Title: The role of strategic forest inventories in aiding land management decision-making: Examples from the U.S

Author: Moser, W. Keith; Bush, Renate; Shaw, John D.; Hansen, Mark H.; Nelson, Mark D.

Year: 2010

Publication: In: Jain, Theresa B.; Graham, Russell T.; Sandquist, Jonathan. Integrated management of carbon sequestration and biomass utilization opportunities in a changing climate: Proceedings of the 2009 National Silviculture Workshop; 2009 June 15-18; Boise, ID. Proceedings RMRS-P-61. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 211-225.

Abstract: A major challenge for today?s resource managers is the linking of standand landscape-scale dynamics. The U.S. Forest Service has made major investments in programs at both the stand- (national forest project) and landscape/regional (Forest Inventory and Analysis [FIA] program) levels. FIA produces the only comprehensive and consistent statistical information on the status, changes, and trends in the condition and health of all forest ecosystems in the USA. Intended to be a strategic inventory, FIA data have not been used very much for small area inventory, planning, and analysis due to the high variation associated with the estimates. Yet, trends observed over landscape and regional scales can help managers making decisions at the local level. FIA data can be used to assist with project-level decision making, adding scientifically defensible data and framing local management in a larger context. FIA data are helpful in understanding stocking and density limitations and inter-species interactions. They also can provide insight into future growth and yield. FIA data provide opportunities to conduct scale-independent analyses to examine relationships between stand characteristics and forest health and invasive species, as well as methods for establishing ecological benchmarks and prioritizing restoration opportunities.