The files listed below as PDF files require use of Adobe Acrobat Reader. Please click here to go to the Adobe site and download the latest free version of the Reader. Files listed as RTF are in Rich Text Format, readable by most word processors.Contents:
CONTACT FACTSHEET:
PHASE 3
PLOT (FOREST HEALTH) INDICATOR FACTSHEETS:
Description of each indicator - why important, how measured, how data is used
Briefings, Summaries and Overviews
- Forest Health Indicators in the FIA Program. USDA Forest Service, Washington, DC. October, 2002 (PDF 2,352K)
This 24 page brochure highlights the data collected on the Phase 3 (forest health) component of FIA. Covers crown condition, ozone injury, tree damage, tree mortality, lichen communities, down woody debris, vegetation diversity and structure, and soil condition. For each indicator we discuss what the indicator is, why it is important, how it is measured, and include an example of how the data cane be used. Includes a brief discussion of quality assurance, a glossary of terms, and references for more information.- U.S. Forest Facts and Historical Trends. USDA Forest Service, Washington, DC. April 2001 (PDF 237K)
This 20 page brochure contains graphical highlights from the 2000 Resources Planning Act (RPA) report, showing status and trends for the Nation's forested resources by region. Topics include land area, forest composition, ownership, growth, mortality, removals, and timber products. The version above uses English measurements (cubic feet, acres, etc.). Other available versions (all in metric) include the following:- Quick Briefing on the Enhanced FIA Program. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington, DC. 1999. (RTF 11K)
This a short (2 page) briefing on the Enhanced FIA Program, arranged in 'Frequently Asked Question' format, describing what FIA does, how it operates, the types of data collected, and some of the plans for change in the future.
- Introduction to FIA for National Forest Systems Staff. Andrew J. R. Gillespie and W. Brad Smith, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington, DC. 1999. (RTF 25K)
Presents an overview of the FIA program specifically geared towards Forest Service National Forest managers. Explains what FIA is, why it is relevant and useful to National Forest managers, and debunks a few myths surrounding the utility of the FIA program to NFS officials.
- Forest Service Resource Inventories: An Overview. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Inventory, Economics, and Recreation Research, Washington, DC. 1992. (PDF 2035KB)
This report provides an overview of the major forest and related resource inventories conducted by the USDA Forest Service up through the early 1990's.
Many FIA publications (both
data analyses as well as techniques research) are published by the USDA Forest
Service. Many recent publications are available online through a search
engine maintained by the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station.
The link above will take you to that search site, where you can use keywords,
author's names, titles, and geographic regions to search for articles of
interest. NOTE: By following this link you will be leaving the FIA
web site. Use your back arrow to return when you are done, or reload http://fia.fs.fed.us/.
Contents of the “Focus On…” section of the March 2003 issue of the Journal of Forestry (Vol. 101, No. 2). Four articles provide examples of how FIA’s inventory and analysis can be used to inform current forest fire debates.
Since 2000, the FIA program
has each year hosted a science symposium where we showcase recent research and
development of methods related to the FIA program. Below are links to
the proceedings available online.
This third annual national meeting was held by the Society of American Foresters to openly discuss the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. This year's meeting focused on confidentiality issues involving forestland ownership and field plot coordinates. There were also presentations on the use of FIA data to address forest fire issues.
Abstract. A July 1999 study by RAND Corporation reviewed the types of forest monitoring conducted by federal agencies. RAND recommended a number of changes in federal policies towards forest inventories and use of remotely sensed imagery. The Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program was singled out by RAND as “the nation's most ambitious forest monitoring program.” The FIA program has taken a number of steps the past 18 months that are consistent with the RAND study recommendations, but more changes are needed to fully implement the RAND recommendations. The first decade of the 21st Century is an era of unprecedented opportunity to develop new uses of remotely sensed digital data. Strong leadership, innovative research, and aggressive development activities are needed to seize the opportunities.
Collection of papers documenting progress in developing the techniques required for full implementation of the national Forest Inventory and Analysis program's new annual forest inventory system.
An entire issue of the Journal of Forestry (Vol. 97, Issue 12, December 1999) devoted to the new annual forest inventory approach adopted by FIA. Includes several papers describing various aspects of the proposed program circa 1999. (847k PDF)
Abstract.--The USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program is changing to an annual inventory system that will operate simultaneously n all states every year. This system will provide annual inventory updates in all parts of the country every year, and will make it easier for partners (mainly state forestry agencies) to collaborate in program planning and implementation. The change has significant implications for traditional and new users of the national inventory system.
Pros and Cons of Continuous Forest Inventory: Customer Perspectives. Gillespie, Andrew J. R. 1998. Paper presented at the "Integrated Tools For Natural Resources Inventories In The 21st Century" Conference, August 16-19 1998, Boise, Idaho. (HTML)
Abstract.--The USDA Forest Service has historically conducted forest inventory on a state-by-state cycle, producing relatively high precision snapshots of forest resources for a given state at 7 to 15 year intervals. We are now considering a change to a continuous inventory system where we would operate at reduced intensity simultaneously in all states every year. Advantages for customers include the continuous availability of data that is on average half a cycle old; access to data of a uniform age across administrative boundaries; increased opportunities for partnering with FIA, including funding intensification or special studies; a permanent role in an ongoing inventory program; and increased program efficiency. Disadvantages include the elimination of the periodic higher precision inventory; a potential loss of credibility among end users, the risk of poor program service for states unable or unwilling to contribute to the program; and the possibility that the continuous approach will be more expensive than the periodic in some parts of the country.
Full view of the finished map, in Acrobat (.PDF) format (3.9 M). This version of the map is a high resolution .PDF file which includes the full map (including key and scale). It can be zoomed in to read the fine detail, and can be printed at full scale (36" x 40"), or print at 25% size to fit on a standard 8.5 x 11 page.
Forest Type coverage in GEOTIFF format (1.8 M). This version of the map is a unified image of forest cover for all 50 states + Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, in Lambert Azimuthal equal-area projection centered at (-100,45). This is all the forest data in one large georeferenced image with no relief shading or map collar. This version is suitable for further analysis using image processing or GIS tools. The file is compressed (tar format); decompressed size is over 75 M.
Metadata for this map are available at http://www.nationalatlas.gov/fortypem.html
This map, along with many other useful map layers, are avalable electronically at the US National Atlas, an outstanding online resource for US mapped information. Paper copies of this and other maps are also available through the US National Atlas.
Business and Organizational Documents
- Annual Business Reports for the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
These Annual Business Reports are modeled on a corporate annual business report and are another step in our efforts to make ourselves more accountable to our partners and customers. Each Annual Business Report contains basic business information about the FIA program including current fiscal year accomplishments, performance measures, plans for the next fiscal year, and basic financial and staffing data. These reports are prepared by the National Office staff of the FIA Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington, DC.
- 2002 Annual Business Report for the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program. (PDF 2136K)
- 2001 Annual Business Report for the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program. (PDF 619K)
- 2000 Annual Business Report for the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program. (PDF 563K)
- 1999 Annual Business Report for the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program. (PDF 341K)
- 1998 Annual Business Report for the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program. (PDF 364K)
Strategic Plan for Forest Inventory and Monitoring. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington, DC. 1998. (PDF 212K) The Strategic Plan for Forest Inventory and Monitoring. was written in response to The Agriculture Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998, which directed the Forest Service to make a number of major program changes including. The Plan describes the funding, staffing, and programmatic changes needed to achieve the level of service described by the Act.
This version 2.0 of the FIA field methods guide was released 1/2004, and describes the current set of nationally consistent core field procedures used by all FIA units for projects which begin after the date of release. This version of the field guide covers all core and core optional measurements collected on Phase 2 plots (the standard base FIA sample grid, 1 sample location per roughly 6,000 acres).
The field guide is distributed electronically as a .pdf file and is about 3.9 megabytes in size. A separate file contains the citation for the field guide.
FIA Field Methods for Phase 3 Measurements,
2003
The FIA program, in cooperation with the Society of American Foresters
(SAF), maintains a demonstration plot on the grounds of the SAF headquarters
in Bethesda, Maryland. This plot serves as a a teaching tool for groups
and individuals interested in how the FIA program does their work. The
following documents describe how an FIA plot is located and measured, using
the demonstration plot as an example.
Last updated 9/01/2003