State Forests Inventory

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State Forests Inventory

• EXT - Permanent Plot System

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Whats the purpose of a permanent plot system?
As one part of a multi-resource inventory needed
for forest monitoring and planning activities,
the permanent plot system

• Provides a foundation assessment of forest
  structural components stumps, snags, down woody
  material, herbs, shrubs, grasses, live trees and
  vegetative canopy characteristics.
• Provides estimates of timber age, size, volume,
  defect. Also information about timber growth,
  health, and mortality.
• Provides knowledge of the real change in these
  attributes over time.

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The State Forest Permanent Plot System

• Is very similar and integrated with existing
  inventories on other private and public lands.
• Uses a systematic grid for sample point
  location.
• Sampling intensity and measurement procedures are
  a balance of information needs given available
  resources.

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Existing systems - Federal forestland

• CVS or Current Vegetation Survey. Permanent
  plots on Forest Service and BLM forestlands.

- System managed by State BLM offices for BLM
forests, by Region 6 USFS for National Forests. -
Sample points on a 1.7 mile grid spacing (1 plot
per 1850 acres). - 5 point design with nested
fixed plots and line transects at each plot. - 8
year re-measurement cycle. - Plot measuring done
primarily by private contractors.
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Existing systems - Non federal and private
forestland

• PRIME or Pacific Resource Inventory, Monitoring
  and Evaluation . Permanent plots on private and
  non-federal forestlands.

- Program managed by the PNW Experiment Station,
USDA Forest Service. - Sample points on a 3.4
mile grid spacing (1 plot per 7398 acres).
Approximately 75 of these plots exist on State
Forest ownership, we have access to this data. -
5 point design with nested variable radius, fixed
plots, and line transects at each point. - 10
year re-measurement cycle. - Plot measuring done
by permanent PNW employees.
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Primary differences between the CVS and PRIME
systems

• Federal / non federal scope with Agency
  administration difference.
• Sampling Intensity.
• Grid point location (PRIMEs confidentiality for
  private owners).
• CVS has a stewardship focus, versus PRIMEs focus
  on condition assessment.
• Historical development, federal push to
  standardize to one system.

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Description of the State Forest Permanent Plot
System ( or EXT for Extensive Inventory )

• 1.7 mile grid intensity ( 1 plot per 1850 acres )
• 5 point design ( CVS methodology )
• 8 year re-measurement cycle with staggered 3 and
  5 year sampling projects data updates
• Plot work accomplished via service contracts
• Our 1.7 mile grid data 3.4 mile PRIME data
  together comprise a more intensive sample
• Grid intensity flexible to allow intensification
  / two phase sampling if desired

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Summary of forest attributes inventoried by EXT

• Live trees species, diameter, height, crown
  (class-ratio-width), age, growth rate,
  insects-injuries-diseases, volume defect, log
  grade
• Dead trees species, diameter, height, condition
  class, wildlife usage
• Stumps (for stumps with evidence of root
  disease) species, tally by subplot , disease
• Hardwood clumps species, height, crown width,
  group stem tally
• Down woody material diameter, length, condition,
  usage
• Herbs, shrubs grasses (indicator species)
  species presence, height, area canopy cover ltgt
  for ground cover species occupancy spatial
  presence
• Plot Area Level site index, stand size class,
  ecoclass, root disease rating, present
  condition/past disturbances, physiography,
  aspect, slope

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State Forest EXT - of Samples
Estimated costs Initial installation 900 -
1400 per full sample point, average
1000 Re-measurement 400 - 800 per full sample
point, average 600 Estimated total cost
(services materials) for initial project
500,000
Note not all points are installable, some
partials will not be installed, total is
sensitive to mapped versus actual ownership
boundary location.
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State Forest EXT - Plot Diagram
5 Point Design layout diagram
Plot the primary sampling unit of the
permanent plot inventory. e.g. Plot 1206113
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State Forest EXT - Sample Point establishment
Sample Point the centers of each of five
nested sampling areas that comprise a plot. e.g.
sample point 2
1.7 mile grid point location
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State Forest EXT - Sub Plot features
Subplot the sample type/size where particular
information is collected at a sample point. e.g.
subplot 6 is a 1/100th acre fixed plot on which
small trees are measured.
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State Forest EXT - Sub Plot features
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State Forest EXT - Sub Plot features (measured
items)
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State Forest EXT - Sub Plot features (meas. items
cont.)
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State Forest EXT - Data elements of the inventory

• The inventory information is recorded within two
  primary data forms
• IDENTIFICATION FORM
• VEGETATION DATA FORM
• The following slides summarize the data elements
  within the inventory by form type...

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State Forest EXT - Data elements of the inventory

• IDENTIFICATION FORM - Information about the
  location attributes and installation details of
  the Plot

In slide view, double click the icon to view the
formsee worksheet tabs idform front idform
back
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State Forest EXT - Data elements of the inventory

• VEGETATION DATA FORM - Line by line recording for
  each measured item by subplot

In slide view, double click the icon to view the
formsee worksheet tabs Data Form Tally Guide.
(The tally guide details which information is
gathered on each subplot)
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State Forest EXT - other features

• GPS measured position of sample point 1
• tree position (quadrant) mapped within plot
• 35mm photos taken from sample point centers
• plot data stored in database, available for GIS
  analysis, or for use with other statistical
  analysis packages

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State Forest EXT - Plot tree location
referencing

• Sample point 1 pinpricked on aerial photo stereo
  pair
• Position of sample point 1 measured with GPS when
  installed in the field
• plot centers and references marked in field to
  facilitate future re-measurement
• all trees gt1 DBH have a tree tag affixed below
  stump height

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State Forest EXT - 1998-2000 installation project
contract

• Initial installation of 1.7 mile sample plots
• work accomplished through professional service
  contract(s)
• RFP on street in winter 1998-99
• Award contract(s) and commence field work winter
  1998-99
• Field installations measurements spring 1999 -
  spring 2000

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Further Questions, Comments

• Contact

Dave Enck Inventory Cruising Forester State
Forest Management Program ODF - Salem (503)
945-7353 dave.enck_at_state.or.us
Go for a spin, Click the globe -)