Keyword: carbon inventory

The Kane Experimental Forest carbon inventory: Carbon reporting with FVS

As the number of state and regional climate change agreements grows, so does the need to assess the carbon implications of planned forest management actions. At the operational level, producing detailed stock estimates for the primary carbon pools becomes time-consuming and cumbersome.

Development of external regeneration models for FVS: Another wrench in the toolkit

Despite more than three decades of development, only one full-featured regeneration model has been developed for the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS).

Development of FVSOntario: A Forest Vegetation Simulator Variant and application software for Ontario

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources is leading a government-industry partnership to develop an Ontario variant of the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS). Based on the Lake States variant and the PrognosisBC user-interface, the FVSOntarioproject is motivated by a need to model the impacts of intensive forest management strategies and the multiple ecological and social objectives faced by today’s resource managers.

Building the ECON extension: Functionality and lessons learned

The functionality of the ECON extension to FVS is described with emphasis on the ability to dynamically interact with all elements of the FVS simulation process. Like other extensions, ECON is fully integrated within FVS.

Predicting the recruitment of established regeneration into the sapling size class following partial cutting in the Acadian Forest Region: Using long-term observations to assess the performance of FVS-NE

Forest managers are increasingly called upon to provide long-term predictions of forest development. The dynamics of regeneration establishment, survival and subsequent recruitment of established seedlings to larger size classes is a critical component of these forecasts, yet remains a weak link in available models.

Evaluating growth models: A case study using PrognosisBC

The ability of the PrognosisBC (Version 3.0) growth model to predict tree and stand growth was assessed against a series of remeasured permanent sample plots, including some which had been precommercially thinned. In addition, the model was evaluated for logical consistency across a variety of stand structures using simulation. By the end of the evaluation process, we were pleased with the performance of the model.

Improving longleaf pine mortality predictions in the Southern Variant of the Forest Vegetation Simulator

The Southern Variant of the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS-SN) is made up of individual submodels that predict tree growth, recruitment and mortality. Forest managers on Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, discovered biologically unrealistic longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) size-density predictions at large diameters when using FVS-SN to project red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) habitat. Inventory data from Ft.

Inventory-based sensitivity analysis of the Large Tree Diameter Growth Submodel of the Southern Variant of the FVS

Diameter increment is an important variable in modeling tree growth. Most facets of predicted tree development are dependent in part on diameter or diameter increment, the most commonly measured stand variable. The behavior of the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) largely relies on the performance of the diameter increment model and the subsequent use of predicted dbh in forecasting tree attributes.

Forest Vegetation Simulator translocation techniques with the Bureau of Land Management's Forest Vegetation Information system database

The BLM uses a database, called the Forest Vegetation Information System (FORVIS), to store, retrieve, and analyze forest resource information on a majority of their forested lands. FORVIS also has the capability of easily transferring appropriate data electronically into Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) for simulation runs. Only minor additional data inputs or corrections are required to transfer FORVIS data to the FVS.

Forest inventory and analysis data for FVS modelers

The USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program has been in continuous operation for over 70 years. FIA’s primary objective is to determine the extent, condition, volume, growth, and depletion of timber on the Nation’s forest land. To accomplish this objective, FIA collects sample plot information on all ownerships across the United States.