Analyzing Forest Health Data

Analyzing Forest Health Data
Author: William Dwight Smith
Publisher:
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2005
Genre: Forest health
ISBN:

This report focuses on the Forest Health Monitoring Programs development and use of analytical procedures for monitoring changes in forest health and for expressing the corresponding statistical confidences. The programs assessments of long-term status, changes, and trends in forest ecosystem health use the Santiago Declaration: S2Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Forest Management of Temporate and Boreal ForestsS3 (Montreal Process) as a reporting framework. Procedures used in five aspects of data analysis are presented. The analytical procedures used are based on mixed estimation procedures. Examples using the indicators are included, along with a clear link to the analytical procedures used (1) estimating change over time within groupsestimation of growth, harvest, mortality, and crown condition; (2) testing for differences in change over time among groupsfoliar transparency; (3) estimating change using covariatesimpact of drought on change in foliar transparency; (4) estimating plot values for unmeasured yearscomparison of observed and predicted (Best Linear Unbiased Predictions) values of foliar transparency, dieback, and total volume; and (5) estimating tree heightsexamples of using estimated tree heights to estimate tree volume.

Analyzing Lichen Indicator Data in the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Analyzing Lichen Indicator Data in the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
Author: Will-Wolf
Publisher: CreateSpace
Total Pages: 70
Release: 2015-01-03
Genre:
ISBN: 9781505907261

Lichens are one of several forest health indicators sampled every year for a subset of plots on the permanent grid established by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. This report reviews analysis procedures for standard FIA lichen indicator data. Analyses of lichen data contribute to state, regional, and national reports that evaluate spatial pattern and temporal trends in forest biodiversity, air quality, and climate. Data collection and management follow standard national protocols. A lichen species richness index (the number of species per FIA plot) is available for all areas soon after data collection. Air quality and climate indexes (for defined regional gradients and based on lichen species composition at plots) are developed from an FIA lichen gradient model. Critical steps in standard data analysis include screening plots to exclude biased data, selection of appropriate populations, then analysis, presentation, and interpretation of data.

Forest Analytics with R

Forest Analytics with R
Author: Andrew P. Robinson
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 342
Release: 2010-11-05
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1441977627

Forest Analytics with R combines practical, down-to-earth forestry data analysis and solutions to real forest management challenges with state-of-the-art statistical and data-handling functionality. The authors adopt a problem-driven approach, in which statistical and mathematical tools are introduced in the context of the forestry problem that they can help to resolve. All the tools are introduced in the context of real forestry datasets, which provide compelling examples of practical applications. The modeling challenges covered within the book include imputation and interpolation for spatial data, fitting probability density functions to tree measurement data using maximum likelihood, fitting allometric functions using both linear and non-linear least-squares regression, and fitting growth models using both linear and non-linear mixed-effects modeling. The coverage also includes deploying and using forest growth models written in compiled languages, analysis of natural resources and forestry inventory data, and forest estate planning and optimization using linear programming. The book would be ideal for a one-semester class in forest biometrics or applied statistics for natural resources management. The text assumes no programming background, some introductory statistics, and very basic applied mathematics.

Effects of Forest Practices on Peak Flows and Consequent Channel Response

Effects of Forest Practices on Peak Flows and Consequent Channel Response
Author: Gordon E. Grant
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
Total Pages: 84
Release: 2010-09
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1437927130

Includes a database of relevant studies reporting peak flow data across rain-, transient-, and snow-dominated hydrologic zones. Provides a quantitative comparison of changes in peak flow across both a range of flows and forest practices. Increases in peak flows generally diminish with decreasing intensity of percentage of watershed harvested and lengthening recurrence intervals of flow. Peak flow effects on channel morphology should be confined to stream reaches where channel gradients are less than 0.02 and streambeds are composed of gravel and finer material. Managers should evaluate the potential risk of peak flow increases based on factors such as presence of roads, specific mgmt. treatments employed, and watershed drainage efficiency.

Spatial Modeling in Forest Resources Management

Spatial Modeling in Forest Resources Management
Author: Pravat Kumar Shit
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 675
Release: 2020-10-08
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3030565424

This book demonstrates the measurement, monitoring, mapping, and modeling of forest resources. It explores state-of-the-art techniques based on open-source software & R statistical programming and modeling specifically, with a focus on the recent trends in data mining/machine learning techniques and robust modeling in forest resources. Discusses major topics such as forest health assessment, estimating forest biomass & carbon stock, land use forest cover (LUFC), dynamic vegetation modeling (DVM) approaches, forest-based rural livelihood, habitat suitability analysis, biodiversity and ecology, and biodiversity, the book presents novel advances and applications of RS-GIS and R in a precise and clear manner. By offering insights into various concepts and their importance for real-world applications, it equips researchers, professionals, and policy-makers with the knowledge and skills to tackle a wide range of issues related to geographic data, including those with scientific, societal, and environmental implications.

Forest Health and Biotechnology

Forest Health and Biotechnology
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2019-04-01
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309482887

The American chestnut, whitebark pine, and several species of ash in the eastern United States are just a few of the North American tree species that have been functionally lost or are in jeopardy of being lost due to outbreaks of pathogens and insect pests. New pressures in this century are putting even more trees at risk. Expanded human mobility and global trade are providing pathways for the introduction of nonnative pests for which native tree species may lack resistance. At the same time, climate change is extending the geographic range of both native and nonnative pest species. Biotechnology has the potential to help mitigate threats to North American forests from insects and pathogens through the introduction of pest-resistant traits to forest trees. However, challenges remain: the genetic mechanisms that underlie trees' resistance to pests are poorly understood; the complexity of tree genomes makes incorporating genetic changes a slow and difficult task; and there is a lack of information on the effects of releasing new genotypes into the environment. Forest Health and Biotechnology examines the potential use of biotechnology for mitigating threats to forest tree health and identifies the ecological, economic, and social implications of deploying biotechnology in forests. This report also develops a research agenda to address knowledge gaps about the application of the technology.