Inventory, Assessment, and Monitoring

Inventory

Basic forest resource data are collected annually in every state in the Northern Region.  These data include information on the forest extent, cover, growth, mortality, removals, and overall health.  Forest ownership surveys are conducted for information on landowner plans, desires, values, and intentions.  Wood processing studies gather information on commercial production of timber products.  Utilization studies provide data on how much wood is actually removed during harvest.

Complete datasets are available to the public for download.   Users can also create their own customized summary tables using our Web tools. 

Selected Research Studies

Data Acquisition
Forest resource data are collected on permanent field plots randomly distributed on a systematic grid.  The data collected include basic forest measurements, such as: forest type, tree species, diameter at breast height, and tree height.  On a smaller sample, more intensive measurements are taken for forest health assessment, these include: tree crown condition, invasive species, down woody material, ambient ozone injury, soil quality, lichen communities, and vegetation structure and diversity.

Data, Tools, and Services
Forest inventory data are available to the public on-line.  The plot-level data and code reference files are in comma-delimited format.  Users can download these data by individual states, or all the data for the entire US in one file.
On-line tools are also available to summarize the data.  Currently, the Web tool box includes programs to create standard inventory statistics, carbon estimates, ownership survey results, and wood processing studies.
Link to download data and tools.

Monitoring Studies Conducted with State Clients
State forestry agencies often have non-traditional monitoring needs that FIA does not address. For example, NIMAC clients might be interested in having precise estimates of forest attributes on the forestland that they manage, like State forests, or having detailed information on trees outside of forests (FIA only collects tree information on forested plots).

Development and Coordination of Monitoring Programs in Foreign Countries
Foreign countries have inventory and monitoring needs similar to those in the United States. Due to lack of expertise, political changes that lead to a lack of continuity in forestry staff, or lack of funding, many countries do not have a national forest inventory. Sound, scientifically defensible monitoring programs that provide results that are compatible with those of other countries are needed for both national and global forest resource assessments.

Timber Products Output 
Timber Product Output surveys are used to obtain estimates of the volume of roundwood removed and utilized, the amount left on the ground as logging residues, what finished products are generated from the roundwood, and the ultimate byproducts or disposal of mill residues.

Carbon
Develop comprehensive historic, current, and projected estimates, including estimates of uncertainty, of national-level forest and forest-related carbon stocks and stock changes under a variety of management, disturbance, land use change, and environmental scenarios

Experimental Forests
The Northern Research Station houses a network of Experimental Forests that span the many forest biomes found across the region.  This network promotes sites and ecosystem studies related to national and international research on long-term ecological conditions.

Impacts of Disturbances and Climate on Carbon Sequestration and Biofuels 
Currently, U.S. forests and forest products offset about 20% of the nation’s fossil fuel emissions. However, recent findings cast doubt on the sustainability of this offset. First, the strength of the U.S. forest carbon offset may be weakening due to forest ageing, climate variability, and increasing natural disturbances. Second, climate change is expected to further increase frequencies of insect outbreaks and wildfire, and alter species composition in forest ecosystems, consequently influencing forest carbon pools in a significant way.  These current and projected forest carbon cycle dynamics need to be considered in strategic forest planning and management decisions in coming decades if the nation’s forests are to provide stable or even increasing ecosystem services.

Last Modified: 05/30/2013

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/inventory_monitoring/inventory/

Monitoring and Assessment

We analyze the inventory data to better understand the consequences of actions, natural processes, direction, and departure from desired conditions.  Data are used to periodically assess and report on current status, past trends, and likely futures for forest resources and the issues they face.

Selected Research Studies 

Forest Carbon Accounting and Reporting
Station scientists track carbon stocks and net changes for the Northern region and the Nation.  Carbon estimates are reported as the official greenhouse gas statistics for the United States and are used in global assessments.  This research results in methodologies and tools for estimating carbon for all ecosystem pools and in wood products and landfills.

Reporting and Assessment 
Results of the inventory are analyzed by project scientists in state- and national-level reports.  Annual reports are compiled for each state each year that show salient changes and highlight important issues within each state.  Every 5 years, a more comprehensive report is developed to provide issue-focused information for managers and policy-makers.

Map Atlas
Simply knowing the current resource estimates is no longer enough for managers and policy-makers.  Today’s complicated resource issues require knowledge of where conditions are located and their proximity to other related conditions and factors affecting their future character.  For example, the location of ash trees is an important factor in tracking the potential for an infestation of emerald ash borer.

Experimental Forests
The Northern Research Station houses a network of Experimental Forests that span the many forest biomes found across the region.  This network promotes sites and ecosystem studies related to national and international research on long-term ecological conditions.

Monitoring Studies Conducted with State Clients
State forestry agencies often have non-traditional monitoring needs that FIA does not address. For example, NIMAC clients might be interested in having precise estimates of forest attributes on the forestland that they manage, like State forests, or having detailed information on trees outside of forests (FIA only collects tree information on forested plots).

National Forest System Monitoring Coordination and Techniques Development
The National Forest System (NFS) of the US Forest Service manages more than 192 million acres of land. In the past, forest monitoring was conducted with less emphasis on standardized procedures and measuring accountability for meeting national management goals. In recent years, however, efforts have been made to measure the effects of management policies in a standardized way. As the Forest Service begins to implement these policies, new techniques and tools are needed to meet agency requirements.

Development and Coordination of Monitoring Programs in Foreign Countries
Foreign countries have inventory and monitoring needs similar to those in the United States. Due to lack of expertise, political changes that lead to a lack of continuity in forestry staff, or lack of funding, many countries do not have a national forest inventory. Sound, scientifically defensible monitoring programs that provide results that are compatible with those of other countries are needed for both national and global forest resource assessments.

Development of Software Tools for the Planning, Execution and Analysis of Inventory and Monitoring Studies
NIMAC clients often contact us with general goals and desired outcomes of a monitoring study. Without specific goals, however, it is difficult to determine what variables to measure, how to design the inventory, what products will be produced, and how results will be used. Above all, planning and budget formation cannot proceed without these critical first steps. Once the project goals are established, the planning phase can begin. However, without a consistent, documented procedure to design the study and estimate costs given a desired level of precision of results, it is difficult to plan efficiently. Finally, once results are collected, tools are needed to store, process, and report estimates and their precision derived from the monitoring study.

National Assessments of Urban Forests
NRS scientists are working with Resource Planning Act (RPA) staff to assess urban tree cover and functions nationally from the local to state to national scales.

Monitoring and Understanding Forest/Atmosphere Carbon Dioxide Exchange: the NRS Flux Tower Network
Data from flux sites help test physiological models of C exchange and are critical to relating fluxes and remote sensing data. Companion physiological and ecological measurements enable partitioning carbon fluxes into plant and soil components and reveal mechanisms responsible for these fluxes. At some sites, biomass-based estimates of C storage have validated C budgets from direct flux data, and vice-versa. Data from the flux sites have been applied in ecology, weather forecasting, and climate studies, especially for sites with several years of data to quantify inter-annual flux variations.

Effects of Insect Defoliation on Regional Carbon Dynamics of Forests
On an annual basis, insects severely defoliate more than 20 million acres of forested land in the conterminous United States, affecting a larger area and incurring higher economic costs than any other disturbance.  However, the long-term costs and ecosystem consequences of insect outbreaks on forest health and productivity are difficult to quantify at the regional scale because of the variety of pests involved, differences in forest types affected, and varying spatial scale and intensity of the impacts.  In particular, the effect of insect activity on carbon cycling and sequestration at the annual and decadal scale is poorly characterized.  

National urban forest assessment 
NRS scientists are working with Resource Planning Act (RPA) staff to assess urban tree cover and functions nationally from the local to state to national scales.

Impacts of Disturbances and Climate on Carbon Sequestration and Biofuels 
Currently, U.S. forests and forest products offset about 20% of the nation’s fossil fuel emissions. However, recent findings cast doubt on the sustainability of this offset. First, the strength of the U.S. forest carbon offset may be weakening due to forest ageing, climate variability, and increasing natural disturbances. Second, climate change is expected to further increase frequencies of insect outbreaks and wildfire, and alter species composition in forest ecosystems, consequently influencing forest carbon pools in a significant way.  These current and projected forest carbon cycle dynamics need to be considered in strategic forest planning and management decisions in coming decades if the nation’s forests are to provide stable or even increasing ecosystem services.

Integrating Landscape-scale Forest Measurements with Remote Sensing and Ecosystem Models to Improve Carbon Management Decisions 
Managing forests to increase carbon stocks and reduce emissions requires knowledge of how management practices and natural disturbances affect carbon pools over time, and cost-effective techniques for monitoring and reporting.

Last Modified: 05/30/2013

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/inventory_monitoring/monitoring_assessment/

Techniques

Forest inventories are expensive to conduct and the results need to be available as soon as possible following data acquisition.  As such, efforts are ongoing to make the inventory faster, better, and cheaper by research to gain efficiencies in sample design and processing.

Research Studies 

National Forest System Monitoring Coordination and Techniques Development
The National Forest System (NFS) of the US Forest Service manages more than 192 million acres of land. In the past, forest monitoring was conducted with less emphasis on standardized procedures and measuring accountability for meeting national management goals. In recent years, however, efforts have been made to measure the effects of management policies in a standardized way. As the Forest Service begins to implement these policies, new techniques and tools are needed to meet agency requirements.

Development of Software Tools for the Planning, Execution and Analysis of Inventory and Monitoring Studies
NIMAC clients often contact us with general goals and desired outcomes of a monitoring study. Without specific goals, however, it is difficult to determine what variables to measure, how to design the inventory, what products will be produced, and how results will be used. Above all, planning and budget formation cannot proceed without these critical first steps. Once the project goals are established, the planning phase can begin. However, without a consistent, documented procedure to design the study and estimate costs given a desired level of precision of results, it is difficult to plan efficiently. Finally, once results are collected, tools are needed to store, process, and report estimates and their precision derived from the monitoring study. 

Predicting and Mapping Biomass of Poplar Energy Crops in the North Central United States
Populus species and hybrids (i.e., poplars) have demonstrated high yield potential in the North Central United States as short-rotation woody crops (SRWCs). However, the ability to predict biomass yields for sites not currently in SRWCs is limited. As a result, stakeholders are also limited in their ability to evaluate different areas within the region as potential supply sheds for wood-based bioenergy facilities. A reliable method for predicting biomass productivity across the region is needed; preferably, such a method will also lend itself to generating yield maps that stakeholders can readily use to inform their decision-making processes. 

  

An Approach for Siting Poplar Energy Production Systems to Increase Productivity and Associated Ecosystem Services
Highly productive poplars grown primarily on marginal agricultural sites are an important component of our future Midwest energy portfolio. Additionally, poplars can be strategically placed in the landscape to conserve soil and water, recycle nutrients, and sequester carbon. These purpose-grown trees are vital to reducing our dependence on non-renewable and foreign sources of energy used for heat and power. Establishing poplar genotypes that are adapted to local environmental conditions substantially increases establishment success and productivity. But, it is difficult to predict field trial success in landscapes where the crop has not been previously deployed.

Last Modified: 03/23/2012

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/inventory_monitoring/techniques/

Data Acquisition

Research Issue

The northern region’s forests stretch across a complicated landscape with numerous stressors that impact forest health and ultimately, human health.

Our Research

A strategic-level inventory is conducted to monitor and assess forest character and health for the 20-state northern region, as well as four Plains States.  The inventory is an ongoing annual process that provides updates on conditions each year.  The strategic-level inventory generates the broadest information we have and is integrated into a national system of Forest Inventory and Analysis.  This level of monitoring compliments other station efforts at more tactical levels thus providing a scalable system of monitoring that allows monitoring that ranges from woodlots to eco-regions.

Expected Impact

The result of having up-to-date scalable monitoring of northern forests is the ability to evaluate trends in forest health so that policymakers, forest managers, and others within the environmental community can make informed decisions.

Research Results

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 2014. Forest Inventory and Analysis national core field guide: Volume I: field data collection procedures for phase 2 plots, version 6.1.  [Online publication].  Washington, DC:  U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.  Available at: http://www.fia.fs.fed.us/library/field-guides-methods-proc/

Research Participants 

Principal Investigator

Robert Ilgenfritz, Supervisory Forester, US Forest Service-Northern Research Station

Research Partners

Connecticut Dept of Conservation.
Delaware Department of Agriculture
Illinois Division of Forest Resources
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Kansas State Forest Service
Maine Forest Service
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Michigan Division of Forest Management
Michigan State University
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Missouri Department of Conservation
Nebraska Department of Forestry, Fish, and Wildlife
New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development
New Jersey Forest Service
New York Department of Environmental Conservation
North Dakota Forest Service
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
South Dakota Department of Forestry and Nat. Res. Mgmt.
University of Massachusetts
University of Missouri
University of Minnesota
University of Nevada Las Vegas
Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation
University of Maine
West Virginia Division of Forestry
American Forest Foundation
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Appalachian State
University of New Hampshire

Last Modified: 02/19/2015

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/inventory_monitoring/inventory/data_acquisition/

Data, Tools, and Services

Research Issue

The ever-changing nature of northern forests and the complex mix of factors affecting their health require fast and easy access to the latest information from strategic-level inventories.

Our Research

The forest inventory data provides a wealth of information that enables users to understand the current condition, sustainability, and future direction of the northern forests.  We develop and refine a system of Web tools that offers rapid on-line access to summarize the forest data, woodland owner, and timber products output information.  Plot-level inventory data is available for download to allow users to create their own analysis.  There is also a Spatial Data Services center, which provides assistance to those interested in using the data for geo-spatial analyses.

Expected Impact

The impact of having fast and easy access to the most current forest inventory statistics for the entire northern region is all about knowledge.  Environmental policymakers utilize the best information they can in making decisions about our forests.  Having these data updated every year is an important asset in making these difficult decisions.

Research Results

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis. 2007. The Forest Inventory and Analysis national Database:  Database Description and User’s Guide 3.0.  [Online publication].  Washington, DC:  U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.  

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis. 2007. The Forest Inventory and Analysis national Database:  Database Description and User’s Guide 3.0 (Phase 3 Indicators).  [Online publication].  Washington, DC:  U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.  

Research Participants

Principal Investigator

Barry “Ty” Wilson, USDA-Forest Service-NRS Research Forester

Research Partners

Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Forestry
Delaware Department of Agriculture, Forestry
Illinois Division of Forest Resources
Indiana Division of Forestry
Iowa Department of Natural Resources – Forestry Division
Kansas Forest Service
Maine Department of Conservation, Forest Service
Massachusetts Department of Conservation, Forestry
Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Forest Service
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Minnesota Department of Natural Resource, Division of Forestry
Missouri Department of Conservation
Nebraska Forest Service
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry
New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands
New York Division of Land and Forests
North Dakota Forest Service
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Forestry
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry
Rhode Island Division of Forest Environment
South Dakota Division of Resource Conservation and Forestry
Vermont Division of Forestry, Parks, and Recreation
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forestry Program
West Virginia Division of Forestry

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/inventory_monitoring/inventory/data_tools_services/

Monitoring Studies Conducted with State Clients

Research Issue

State forestry agencies often have non-traditional monitoring needs that FIA does not address. For example, National Inventory and Monitoring Applications Center (NIMAC) clients might be interested in having precise estimates of forest attributes on the forestland that they manage, like State forests, or having detailed information on trees outside of forests (FIA only collects tree information on forested plots). 

Our Research

In order to address these needs, NIMAC works with state agencies in Wisconsin, Indiana, Maryland, and four Great Plains States (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas). 

In Wisconsin, NIMAC teamed with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) to develop a forest inventory program that is allowing them to ensure the sustainability of their forests, focusing on forest certification and invasive plants.  They now collect, analyze and publish data on an annual basis for each Wisconsin state forest individually and as a group (total of approximately 500,000 acres).  One sample plot is measured for every 160 ac.  The information is being used to track the status of and trends in forest extent, tree growth, mortality, harvest, invasive plants, wildlife habitat, and overall health. 

In Indiana, NIMAC and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (INDNR) conducted a needs assessment and designed a sampling methodology to characterize and monitor forests on state-owned land. Results will be produced annually and new plots will be established as new land is acquired by the State.  One sample plot is measured for every 40 ac across the 150,000 ac of State Forest land.  Whole compartments are sampled within a year and all compartments will be measured within 5 years, at which time remeasurement will begin.

In Maryland, NIMAC works with the Maryland Forest Service on a joint research project that involves investigating ways to summarize inventory plot data and attach the information to maps of stands derived from image segmentation. The utility of stand maps is being assessed, and the method might be expanded to all of the MD Forest Service land holdings. 

State forestry agencies in the Plains States (ND, SD, NE, and KS) are concerned about the spread of an exotic pest, the Emerald Ash Borer, and its potential effects on the ash resource. In addition, they have little information on the tree resource in nonforest areas that contain trees. In order to address these needs, NIMAC has worked with state partners to plan, design, construct, and implement an inventory of these areas. At least 300 plots will be measured in each state using a 3 phase design involving satellite imagery, aerial photography, and ground sampling.

Expected Outcomes 

The common thread that unites these state-level efforts is the desire of resource managers to better understand the forests on state-owned properties, and to be able to monitor changes in order to make better management decisions. By supplementing the information provided by Forest Inventory and Analysis, NIMAC will provide more precise estimates of forest attributes in these areas, and be able to provide additional information that FIA can’t provide. By doing so, we not only provide valuable information to the state, but we add value to the FIA analytical products.

Research Results

Lister, A.J. and C.T. Scott. 2008. Planning, Designing and Conducting an Inventory of the Tree Resource in Nonforest Areas in Four Great Plains States. In preparation.

Lister, A.J., Kahler, H., Clark, A., Zumbrun, F., and J. Perdue. 2008 (In press). Imputing forest inventory data to stands formed by image segmentation in Maryland's Green Ridge State Forest. Proceedings of the 6th Southern Forestry and Natural Resources GIS Conference, March 24-26, 2008, Orlando, Florida.

Research Participants 

Principal Investigators

Work in WI and IN:

• James Westfall, US Forest Service Research, Northern Research Station Research Forester

Work in MD:

• Andrew Lister, US Forest Service, Northern Research Station Research Forester

Work in ND, SD, NE and KS:

• Charles T. Scott US Forest Service, Northern Research Station NIMAC Program Manager
• Andrew Lister, US Forest Service, Northern Research Station Research Forester

Research Partners

• Work in ND, SD, NE and KS: David Nowak, US Forest Service- Northern Research Station Project Leader
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry
• Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry
• Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Forest Service
• North Dakota Forest Service
• South Dakota Department of Agriculture Resource Conservation and Forestry
• Nebraska Forest Service
• Kansas Forest Service

Last Modified: 10/14/2008

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/inventory_monitoring/inventory/nimac_state/

Development and Coordination of Monitoring Programs in Foreign Countries

Research Issue

Foreign countries have inventory and monitoring needs similar to those in the United States. Due to lack of expertise, political changes that lead to a lack of continuity in forestry staff, or lack of funding, many countries do not have a national forest inventory. Sound, scientifically defensible monitoring programs that provide results that are compatible with those of other countries are needed for both national and global forest resource assessments.

Our Research

National Inventory and Monitoring Applications Center (NIMAC) is working with the Honduran Forest Service and the Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Forestales (National Forestry School) to develop a monitoring effort in Honduran forests. As part of this work, NIMAC is collaboratively developing a monitoring design tool, a data collection tool, and a database and reporting tool that not only Honduras, but also other Spanish speaking countries, will be able to use. 

NIMAC has participated in several planning meetings with Russian forestry officials in order to help establish a Russian national forest inventory. Although Russia has been inventorying their managed stands for over 75 years, they have never assessed all their forests, which comprise a quarter of the world’s forests.  The Russian Forest Service continues to seek input and review comments as they develop their national forest inventory.

Expected Outcomes 

The inventory and the tool being developed for the Honduras project will help this country address international obligations to monitor forest health and condition indicators, provide a credible, scientific foundation for making management decisions for sustainable forestry, contribute to the rural and national economy through wise use of their forests, and contribute to the body of institutional knowledge in the international forest monitoring community. This program could serve as a model for other Latin American nations interested in conducting national forest inventories. The establishment of the Russian forest inventory will be a vital first step in characterizing large areas of forest that have previously not been inventoried and aid in international reporting. NIMAC’s work with Russia and other countries not only helps the Forest Service meets its international technology transfer obligations, but allows us to accumulate knowledge that can be used to improve our own inventory and management methods.

Research Participants 

Principal Investigator

• Charles T. Scott, USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station NIMAC Program Manager

Research Partners

• Ron McRoberts, USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station Forest Inventory and Analysis Mathematical Statistician
• Lara Peterson, Forest Service International Programs
• Asdrubal Calderon, Honduran Forestry Science School 

Last Modified: 12/07/2009

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/inventory_monitoring/inventory/nimac_international/

Timber Products Output

Research Issue

How much wood is removed each year from the northern forests can be estimated from the Forest Inventory and Analysis plot data.  What cannot be determined from the field data is the ultimate extent and use of those removals, and how harvests impact forests and the regional economy.  Timber Product Output surveys are used to obtain estimates of the volume of roundwood removed and utilized, the amount left on the ground as logging residues, what finished products are generated from the roundwood, and the ultimate byproducts or disposal of mill residues.

Our Research

Our research can be divided into three steps:  1) we survey primary timber products users, both industrial and non-industrial; 2) we conduct logging utilization studies at harvest sites; 3) then we link the data from the FIA field plot, the primary users survey, and the utilization studies to provide a comprehensive assessment of the total removals.

The industrial TPO study is a canvass of the primary processors of industrial roundwood in each state on a 3-5 year periodic cycle. This study gives us the information on what species is cut, where it comes from, and what product is produced. Also from this study, we can estimate the volume or mill residues (bark, saw dust, and slabs and edgings) that are produced and whether they are used for other products or not.
The non-industrial TPO study is a survey of residential users of fuelwood and posts on a 10 year cycle. This survey is a two-step process: 1) a survey of residential households as to their personal harvesting of fuelwood and posts, and 2) a survey of commercial producers that harvest and sell products to residential households. For time periods between surveys, the non-industrial uses of wood are indexed to Department of Energy figures.

Logging utilization studies classify removals under the same guidelines that are used on NRS-FIA measurement plot trees. Measurements are taking on harvested trees to determine size, volume being utilized, volume not being utilized, and total height of the trees. Trees damaged or killed in the process of extraction, such as when smaller trees have large trees felled on them, are included.

Combining the data from all our sources provides a comprehensive assessment of the total removals. From the NRS-FIA measurement plots, we can get the removals related to the unutilized trees that occur during land-use conversion, timber stand improvement, precommercial thinnings, etc. Using the logging utilization study and the primary timber products users’ survey, we can determine what products were produced and the volume that was used for products and how much was left on the ground as harvest residue. 

Expected Outcomes

We provide periodic information on the products, species, and locations of harvests. This knowledge aids policymakers, forest managers, forest industry, and others, who evaluate trends in forest product removals, to make informed decisions.

Research Results

Piva, Ronald J. 2007. Pulpwood production in the north-central region, 2005. Resource Bull. NRS-21. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 55 p.

Reading, William H., IV; Bruton, David L. 2007. Kansas timber industry--an assessment of timber product output and use, 2003. Resour. Bull. NC-269. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station. 72 p.

Haugen, David E.; Harsel, Robert A. 2005. North Dakota timber industry--an assessment of timber product output and use, 2003. Resour. Bull. NC-252. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station. 18 p. 

Wharton, Eric H.; Birch, Thomas W. 1999. Trends in Timber Use and Product Recovery in New York. Res. Note NE-367. Radnor, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station. 7 p.

Research Participants

Principal Investigator

• Dave Haugen, US Forest Service-Northern Research Station Forester
• Ron Piva, US Forest Service-Northern Research Station Forester
• Bill Reading, US Forest Service-Northern Research Station Forester
• Eric Wharton, US Forest Service-Northern Research Station Forester

Research Partners

Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Forestry
Delaware Department of Agriculture, Forestry
Illinois Division of Forest Resources
Indiana Division of Forestry
Iowa Department of Natural Resources – Forestry Division
Kansas Forest Service
Maine Department of Conservation, Forest Service
Massachusetts Department of Conservation, Forestry
Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Forest Service
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Minnesota Department of Natural Resource, Division of Forestry
Missouri Department of Conservation
Nebraska Forest Service
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry
New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands
New York Division of Land and Forests
North Dakota Forest Service
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Forestry
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry
Rhode Island Division of Forest Environment
South Dakota Division of Resource Conservation and Forestry
Vermont Division of Forestry, Parks, and Recreation
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forestry Program
West Virginia Division of Forestry

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/inventory_monitoring/inventory/tpo/

Integrating Landscape-scale Forest Measurements with Remote Sensing and Ecosystem Models to Improve Carbon Management Decisions

Research Issue

Managing forests to increase carbon stocks and reduce emissions requires knowledge of how management practices and natural disturbances affect carbon pools over time, and cost-effective techniques for monitoring and reporting.  This study improves upon the methodology to collect and integrate the multi-tier monitoring data from the North American Carbon Program (NACP) with management decisions by systematically scaling up intensive forest carbon measurements to land management areas (or landscapes), and reconciling these estimates with ecosystem models and decision-support systems that are driven by remote sensing and national inventories.  Monitoring systems for carbon stocks and fluxes in the NACP include a multi-tier hierarchy of observation methods: flux towers, landscape biometrics, inventories, and remote sensing.   

Our Research

Our approach involves (1) strengthening the connection between field measurements, simulation modeling, and remote sensing, (2) closing the carbon budget at selected sites and multiple scales by using and reconciling multiple estimation approaches, and (3) linking data and research models to decision support systems.  The data foundation of this integrated research is a network of field sites with flux towers and intensive biometric measurements of carbon stocks and soil CO2 fluxes, airborne LIDAR remote sensing, Landsat-TM and MODIS products, and in-situmeasurements scaled up to landscapes based on statistical methods and models (Birdsey et al. 2004 available at https://www.fs.fed.us/research/efr/publications/Birdsey-DOE-EFR-C-2004.pdf).  The biometric measurements at these sites, termed “Tier 3” sites in the North American Carbon Program science plan, are intended to integrate the spatially extensive, but coarsely resolved, measurements made through remote sensing and forest inventory with the spatially intensive and highly resolved measurements made at AmeriFlux sites.  The “benchmark” sites provide parameters and validation for ecosystem models, which in turn provide the basic information that is needed by decision-support tools for policy and management.    

This research builds upon a foundation of work begun in 2001 by the U.S. Forest Service to implement a forest carbon monitoring and observation system at the FS network of Experimental Forests. Landscape monitoring sites were selected to represent a variety of managed and unmanaged forest conditions in different physiographic regions, so that the methods could be thoroughly tested using a representative range of landscapes.  Most of the sites have flux towers and all have maps of vegetation structure from LIDAR and processed imagery from Landsat-TM and MODIS subsets. At each of the sites we use biometric measurements to monitor the carbon pools that contribute most to annual changes in productivity: remeasurement of the tree diameters and heights at the original sample plot locations to obtain estimates of woody biomass increment; and measurements of litterfall and soil CO2 flux.  We use spatial analysis techniques and an ecosystem process model (PnET-CN) to scale up and map observations from flux towers, landscape biometrics, and inventories to areas of approximately 2500 km2 around flux tower sites. With a network of sites that represent different managed forests of the U.S., we envision a set of “benchmark” estimates that can efficiently and reliably document the expected effects of management decisions on the most important carbon pools, and separate these effects from natural factors such as climate variability.

The Northern Research Station has several participating research sites:

1. The Bartlett Experimental Forest
2. The Silas Little Experimental Forest
3. The Marcell Experimental Forest

This research is linked to the NRS Flux Tower network. 

Expected Outcomes

The final review draft assessment report on the state of the carbon cycle of North America addressed needs for decision support for forest carbon management, concluding that “Decisions concerning carbon storage in North American forests and their management as carbon sources and sinks will be significantly improved by (1) filling gaps in inventories of carbon pools and fluxes, (2) a better understanding of how management practices affect carbon in forests, (3) better estimates of potential changes in forest carbon under climate change and other factors, and (4) the increased availability of decision support tools for carbon management in forests.” 
Key information for decision-support tools includes (1) estimates of carbon stocks and quantified impacts of management activity; (2) estimates of net ecosystem production (NEP) and changes in carbon pools; and (3) estimates of forest/atmosphere carbon fluxes and relevant effects from various environmental controls. This work is relevant to land managers and climate change policy because it supports a need to estimate and report carbon stocks and changes in carbon stocks to state, regional, national, and private greenhouse gas registries.  This work also develops large-scale ground truth sites for future NASA missions.  

Bradford, J., L. Joyce, R. Birdsey, and M. Ryan.  2007.  Tree age, disturbance history and carbon dynamics in sub-alpine Rocky Mountain forests. (in prep)

Research Results

Birdsey, R.A., J.C. Jenkins, M. Johnston, E. Huber-Sannwald, B. Amero, B. de Jong, J.D.E. Barra, N. French, F. Garcia-Oliva, M. Harmon, L.S. Heath, V.J. Jaramillo, K. Johnsen, B.E. Law, E. Marín-Spiotta, O. Masera, R. Neilson, Y. Pan, and K.S. Pregitzer, 2007: North American Forests. In: The FirstState of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR): The North American Carbon Budget and Implications for the Global Carbon Cycle. A Report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research [King, A.W., L. Dilling, G.P. Zimmerman, D.M. Fairman, R.A. Houghton, G. Marland, A.Z. Rose, and T.J. Wilbanks (eds.)]. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, NC, USA, pp. 117-126.

Birdsey, Richard A.; Cook, Robert; Denning, Scott; Griffith, Peter; Law, Beverly; Masek, Jeffrey; Michalak, Anna; Ogle, Stephen; Ojima, Dennis; Pan, Yude; Sabine, Christopher; Sheffner, Edwin; Sundquist, Eric. 2007. Investigators share improved understanding of the North American carbon cycle. American Geophysical Union. 88(24): 255.

Birdsey, Richard A.  2006. Carbon accounting rules and guidelines for the United States forest sector. Journal of Environmental Quality.  35: 1518-1524. 

Birdsey, R., R. Kolka, M.L. Smith, M. Ryan, D. Hollinger, L. Heath, and C. Hoover.  2004.   Landscape carbon monitoring and analysis at the experimental forest network.  Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Conference on Carbon Sequestration.(electronic only)  Alexandria, VA May 2004

Potter, C.; Klooster, S.; Hiatt, S.; Fladeland, M.; Genovese, V; Gross, P. 2006a, Satellite-derived estimates of potential carbon sequestration though afforestation of agricultural lands in the United States, Climatic Change (In Press).

Potter, C., S. Klooster, R. Nemani, V. Genovese, S. Hiatt, M. Fladeland and P. Gross, 2006b, Estimating Carbon Budgets for U.S. Ecosystems, Eos Transactions American Geophysical Union, 87(8), 85-96.

Pan, Yude; Birdsey, Richard; Hom, John; McCullough, Kevin; Clark, Kenneth.  2005. Improved estimates of net primary productivity from MODIS satellite data at regional and local scales. Ecological Applications.  16(1): 125-132. 

Ryan, MG; Law, BE.  2005.  Interpreting, measuring and modeling soil respiration.  Biogeochemistry 73: 3-27 

Research Participants

Principal Investigator

• Richard Birdsey, US Forest Service – Northern Research Station Program Manager 
• David Hollinger, US Forest Service – Northern Research Station Plant Physiologist
• John Bradford, US Forest Service – Northern Research Station Research Ecologist 
• Randall Kolka, US Forest Service – Northern Research Station Research Soil Scientist 
• John Hom, US Forest Service – Northern Research Station Biological Scientist 
• Yude Pan, Research Forester, US Forest Service - Northern Research Station
• Ken Clark, Research Forester, US Forest Service – Northern Research Station 

Research Partners

• Chris Potter, NASA Ames Research Center 
• Michael Ryan, Rock Mountain Research Station 
• Steven McNulty, Southern Research Station 
• Steven Klooster, University of California 
• Scott Ollinger, University of New Hampshire

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/clean_air_water/monitoring_carbon/Landscape_scale_forest_measurements/