Patrick D. Miles

The forest inventory and analysis database description and users manual version 1.0

Describes the structure of the Forest Inventory and Analysis Database (FIADB) and provides information on generating estimates of forest statistics from these data. The FIADB structure provides a consistent framework for storing forest inventory data across all ownerships across the entire United States. These data are available to the public.

Specific gravity and other properties of wood and bark for 156 tree species found in North America

This paper reports information for the estimation of biomass for 156 tree species found in North America for use in national forest inventory applications. We present specific gravities based on average green volume as well as 12 percent moisture content volume for calculation of oven-dry biomass. Additional information is included on bark thickness, bark voids, and bark percentages by species and green and dry weight of wood and bark.Note: Values in Table 5 were corrected on Feb. 10, 2010. See page 35 of this publication.

Forest Resources of the United States, 2012: a technical document supporting the Forest Service 2010 update of the RPA Assessment

Forest resource statistics from the 2010 Resources Planning Act (RPA) Assessment were updated to provide current information on the Nations forests as a baseline for the 2015 national assessment. Resource tables present estimates of forest area, volume, mortality, growth, removals, and timber products output in various ways, such as by ownership, region, or State. Current resource data and trends are analyzed and placed within the context of changes since 1953. Additional analyses look at the resource from an ecological, health, and productivity perspective. An interactive RPA Data Wiz DVD is also included to provide user access to the resource data. *** 2012 Resource Planning Act (RPA) Forest Resources Assessment Tools *** Read Me First Download (zip 2.3 GB)

Using biological criteria and indicators to address forest inventory data at the state level

Abstract The Santiago Declaration identified seven criteria and 67 indicators for assessing the conservation and sustainable management of temperate and boreal forests. Data collected by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service can be used to directly address at least 11 biological indicators. The FIA program has conducted periodic inventories of forestland for several decades. These inventories provide statistical estimates of forest area, timber volume, growth, removals, and mortality. Recent legislation has mandated that the Forest Service inventory the forestland of the US on an annual basis measuring the entire set of national sample plots over a 5-year period. This paper identifies which criteria and indicators can be addressed by FIA data; the scale at which it may be appropriate to use these data; and how recent changes will impact the Forest Service’s ability to provide information needed to address these indicators. Data from the two most recent inventories of Iowa (1974 and 1990) and Minnesota (1977 and 1990) are used to show how criteria and indicators relate to trends in forest composition and extent, timber resource utilization, and the population size of native and non-native trees. These two states have distinctly different forest resources, ranging from sparse to dense, and provide a good test of the effectiveness of using forest inventory data to provide criteria and indicator information at the state level. Analysis of the data for the last two inventories of Iowa and Minnesota reveals that the area of timberland has increased by 34 and 8%, respectively, while growing-stock volumes have increased by 47 and 23%. Volumes of most native species increased over the period, especially for pioneer species such as Juniperus virginiana L. [ Little (1979) . Agricultural Handbook No. 541, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ft. Collins, CO] (eastern red cedar). A notable exception was the 52% decline of Ulmus americana L. (American elm) due to the spread of Dutch elm disease. The number of non-native species also increased. In Iowa, the estimated number of live Ulmus pumila L. (Siberian elm) trees, a non-native species, went from 0 in 1974 to 675×103 in 1990. During the 1990 inventory of Minnesota another non-native species, Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle (tree of heaven), was sampled for the first time.

Assessing sustainability using data from the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program of the United States Forest Service

Abstract Forest sustainability has emerged as a crucial component of all current issues related to forest management. The seven Montreal Process Criteria are well accepted as categories of processes for evaluating forest management with respect to sustainability, and data collected by the Forest and Inventory Analysis (FIA) program of the United States Forest Service are well suited for such evaluations. The FIA program focuses on the collection, analysis, and distribution of data for a core set of variables obtained using a plot configuration, a sampling design, and measurement protocols that all feature national consistency. Plot, subplot, and tree-level observations include traditional mensurational measurements such as forest area, tree species, diameter, and survival and a suite of non-tree measurements related to the health of the forest. FIA data are recognized for their completeness, geographic coverage, and accessibility to users via a user-friendly interface to a national database. Three examples for three different regions of the United States illustrate the relevance and utility of FIA data for environmental and ecological assessments in the context of the Montreal Process. Several conclusions may be drawn from the examples: (1) for the Southern region, the forest land base is stable, and growing stock volume is increasing; (2) for the Mid-Atlantic region, contributions to carbon accumulation are slightly greater than for storage, and storage increases from north to south; and (3) for the Central Hardwoods region, tree species richness increases from north to south and from west to east and is stable or slightly increasing.

Minnesota's forest resources in 2001

Results of the combined 1999, 2000, and 2001 annual forest inventories of Minnesota show that 16.3 million acres or 32 percent of the total land area is forested. The estimate of total all live tree volume on forest land is 17.4 billion cubic feet or approximately 1,068 cubic feet per acre. Nearly 15.0 million acres of forest land in Minnesota are classified as timberland (forest land that is not reserved and is of high productivity). The estimate of growing-stock volume on timberland is 14.9 billion cubic feet or approximately 998 cubic feet per acre. All live aboveground tree biomass on timberland is estimated at 429 million dry tons or approximately 28.7 tons per acre. Important pests in Minnesota forests include the forest tent caterpillar, spruce budworm, large aspen tortrix, and introduced larch casebearer.

Minnesota's Forests 2008

The second full annual inventory of Minnesotas forests reports 17 million acres of forest land with an average volume of more than 1,000 cubic feet per acre. Forest land is dominated by the aspen forest type, which occupies nearly 30 percent of the total forest land area. Twenty-eight percent of forest land consists of sawtimber, 35 percent poletimber, 35 percent sapling/seedlings, and 2 percent is nonstocked. Additional forest attribute and forest health information is presented along with information on agents of change including changing land use patterns and the introduction of nonnative plants, insects, and disease. Detailed information on forest inventory methods, data quality estimates, and important resource statistics can be found on the Statistics and Quality Assurance DVD included in this report.

Minnesota's forests 1999-2003 (Part A)

The first completed annual inventory of Minnesotas forests reports more than 16.2 million acres of forest land. Additional forest attribute and forest health information is presented along with information on agents of change including changing land use patterns and the introduction of nonnative plants, insects, and diseases.

Modeling the effects of emerald ash borer on forest composition in the Midwest and Northeast United States

The nonnative invasive emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire; EAB) has caused considerable damage to the ash (Fraxinus spp.) resource in North America. While there are methods to mitigate, contain, control, or even eradicate some nonnative invasive insects, EAB continues to spread across North America. Considering strong evidence suggesting >99 percent probability of host tree mortality, the loss of the North American ash resource is possible. To examine anticipated effects of EAB on tree species composition, we modeled future spatial and temporal changes in forest composition over the next 50 years with and without ash mortality anticipated from EAB spread. We used U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data, the current extent of EAB in the United States and Canada, estimated spread rate and host mortality data, and a suite of human population, energy, consumption, land use, and economic models to project the future condition of forests in the Midwest and Northeast United States. Our results suggest that in most cases EAB will not have a substantial effect on ecosystem function of future forests measured by FIA because of the replacement of ash by other species. The transition from ash to other species may take many decades, but forests can eventually recover when a variety of associated species replace ash.

The Forests of Southern New England, 2007: A report on the forest resources of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island

This report summarizes the results of the fifth forest inventory of the forests of Southern New England, defined as Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Inventory and analysis program. Information on forest attributes, ownership, land use change, carbon, timber products, forest health, and statistics and quality assurance of data collection are included. There are 5.1 million acres of forest land across the region; 60 percent of this forest land is in Massachusetts, 33 percent in Connecticut, and 7 percent in Rhode Island. This amount has decreased by 5 percent since the last inventory was completed in 1998. There are 2.6 billion trees on this forest land that have total volume of 12.6 billion cubic feet. Red maple and eastern white pine are the most common species in terms of both numbers of trees and volume. Fifty percent of the forest land is classified as the oak-hickory forest type.