Randall Morin

I am a Research Forester in the Northern Research Station's Forest Inventory and Analysis (NRS-FIA) group. The NRS-FIA unit is one of four such units that make up the national Forest Inventory and Analysis program, which is responsible for conducting a comprehensive and consistent inventory of our Nation's forests. The inventory is based on a network of permanent ground plots where timber attributes are sampled, with a spatial sampling intensity of one plot per approximately 6,000 acres. My current research focuses on landscape-level influences of forest insects, diseases, invasive species, and other biotic and abiotic disturbances on forests. Additionally, I serve as the lead analyst for the West Virginia, New Hampshire, and Vermont inventories and the Product Line lead for the tree crown condition and damage indicators. My analyst responsibilities include the core-reporting requirements of State-level reports for the three states and contributing results from crown health, tree damage, and pest impact analyses to other state, regional, and national reports.

My research time is currently allocated between conducting forest health research and being the lead analyst for West Virginia, New Hampshire, and Vermont. My research objectives are

 

1. FIA forest health indicator analysis,
2. effects of disturbances on forests,
3. insect and disease spread models
4. mapping risk of forest disturbances

The mission of the NRS-FIA program is to “improve the understanding and stewardship of northern forests through scientifically credible inventories and analyses of the status and trends in forest condition, use, and productivity, and by transferring timely resource information and new technology to the public.” My research fills critical information needs on forest ecosystems to the general public, resource managers, scientists, policy-makers, economists, and a wide range of other natural resource specialists. Success in this mission is crucial to assessing the condition, health, and sustainability of not only forest ecosystems in the north but also our Nation's forests. The outputs will also provide Forest Service customers and clients with crucial information and provide improved techniques for application to a range of resource inventory and monitoring needs. Human and other impacts on forest composition, structure, condition, and process have been identified as critical reporting needs for northern forests. I am responsible for developing indicators, analytical frameworks, and reports that elucidate impacts and resultant forest conditions in a timely manner. I also serve as the lead analyst for the National Inventory and Monitoring Applications Center (NIMAC). This position requires me to work to provide relevant inventory information to all 18 national forests in the region and developing tools for monitoring planning. The national forests cover nearly 15 million acres with many different ecosystems, forest types, and management objectives. Other duties required for this task include coordinating issues and helping with adaptive plan management, attending meetings regarding planning of special studies, delegating information requests, and tracking reporting and analysis progress on national forest lands.