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Forest Vegetation Simulator User Guides

These documents are available as user guides and background information for the simulator, related models, and programs. The variant overviews provide specific information about each variant.

Select the appropriate accordion to expand. You can download the document directly from the links in the Document Title column.

Document TitleFile DateType, Size
Essential FVS: A User’s Guide to the Forest Vegetation Simulator05/29/2025PDF,
2.02 MB
Keyword Reference Guide for the Forest Vegetation Simulator03/01/2025PDF,
945 KB
The Fire and Fuels Extension to the Forest Vegetation Simulator: Updated Model Documentation02/02/2022PDF,
6.09 MB
Users Guide to the Database Extension of the Forest Vegetation Simulator Version 3.0 (FVS with SQLite)05/22/2025PDF,
1.10 MB

Document TitleFile DateType, Size
Forest Vegetation Simulator Model Validation Protocols01/21/2010PDF,
96.8 KB
National Algorithms for Determining Stocking Class, Stand Size Class, and Forest Type for Forest Inventory and Analysis Plots11/12/2002PDF,
179 KB
Research Applications of the Forest Vegetation Simulator: Documentation and Citation09/01/2020PDF,
345 KB
Climate-FVS Version 2: Content, Users Guide, Applications, and Behavior03/04/2014PDF,
1.68 MB
User Guide to the Economic Extension (ECON) of the Forest Vegetation Simulator07/22/2013PDF,
280 KB
Snag Dynamics in the PN, WC, BM, EC, and SO variants03/07/2013PDF,
3.08 MB
FVS_DB_LINK Utility: User's Guide07/23/2012PDF,
388 KB
Percent Canopy Cover and Stand Structure Statistics from the Forest Vegetation Simulator (RMRS-GTR-24)03/15/2001PDF,
239 KB

VariantFile DateType, Size
Alaska (AK) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator04/03/2023PDF,
1.07 MB
Blue Mountains (BM) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator12/06/2024PDF,
1.33 MB
Inland California and Southern Cascades CA) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator04/03/2023PDF,
1.91 MB
Central Idaho (CI) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator10/22/2021PDF,
1.68 MB
Central Rockies (CR) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator01/21/2025PDF,
1.38 MB
Central States (CS) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator06/11/2025PDF,
1.45 MB
East Cascades (EC) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator06/06/2023PDF,
4.18 MB
Eastern Montana (EM) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator10/22/2021PDF,
1.46 MB
Inland Empire (IE) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator10/22/2021PDF,
1.76 MB
Klamath Mountains (NC) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator04/03/2023PDF,
1.51 MB
Kootenai, Kaniksu, and Tally Lake (KT) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator10/22/2021PDF,
1.59 MB
Lake States (LS) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator01/22/2025PDF,
1.09 MB
Northeast (NE) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator01/23/2025PDF,
1.38 MB
ORGANON Southwest (OC) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator04/03/2023PDF,
1.89 MB
ORGANON Pacific Northwest (OP) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator12/22/2022PDF,
1.99 MB
Pacific Northwest Coast (PN) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator01/23/2025PDF,
1.53 MB
Southern (SN) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator06/11/2025PDF,
1.78 MB
South Central Oregon and Northeast California (SO) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator04/03/2023PDF,
2.17 MB
Tetons (TT) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator10/22/2021PDF,
1.26 MB
Utah (UT) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator10/22/2021PDF,
1.72 MB
Westside Cascades (WC) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator12/22/2022PDF,
2.06 MB
Western Sierra Nevada (WS) Variant Overview of the Forest Vegetation Simulator12/22/2022PDF,
1.64 MB

Document TitleFile DateFileType, Size
Species Crosswalks Used in Eastern and Western FVS Variants - a Microsoft Excel Workbook including the species crosswalks used in eastern FVS variants (CS, LS, NE, and SN) and western FVS variants (AK, BM, CA, CI, CR, EC, ID, NC, KT, PN, SO, TT, UT, WC, WS). Each species (sorted by scientific name) is mapped to a corresponding species in a given variant.11/05/2021FVS_SpeciesCrosswalk.xlsXLS, 351 KB
11/05/2021FVS_SpeciesCrosswalk.pdfPDF, 681 KB