Forest Health Monitoring
 The USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) is a national program
designed to determine the status, changes, and trends in indicators of forest condition on an annual basis. The FHM program in Region 5 uses data from ground plots
and surveys, aerial surveys, satallite imagery and other biotic and abiotic data sources and develops analytical approaches to address forest health issues that
affect the sustainability of forest ecosystems. Click here to visit the National Forest Health Monitoring
web site.
Region 5 Forest Health Monitoring Programs:
Aerial Detection Monitoring
Information collected during aerial surveys and associated on-the-ground field work is a key component in short and long term monitoring, reporting and
protection of all forest lands. Annual surveys are part of a national program to detect, map and monitor current year mortality and other forest
damage. Special surveys occur when mortality outbreaks are beyond the scope of the annual program. Since 2001 special surveys have been conducted
for Sudden Oak Death (SOD), Pinyon Pine mortality and mortality in southern California. Click here for
more...
Evaluation Monitoring
The Evaluation Monitoring (EM) component of the Forest Health Monitoring program is designed to determine the extent, severity, and causes of undesirable
changes in forest health identified through Detection Monitoring (DM) and other means. Region 5 has a number of active EM projects ranging from Ozone
damage to white pine blister rust. Click here for more...
Insect and Disease Risk Modeling
The risk mapping effort was initiated in 1995 with the formation of a group of specialists including pathologists, entomologists and GIS analysts, as well
as representatives from state and other federal agencies. Definitions, methods and techniques have evolved over the past 10 years. Currently, an area is
defined to be at risk if 25% or more of standing live volume greater than 1” DBH will die over the next 15 years, including background mortality.
Click here for more...
Land Cover Monitoring
Vegetation change is mapped on a five year rotating schedule across the state of California
(see figure 1). Pairs of Landsat TM images collected 5 years apart are processed, classified, and labeled into 8 change classes. Careful
rectification, co-registration and normalization of imagery is required and ancillary data, such as fire history, resource aerial photography, DOQQs,
and digital aerial photographs are assembled and used for labeling and modeling. Click here for more...
Pacific Imagery Consortium Vegetation Mapping and Monitoring and Cover Monitoring
Vegetation maps and change detection for the U.S. Affiliated Islands. Click here for more...
Insect and Disease GIS Atlas
The insect and disease atlas contains GIS coverages of recorded incidences of pest activity statewide. Click here for
more...
Sudden Oak Death Monitoring
Since 2001 USDA Forest Service Forest Health Monitoring program staff and
California
State
Polytechnic
University
,
San Luis Obispo
have conducted aerial surveys to map hardwood mortality related to SOD, and targeted ground-based surveys sampling to determine presence of P. ramorum. Click here for
more...
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