Inventory, Monitoring, and Analysis

Inventory, Monitoring, and Analysis

Students at the Oconaluftee Job Corps Center receive hands-on training that can lead to forestry careers. USDA Forest Service photo by James Lawler.

Photo Credits

USDA Forest Service photo by James Lawler

Students at the Oconaluftee Job Corps Center receive hands-on training that can lead to forestry careers.

With our partners, the Southern Research Station collects foundational data on every aspect of southern forests – their growth, health, ownership, and more. We also integrate and synthesize the data collected. This important work increases understanding of the effects of climate and landscape changes on forest resources, products, and ecosystems services like carbon, water, timber, and recreation.

Part of this effort is the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program which operates across the nation, and through the South, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. FIA maintains a national forest census, an expansive dataset collected with state partners across public and private lands. Inventory data helps land managers, policymakers, and others in monitoring forest resources, use, health, and sustainability. Wood-using industries are critical to the economies of southern states, making it imperative to assess the status and trends of forest resources to assure sustainability.

This research also improves our understanding of southern forest ecosystems. Applied research integrates FIA data in studies of forest biodiversity, markets, and threats at broad, regional to national scales. Methods research focuses on improving field measurements and developing tools for expanding or improving data analysis, summaries, and trends.