What is
(Text from the poster presented by Thomas J.
Brandeis, Research Forester and Rodney C. Kindlund, Public Affairs Officer,
Southern Research Station, 4700 Old Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919.)
Forestry Research Act (McSweeney-McNary) of
1928, requires the USDA Forest Service to “make and keep current a
comprehensive inventory and analysis of the present and prospective conditions
and requirements for the renewable resources of the forest and rangelands of
the
State, territory, or
possession of the
This includes inventorying the forests of
the continental United States (CONUS),
To accomplish this goal in a consistent,
scientific manner, across these diverse forests, the Forest Inventory and
Analysis (FIA) program uses a core set of standardized methods, with regional
modifications where needed. FIA data
allows us to compare forests from
For the
Implement
accurate, scientific forest surveys tailored to the island’s unique tropical
forests
Establish
a forest health monitoring network on the islands
Sponsor
research and development into improving island forest inventory and monitoring,
and broadening its international applicability/significance (e.g. global
change, Criteria and Indicators)
Get
information about the islands’ forests to the public through publications,
presentations, and websites
Why
does FIA measure trees?
The nature of the island environment and
often rugged mountain terrain may mean an increased emphasis and investment in
remote sensing technology over field visits and expanded use of remote sensing
for areas beyond forested ecosystems. Innovations piloted in the islands could
lead to improvements in the FIA technologies on the mainland. It has been
recognized that forested lands on tropical islands are unique because of the
high complexity and biological diversity that are found on very small land
bases. On islands, ecosystem components change dramatically with elevation and
topography, creating challenging conditions for conducting a strategic
inventory of forest resources.
Basic
tree information
Trees, saplings, and seedlings are measured
in every forest inventory plot. For each
tree within the plot, FIA records:
Species
Diameter
at breast height (1.37 m)
Height
to top of tree
Height
to base of live crown
Crown
width
Distance
and azimuth from plot center
On a subset of the inventory
plots, FIA collects data that helps us assess the health of the islands’ forest
ecosystems. On the
Tree
crown condition – generally good crown conditions are signs of vigorous trees
and poor crown conditions are symptoms of trees under stress. We will also measure crown damage from hurricanes
and their subsequent recovery.
Down
woody debris – is useful in determining forest fire risks and, combined with
the vegetation structure data, can be used in assessing wildlife habitat.
Who
wants the FIA survey information?
There is a strong need to create awareness
among island residents, territorial/commonwealth legislatures and federal
agencies of the uniqueness of island ecosystems and the significant ecological
changes that they have been experiencing recently, manifesting themselves in
changes in land cover, land use, and biological diversity. Reports on forest
condition will be most useful in creating public awareness and crystallizing
action if they bring together available information describing the current
situation and recent trends; point out what the future will be like if the
trends are allowed to continue unchanged; build the case that with better
information resource managers can take steps to reinforce desirable trends and
mitigate undesirable trends; and highlight inventory and monitoring activities
needed to fill gaps, improve data quality, and enable resource managers to
influence trends in preferred ways.
The survey information will be useful to:
Land
use planners
Urban
planners
Decision
makers from local and provincial governments
Environmental
action groups
Businesses
that use resources from the forest
General
public
How
is the survey information released?
After the forest surveys are completed, the
information is released in a report published by the Southern Research Station.
This information is made available to anyone wishing to receive a copy. The information
will also be made available for downloading from the Forest Inventory and
Analysis Website.
However, the actual plot locations will not
be made public to protect landowner confidentiality.
What
does FIA do with the information?
The FIA Program collects, analyzes, and
reports information on the status and trends of America’s forests: how much
forest exists, where it exists, who owns it, and how it is changing, as well as
how the trees and other forest vegetation are growing and how much has died or
has been removed in recent years. This information can be used in many ways,
such as in evaluating wildlife habitat conditions, assessing the sustainability
of
ecosystem management practices, and supporting
planning and decision-making activities undertaken by public and private
enterprises.
After the forest surveys are completed, the
data is entered into database systems for compiling into the FIA reports.
What
doesn’t FIA do with the information?
The information and data gathered during the FIA survey period, although a matter of public record after the surveys are complete, is not used as a basis for taxation records and the plot locations are not shared with any other government agency due to the confidentiality of these locations.
For
more information, please contact:
If you have questions, comments, or want to
receive a copy of the final FIA Survey Reports for
• Request a hardcopy printed report:
Southern Research Station
Attn: Publications
Make sure to include the title and
publication
• Go to the Southern Research Station
Website:
www.srs.fs.usda.gov
and search under
publications. (You can also go to the Website
to order a hardcopy publication).
• Go to the
www.srsfia2.fs.fed.us
and search for the
publication.