Title: Northeastern FIA Tree Taper Study: Current Status and Future Work

Author: Westfall, James A.; Scott, Charles T.

Year: 2005

Publication: In: Proceedings of the fifth annual forest inventory and analysis symposium; 2003 November 18-20; New Orleans, LA. Gen. Tech. Rep. WO-69. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. 222p.

Abstract: The northeastern unit of the Forest Inventory and Analysis program (NE-FIA) is engaged in an ongoing project to develop regionwide tree taper equations. Sampling intensity is based on NE-FIA plot data and is stratified by species, diameter class, and height class. To date, modeling research has been aimed largely at evaluating existing model forms (and hybrids thereof) and incorporating mixed-effects parameters to account for correlations among measurements. In conjunction with the taper study, bark thickness estimates are being developed from wood utilization studies. When fully implemented, the bark thickness/taper equation system will provide a wide range of analytical flexibility for tree species in northeastern forests, and may reduce or eliminate the costs of collecting data on merchantable heights.