The Forest Inventory and Analysis Program in the Northeast Charles T. “Chip” Scott Program Manager Forest Inventory and Analysis Northeastern Research Station Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA

Outline Why are we here? What is FIA? Farm Bill Mandates FIA Organization FIA’s Three Phase Approach Implementation Status NE-FIA Products and Services Measuring Sustainability Future Direction

Purposes of this Meeting: To inform our users about FIA, the changes in the Program, the data and analytical tools available, and our publications. To stay in touch with our FIA users to meet their needs as we are able. To get feedback on the draft FIA Strategic Plan

Forest Inventory and Analysis To advance the understanding and management of the forests of the Northeast by monitoring the status and trends in our forest ecosystems Part of US Department of Agriculture … … Forest Service … Research and Development Implemented in collaboration with States In operation for 75 years

Northeastern FIA Responsible for 13 states Sample all lands Conduct measurements on 93 million acres of forest land

1998 Farm Bill Mandates 1998 Farm Bill was a response to user demand for more timely and comprehensive information about the sustainability of US forests US Congress directed FIA to develop a Strategic Plan on how changes would be implemented Appropriations have increased yearly

1998 Farm Bill Mandates Periodic inventory => continuous inventory Irregular cycle => fixed cycle Non-National Forest lands => all forest lands Less consistency => more consistency

1998 Farm Bill Mandates Current estimate focus => monitoring focus Narrower scope => broader scope (FHM) Self contained => partnerships Periodic reports => 5-year analytical reports

National Organization FIA Management Team – Representatives from 3 State regions – 2 National Forest System representatives – Forest Health Monitoring Program Leader – FIA Program Leader and Managers – Meets 3 times a year & calls every other month FIA Executive Team meets yearly National FIA Users’ Group meets once each year 5 Bands (Data Acquisition, Information Mgt., Analysis, Statistics, Remote Sensing)

Regional Organization NE-FIA Regional Management Team – Representatives from each State – National Forest System representative – Forest Health Monitoring Regional Manager – NE-FIA Program Manager Meet once each year NE-FIA Users’ Group

NE-FIA Organization Program Manager – Chip Scott Data Collection – Dave Alerich Information Management – Tom Frieswyk Analysis – Will McWilliams Techniques Development – Mike Hoppus

Forest Inventory and Analysis: Three Phase Sample Phase 1 – Remote sensing for stratification into forest and nonforest. Phase 2 - Nationwide system of sample plots, 1 every 3 mi (6,000 ac). Phase 3 – 1 of 16 Phase 2 plots measured for extended suite of ecosystem data (96,000 ac).

Forest Inventory and Analysis Methods Phase 1 – Remote sensing for stratification into forest and nonforest.

Forest Inventory and Analysis Methods Phase 2 - Nationwide system of sample plots

Grid / Cycle / Subcycle Same grid across country NE-FIA has two cycles: – 7-year federal cycle – 5-years in ME, PA, NY and DE – 5-years for Phase 3 Divide grid by number of years in Cycle to create that 5 or 7 annual Subcycles

Year One Year Two Year Three Year Four Year Five Five-Year Cycle Phase 2 Interpenetrating Design

Forest Inventory and Analysis: Three Phase Sample Phase 1 – Remote sensing for stratification into forest and nonforest. Phase 2 - Nationwide system of sample plots, 1 every 5 km (6,000 ac). Phase 3 – 1 of 16 Phase 2 plots measured for extended suite of ecosystem data.

Measurements General plot and stand descriptive data is collected on various portions of the plot. The subplot is where the basic tree measurements ( with a DBH of 5.0 inches and greater) are collected including crown condition and damage symptoms, growth, mortality, and quality measures of the tree for use. Information relating to regeneration is collected on the microplot for trees with a DBH less than 5.0 inches (seedlings and saplings).

Measurements – Phase 3 The down woody material transects (line samples) are used to gather information on trees and tree branches. Soil samples are analyzed in at a laboratory for basic soil nutrient parameters, pH, and soil aluminum. Other descriptive information are used to estimate potential soil erosion. Also ozone bioindicator plant data are collected on their own network of plots.

Measurements – Phase 3 The lichen plot is used to collect voucher specimens and estimate of abundance. The vegetation plots are used to identify all vegetation to the species level and also the height zone that the species occupies in the stand. Information on exotic or introduced plants can be extracted from the species list from each plot.

Forest Inventory and Analysis: Other Program Components National Woodland Owner Survey. Timber Products Output. Special Studies – regional assessments, special problems.

StateLast PeriodicAnnual Started Connecticut Delaware Maine Maryland Massachusetts New Hampshire New Jersey New York Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island Vermont West Virginia Implementation Status

Northeastern Annual Inventories ME OH WV PA NY VT NH MA CT RI NJ MD DE

States with Full Annual FIA in FY 2004

Implementation Status Portable data recorder, data storage, compilation, and reporting systems are being developed ( National sampling design and estimation methods for Phase 2 being published Phase 3 estimation methods being developed Quality Assurance data now on our website: Forest area, forest type, and biomass are being mapped nationally

National Biomass Map 0 – – – – – – 130 > 130 Tons/acre

To Reporting and Beyond Completed first annual cycle in ME and first year of remeasurement. First 5-year report on web – a collaborative effort with Maine Forest Service. Completed first 5 years in Pennsylvania and are analyzing the results for analytical report. Working on 2-year (40%) results for New York Collecting taper data on standing trees to reduce need for merchantable heights and flexible utilization standards. Computed fragmentation statistics across NE

SIZES OF FORESTED PATCHES – CREATED USING SATELLITE DATA AND FOREST FRAGMENTATION ANALYSIS METHODS

NE-FIA Products Report on status and trends in the Nation’s forested resources: – Forest area, extent, composition. – Tree growth, harvest, mortality. – Wood volume, biomass, carbon. – Forest health, sustainability.

State annual reports and 5-year comprehensive analyses

FIA Services Consultations and assistance in obtaining, interpreting data (Spatial Data Services) Collaboration in research using FIA data. Assistance to our partners (NFS, S&PF, and States) and to other customers: – data analysis and reporting – developing forest inventory and monitoring programs.

FIA Products Online databases

How is FIA Addressing Sustainability? Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program is changing to meet international, national, regional, and State forest resource information needs. The changes enhance our ability to monitor the sustainability of our forests, including components of change

How is FIA Addressing Sustainability? National Level Montreal Criteria and Indicators report on attributes, such as area change 14 of 67 indicators, and 9 more in progress For example, FIA monitors: – forest area by forest type – standing volume and removals – erosion on forest soils – ozone damage – forest biomass and carbon

How is FIA Addressing Sustainability? State Level FIA produces comprehensive reports on all aspects of data collected, including: Volume by species and diameter class Ownership Productivity Disturbance Growth-to-removals ratios Stand structure Species composition Regeneration

Future Direction Nation-wide maps and localizing estimates Scaling-up research results on impacts, such as air pollution and climate change. Also scaling up Phase 3 to Phase 2 (and Phase 1) Expanding FIA to other treed lands, such as in urban areas and riparian zones Strategic Plan for next 5 years being developed

The 2005 Symposium will emphasize international contributions and collaborations and will include keynote and invited speakers from Canada, Europe, and other countries. Presentation topics include sampling, modeling, estimation, remote sensing, mapping, ecological analyses, forest health, sustainable forest management, and analytical reporting. Abstracts for contributed papers may be submitted until 30 June 2005 to Ron McRoberts at programs/Inventory/meetings/symposia/default.asp 7th Annual Forest Inventory and Analysis Symposium 3-6 October 2005 Portland, Maine, USA

Questions? For further information, contact: Chip Scott Northeastern Research Station 11 Campus Blvd., Suite 200 Newtown Square, PA fia.fs.fed.us Sign up for quarterly NE-FIA Newsletter

Please give us your input! We, the Northeastern Forest Inventory and Analysis (NE-FIA) Program, are interested in knowing if we are meeting your needs for forest inventory data and what we can do to improve our organization. We want your feedback in two areas. This section focuses on the NE-FIA Program in the 13 northeastern states. By answering the questions below, you will be helping to improve the performance and efficiency of NE-FIA. Thanks! Name (optional):_____________________ Affiliation (mark all that apply): ٱ State forestry agency ٱ Other federal/state agency ٱ Private consultantٱ Forest industry ٱ Universityٱ Other: _______________________

1.What FIA products and services do you use? 2.How does FIA affect your decisions and understanding of forest resources? 3.How effective is FIA at responding to your data requests and questions regarding data use and interpretation? 4.How easy is it to contact us, and do we respond in a timely manner? 5.Do you have any suggestions for improving FIA?

We want to know your thoughts on the draft National FIA Strategic Plan. The outline of it below provides you with spaces for comments. Your comments and insights would be greatly appreciated. Current Program Status Definition of the Base Federal Program Implementation Status Federal Base Program Adjustments for 2006 and Beyond Updated estimates of forest area Changes in Staffing Plans Distribution of National Roles to the Regional Units Base Federal Program Plans for the Next Five Years

Enhancements Topic Area Comments Priority Techniques Research Synchronize Phase 2 and Phase 3 Plot Schedules Partnerships with Other Federal Programs Increased Use of Remote Sensing and Spatial Techniques Increased FIA Analytical Capability Sustainability Assessment Legacy Data Recovery Project Enhanced Tropical Forest Inventory

Additions Topic Area Comments Priority Increase Intensity of the Base FIA Program to 15% or 20% Nationwide Land Use/Land Cover Change Analysis Urban Forest Inventory Rapid Assessment Teams Other Treed Land Inventory Wildlife Habitat Monitoring Inventory and Monitoring of special forest products