Condition Level Variables National Manual Version 1.55

Condition Class Number No change Plot Center is always condition 1

Land Use Land use codes have changed Census water is still 91 Some new land uses

Forest Land Use Codes 01 Accessible timber land 02 Accessible other forest land 03 Inaccessible/hazardous forest land Deleted Forest Land Use Codes: Reserved timberland Reserved other forest land Separate item to record if land is reserved or not

Agricultural Land Uses 10 Other agricultural land 11 Cropland 12 Pasture (improved) 13 Idle farmland 14 Orchard 15 Christmas tree plantation 16 Maintained wildlife openings

Rangeland Changed to code 20

Developed Land Uses 30 Other developed land 31 Cultural (business, residential, etc.) 32 Right-of-way (road, railroad, utility line) 33 Recreation area 34 Mining

Other Non-Forest Land Uses 40 Other non-forest (barren land, rock) 41 Non-census water 42 Marsh 43 Beach

Non-Sampled Land Uses 90 Other not sampled 91 Census water (not calculated into land base) 92 Denied access – land use not classfied 93 Hazardous – land use not classified 94 Area not in sample (Mexico)

Condition Status First step in delineating conditions on the plot 1Accessible forest land 2Nonforest land 3Noncensus water 4Census water 5Denied access area 6Area too hazardous to visit 7Area that is not in the sample 9 Lost subplot/past condition data

NEW Past Codes Land Use, Condition Status, Forest Type, Regeneration Status Use current procedures to determine the past data as if you were applying the new rules at the time of the last survey (5 years ago for SK1) Previous crew notes, diagrams, and photos Best judgement: Only differ with old data if it is OBVIOUS that it would have been different if current procedures had been applied

OLD Land Use Record the current code that best matches the land use that the previous cruiser recorded Record the most detailed code available Example: Previously most developed land uses were one code – 67 Urban and other. Best match for a road under current system is 32, NOT Other developed – code 30 Only change the code if it is OBVIOUS that the previous cruiser incorrectly applied past rules

Nonforest Year Only record on a landcleared forest condition Record the year that the forest land was converted to a non-forest condition

Similar Identified Condition Class Long name, but it’s actually a shortcut…. Some conditions delineated only because they are landcleared, reverted, or procedural change Some may be too small to otherwise qualify as a “regular” condition Record the Condition Class Number of the condition that these small, broken out conditions would otherwise be “lumped” into Don’t need to record most of the condition level variables if there is a link to a similar condition

Similar Identified Condition Class Some are large enough to stand on their own But are identical to another condition in every aspect except the Past Land Use Record the Condition Class Number of the identical condition Don’t need to record most of the condition level variables if there is a link to a similar condition Long name, but it’s actually a shortcut…. Some conditions delineated only because they are landcleared, reverted, or procedural change

Reserved Status 0Not reserved 1Reserved Forest condition defining attribute No change in reserved land definition Coded separately from land use

Owner Group 10 US Forest Service 20Other Federal 30State and Local Government 40Private Forest condition defining attribute Previously termed “Broad ownership category” Forest Industry is no longer an owner group

Owner Class Specific divisions within the Owner Group Owner Class is NOT a condition defining attribute

Owner Class Codes US Forest Service Group 11 National Forest 12 National Grassland 13 Other Forest Service Private Group 41 Corporate 42 Non-Gov’t Conservation/ Natural Resource Org 43 Unincorporated Partners/ Associations/ Clubs 44 Native American Reserve 45 Individual Other Federal Land Group 21 National Park Service 22 Bureau of Land Mngmt 23 Fish and Wildlife Service 24 Dept of Defense/Energy 25 Other Federal State and Local Gov’t Group 31 State 32 Local (County, City) 33 Other Non-Federal Public

Private Owner Industrial Status Separated from the old private owner class code: Not a condition defining attribute 0Land is NOT owned by industrial owner with wood processing mill 1Land IS owned by industrial owner with wood processing mill

Total Acres and Percent Forest No change: Still only record on NIPF land owners

Stand Size Condition defining attribute One major departure from previous manual: Conditions that are delineated based solely on Stand Size must be at least two size classes apart Two exceptions to this new rule: If another condition defining attribute (forest type, regeneration status, etc.) is used to delineate a separate condition, then consider Stand Size as an “ancillary” attribute: Record the specific size class of each condition, even if only one class apart Nonstocked forest (code 0) vs. stocked forest (codes 1-4) are always delineated

Stand Size Codes Codes are now ordered from the small to large size classes, and sawlog sizes are broken up: 0Nonstocked 1Up to 4.9 inches (seedlings/saplings) softwoods/ hardwoods (poles) softwoods/ hardwoods inches inches 6Cover trees (western TX/OK, ignore in AR, GA)

Regeneration Status Formerly called “Stand Origin” Condition defining attribute Codes are simplified: 0Natural 1Artificial

Artificial Regeneration Species Record species code of artificially planted stands

Tree Density Last condition defining attribute Still only record change in density if it’s the only reason to delineate a condition Code changes: 1Initial density class 2Density class 2 – density different than 1 3Density class 3 – density different than 1 and 2

Stand Age Stand Age is linked to Stand Size Class instead of Stand Structure, but procedures are basically same Average age of trees in predominant Stand Size Class that are not overtopped When no single Stand Size Class is predominant, assign weights to the age of each size class If all of the trees in a condition class are not suitable to be bored for age, record 998

Stand Structure No change

Disturbance Code up to three Most important to least important (use best judgement) Threshold: 25% of individual trees in condition Positive or negative effect Since last survey or within last 5 years on SK 1 plots Codes changed: 2 digits instead of 1 digit

Disturbance Codes 00None 10 Insects 20Disease 30Crown and ground fire (either prescribed or natural) 31Ground fire 32Crown fire 40Animal other than the following: 41Beaver 42Porcupine 43Deer/ungulate 45Domestic animal/livestock (includes grazing)

Disturbance Codes 50Weather other than the following: 51Ice 52Wind (includes hurricane, tornado 53Flooding (weather induced) 54Drought 60Vegetation (suppression, competition, vines) 70Unknown/ not sure/ other (include a note) 80Human – Any significant threshold human-caused damage not described by other Disturbance or Treatment codes

Disturbance Year Record the continuously over time, record 9999 Since last year each disturbance occurred If occurs survey or within last 5 years on SK 1 plots

Treatment Code up to three Most important to least important (use best judgement) Since last survey or within last 5 years on SK 1 plots Codes changed

Treatment Codes 00None 10Other cutting 11Clearcut 12Partial harvest 13Seed-tree/shelterwood harvest (include final harvest of the seed trees; don’t record as clearcut) 14Commercial thinning 15TSI 20Site preparation 30 Artificial regeneration (no distinction between afforestation and reforestation) 40Natural regeneration 50Other silvicultural treatment (fertilizers, herbicides, etc.)

Treatment Year Record the year each treatment occurred Since last survey or within last 5 years on SK 1 plots

Physiographic Class New codes: Xeric codes are grouped in the 10s Mesic codes are grouped in the 20s Hydric codes are grouped in the 30s Definitions are the same except the following four new classes have been broken out: Dry mountain tops and slopes category is split into: 11Dry Tops 12Dry Slopes Beaver and cypress ponds are broken out from the other hydric category: 34Beaver ponds 35Cypress ponds

Operability No definitional change Codes changed: 0No problems 1Seasonal access 2Mixed wet and dry 3Broken terrain 4Year-round water problems 5Slopes of 20% or more

Water Source Not just permanent water– new intermittent code added Added swamps, bogs and marsh 0None 1Intermittent 2Permanent stream/canal less than 30 feet wide 3Permanent stream/canal feet wide 4Permanent stream/canal 200 feet wide or greater 5Permanent swamp, bog, marsh less than 4.5 acres 6Permanent swamp, bog, marsh 4.5 acres or more 7Permanent lake/pond less than 4.5 acres 8Permanent lake/pond 4.5 acres or more 9Other permanent water (includes ocean) Record the water source that has greatest impact

Distance to Water Source Still water within 1000 feet No coding changes

Site Class Subtle changes Still estimate Site Class of condition if no site trees are collected No required list of site tree species, only a “preferred” list Can record any tree species as a site tree if no preferred species are present Estimate Site Class if there is not a site class curve in Appendix 4 for the site tree species recorded on plot

Fire and Grazing No changes Simple presence or absence on the condition

Condition Level Notes Record any pertinent notes for each condition

Old Condition Level Items Two groups of items are no longer recorded at the condition level: Individual site tree information is recorded at the Site Tree Level (Section 7.0) Slope and Aspect are now recorded at the Subplot Level (Section 4.0) Dot count is gone: No more subplot and microplot dots No more 5 dot minimum on the subplot All conditions on the plot are delineated, regardless of area the condition occupies on the subplot

The End!