Forest inventory and analysis data in action: Examples from eastern national forests

Abstract

While many forestry practitioners and ecologists have a general understanding of the USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program and the type of data collected, most non-expert users of FIA reports and basic data are unlikely to be familiar with the breadth of information available and the many potential uses of the data. We present four case studies from National Forests in the eastern United States, to highlight a variety of applications of FIA data, though similar case studies could also be identified on private lands. These include informing a model to help managers decide where to invest in oak management, quantifying habitat characteristics as part of the Endangered Species Act listing process, developing focal species for forest monitoring, and assessing the health of the black cherry population. In three of the cases, collaboration between scientists and managers was the key to unlocking the power of the FIA database to address management questions without the expense of collecting additional field data. These case studies illustrate the utility of FIA data to meet managers’ information needs and the importance of the linkages between research and management and serve as examples of potential applications of data collected by regional or nationwide forest inventory programs.