Forest health monitoring, analysis, and assessment

PARTNERS: North Carolina State University (NCSU) Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources; USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, National Forest Health Monitoring and Forest Inventory and Analysis National Program

SUMMARY: The research joint venture agreement supporting this work includes the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program annual national reports as well as several other research, analysis and reporting tasks as primary responsibilities. The FHM Program of the U.S. Forest Service is a long‑term, national research and monitoring effort focusing on the health of forest ecosystems over time. The U.S. Forest Service cooperates with State forestry and agricultural agencies to conduct FHM activities. This is an interagency program that is designed to assist resource managers and policy makers in managing forest resources in the United States, allocating funds for research and development, and evaluating the effectiveness of environmental policies. FHM national reporting includes an annual national report that presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects funded through the national FHM Program.

Personnel from the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University (NCSU) provide the FHM program with problem identification, data analyses, natural resource assessment, and technical writing skills resulting in published contributions to the FHM national reporting program. This includes expertise in statistical design and analysis, such as computer programming, model use and development, identification of literature and data for use in reporting and research, graphics, technical writing, and editing. The results of this work are communicated in written, poster, and oral presentations as appropriate. NCSU personnel also provide U.S. Forest Service staff assistance in analysis of urban forest health data. In addition, NCSU personnel assist the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program of the U.S. Forest Service with documentation for field protocols and database use.

EFETAC's ROLE: This project is supported by funding from the U.S. Forest Service Forest Health Protection Program, the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, and the Eastern Threat Center.

STATUS: Ongoing

PROGRESS: One of the main products supported by this funding is the FHM annual national report, prepared in cooperation with various federal and university contributors. More than 550 copies of the report are sent to leaders throughout the Forest Service, both in the Washington Office and in all three branches of the agency (i.e., Research, State and Private Forestry, and the National Forest System), as well as to leaders in state forest health agencies across the country. Additionally, recent reporting products include several journal articles and the monthly FHM Update, which is a newsletter distributed to over 400 scientists inside and outside FHM and the U.S. Forest Service. Other completed work includes contributions to the FIA Data Acquisition Band (FIA field guides) and to the FIA National Reporting and Data Distribution Team (FIADB user guides). Results from research in several areas of emphasis have been presented orally and on posters at several national and international meetings.

LINKS:

FHM Annual National Reports

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Forest health monitoring, analysis, and assessment

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