Forest Health IndicatorsS3 presents results of analyses designed to evaluate whether or not individual indicators or linear combinations of indicators discriminate between crowns in poor condition and crowns not in poor condition.