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Hybrid estimators for mean aboveground carbon per unit area

Carbon accounting is at the heart of efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change. One approach for estimating population parameters for live tree stem carbon entails three primary steps: (1) construction of an individual tree, allometric carbon model, (2) application of the model to tree-level data for a probability sample of plots, and (3) use of a probability-...

https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/search?keywords=%22estimation%22&%3Bamp%3Bf%5B0%5D=author_facet%3A%22Kovalev%2C%20Vladimir%22&%3Bf%5B0%5D=author_facet%3A%22Alderman%2C%20Delton%22&f%5B0%5D=author_facet%3A%22Jeffries%2C%20Thomas%22&f%5B1%5D=author_facet%3A%22Hogland%2C%20John%22&f%5B2%5D=author_facet%3A%22Westfall%2C%20Jim%22&f%5B3%5D=author_facet%3A%22Carll%2C%20Charlie%22&f%5B4%5D=author_facet%3A%22Hodgson%2C%20Garth%22

Author(s):

Ronald E. McRoberts; Qi Chen; Grant M. Domke; Göran Ståhl; Svetlana Saarela; James A. Westfall

Year:

2016

Keywords:

Allometric model, Uncertainty analysis, Wood density, Carbon content

Source:

Forest Ecology and Management

Propagating uncertainty through individual tree volume model predictions to large-area volume estimates

Key message. The effects on large-area volume estimates of uncertainty in individual tree volume model predictions were negligible when using simple random sampling estimators for large-area estimation, but non-negligible when using stratified estimators which reduced the effects of sampling variability. Context. Forest...

Author(s):

Ronald E. McRoberts; James A. Westfall

Year:

2016

Keywords:

Measurement error, Parameter uncertainty, Residual variability, Stratified estimation

Source:

Annals of Forest Science

Consequences of alternative tree-level biomass estimation procedures on U.S. forest carbon stock estimates

Forest ecosystems are the largest terrestrial carbon sink on earth and their management has been recognized as a relatively cost-effective strategy for offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. Forest carbon stocks in the U.S. are estimated using data from the USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. In an attempt to balance accuracy with...

Author(s):

Grant M. Domke; Christopher W. Woodall; James E. Smith; James A. Westfall; Ronald E. McRoberts

Year:

2012

Keywords:

Forest inventory, Carbon accounting, Tree volume, Climate change, Tree biomass

Source:

Forest Ecology and Management. 270(15): 108-116.

A comparison of above-ground dry-biomass estimators for trees in the Northeastern United States

In the northeastern United States, both component and total aboveground tree dry-biomass estimates are available from several sources. In this study, comparisons were made among four methods to promote understanding of the similarities and differences in live-tree biomass estimators. The methods use various equations developed from biomass data collected in the United...

Author(s):

James A. Westfall

Year:

2012

Keywords:

biomass components, component ratio, forest inventory, tree carbon

Source:

Northern Journal of Applied Forestry

Effects of uncertainty in model predictions of individual tree volume on large area volume estimates

Forest inventory estimates of tree volume for large areas are typically calculated by adding model predictions of volumes for individual trees. However, the uncertainty in the model predictions is generally ignored with the result that the precision of the large area volume estimates is overestimated. The primary study objective was to estimate the effects of model...

Author(s):

Ronald E. McRoberts; James A. Westfall

Year:

2014

Keywords:

allometric model, model parameter uncertainty, residual uncertainty, Monte Carlo simulation

Source:

Forest Science. 60(1): 34-42.

An evaluation of the properties of the variance estimator used by FIA

The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the U.S. Forest Service currently conducts inventories utilizing the protocols of the national enhanced FIA Program. Due to the permanent locations of the sample plots, the stratification of the population occurs after the selection of sample units, i.e., post-stratification. In situations where the population is of...

Author(s):

John P. Brown; James A. Westfall

Year:

2012

Keywords:

Source:

In: McWilliams, Will; Roesch, Francis A. eds. 2012. Monitoring Across Borders: 2010 Joint Meeting of the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Symposium and the Southern Mensurationists. e-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-157. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 53-58.

An assessment of uncertainty in volume estimates for stands reconstructed from tree stump information

Assessment of pre-harvest stand conditions after unplanned tree removals often requires reconstruction of the stand based on stump information. Prediction of diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) from stump measurements is a common practice because d.b.h. is usually a necessary precursor for estimating diameter distributions and predicting tree volume. Although not a...

Author(s):

James A. Westfall; Ronald E. McRoberts

Year:

2017

Keywords:

Source:

Forestry

Canopy cover estimates for individual tree attributes

In most forest inventory data, it is not feasible to estimate the canopy coverage of trees having certain characteristics due to the lack of information on crown size. In this study, data from the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program was used to assign crown sizes to individual trees using published crown width models. This process effectively links trees to...

Author(s):

James A. Westfall; Randall S. Morin

Year:

2012

Keywords:

statistics, estimation, sampling, modeling, remote sensing, forest health, data integrity, environmental monitoring, cover estimation, international forest monitoring

Source:

In: Morin, Randall S.; Liknes, Greg C., comps. Moving from status to trends: Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) symposium 2012; 2012 December 4-6; Baltimore, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-105. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. [CD-ROM]: 248-253.

Sensitivity of FIA Volume Estimates to Changes in Stratum Weights and Number of Strata

In the Northeast region, the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program utilizes stratified sampling techniques to improve the precision of population estimates. Recently, interpretation of aerial photographs was replaced with classified remotely sensed imagery to determine stratum weights and plot stratum assignments. However, stratum weights...

Author(s):

James A. Westfall; Michael Hoppus

Year:

2005

Keywords:

Source:

In: McRoberts, Ronald E.; Reams, Gregory A.; Van Deusen, Paul C.; McWilliams, William H.; Cieszewski, Chris J., eds. Proceedings of the fourth annual forest inventory and analysis symposium; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-252. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station. 193-197

Estimating forest characteristics using NAIP imagery and ArcObjects

Detailed, accurate, efficient, and inexpensive methods of estimating basal area, trees, and aboveground biomass per acre across broad extents are needed to effectively manage forests. In this study we present such a methodology using readily available National Agriculture Imagery Program imagery, Forest Inventory Analysis samples, a two stage classification and...

Author(s):

John S Hogland; Nathaniel M. Anderson; Woodam Chung; Lucas Wells

Year:

2014

Keywords:

National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP), forest inventory, estimation

Source:

In: Proceedings of the 2014 ESRI Users Conference; July 14-18, 2014, San Diego, CA. Redlands, CA: Environmental Systems Research Institute. Online: http://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/proc14/papers/155_181.pdf.

Sample-based estimators used by the forest inventory and analysis national information management system

Addendum: The supplementary documents referenced in this manuscript are posted on the Web site https://www.fia.fs.fed.us/library/sampling/index.php

...

Author(s):

Charles T. Scott; William A. Bechtold; Gregory A. Reams; William D. Smith; James A. Westfall; Mark H. Hansen; Gretchen G. Moisen

Year:

2005

Keywords:

Source:

Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-80. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station, p. 53-77.

Modifying Taper-Derived Merchantable Height Estimates to Account for Tree Characteristics

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Northeastern Forest Inventory and Analysis program (NE-FIA) is developing regionwide tree-taper equations. Unlike most previous work on modeling tree form, this effort necessarily includes a wide array of tree species. For some species, branching patterns can produce undesirable tree form that reduces the merchantable...

Author(s):

James A. Westfall

Year:

2006

Keywords:

Source:

In: Proceedings of the sixth annual forest inventory and analysis symposium; 2004 September 21-24; Denver, CO. Gen. Tech. Rep. WO-70. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. 126p.

Improved accuracy of aboveground biomass and carbon estimates for live trees in forests of the eastern United States

Accurate estimation of forest biomass and carbon stocks at regional to national scales is a key requirement in determining terrestrial carbon sources and sinks on United States (US) forest lands. To that end, comprehensive assessment and testing of alternative volume and biomass models were conducted for individual tree models employed in the component ratio method (...

Author(s):

Philip Radtke; David Walker; Jereme Frank; Aaron Weiskittel; Clara DeYoung; David MacFarlane; Grant Domke; Christopher Woodall; John Coulston; James Westfall

Year:

2017

Keywords:

Source:

Forestry

Measurement variability error for estimates of volume change

Using quality assurance data, measurement variability distributions were developed for attributes that affect tree volume prediction. Random deviations from the measurement variability distributions were applied to 19381 remeasured sample trees in Maine. The additional error due to measurement variation and measurement bias was estimated via a simulation study for...

Author(s):

James A. Westfall; Paul L. Patterson

Year:

2007

Keywords:

Source:

Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 37: 2201-2210.

An empirical assessment of forest floor carbon stock components across the United States

Despite its prevalent reporting in regional/national greenhouse gas inventories (NGHGI), forest floor (FF) carbon (C) stocks (including litter, humus, and fine woody debris [FWD]) have not been empirically measured using a consistent approach across forests of the US. The goal of this study was to use the first national field inventory of litter and humic layer depths...

Author(s):

Christopher W. Woodall; Charles H. Perry; James A. Westfall

Year:

2012

Keywords:

carbon, litter, humus, forest floor, greenhouse gas inventory, fine woody debris

Source:

Forest Ecology and Management. 269: 1-9.

Effects of uncertainty in upper-stem diameter information on tree volume estimates

Almost all relevant data in forestry databases arise from either field measurement or model prediction. In either case, these values have some amount of uncertainty that is often overlooked when doing analyses. In this study, the uncertainty associated with both measured and predicted data was quantified for upper-stem diameter at 5.27 m. This uncertainty was...

Author(s):

James A. Westfall; Ronald E. McRoberts; Philip J. Radtke; Aaron R. Weiskittel

Year:

2016

Keywords:

Error propagation, Measurement variability, Taper model, Quality assurance, Forest inventory

Source:

European Journal of Forest Research

Implementing the measurement interval midpoint method for change estimation

The adoption of nationally consistent estimation procedures for the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program mandates changes in the methods used to develop resource trend information. Particularly, it is prescribed that changes in tree status occur at the midpoint of the measurement interval to minimize potential bias. The individual-tree characteristics requiring...

Author(s):

James A. Westfall; Thomas Frieswyk; Douglas M. Griffith

Year:

2009

Keywords:

Source:

In: McRoberts, Ronald E.; Reams, Gregory A.; Van Deusen, Paul C.; McWilliams, William H., eds. Proceedings of the eighth annual forest inventory and analysis symposium; 2006 October 16-19; Monterey, CA. Gen. Tech. Report WO-79. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 231-236.

Estimating foundation water vapor release using a simple moisture balance and AIM-2 : case study of a contemporary wood-frame house

Proper management of indoor humidity in buildings is an essential aspect of durability. Following dissipation of moisture from construction materials, humidity levels during normal operation are generally assumed to primarily depend on the building volume, the number of building occupants and their behavior, the air exchange rate, and the water vapor content of outdoor...

Author(s):

C. R. Boardman; Samuel V. Glass; Charles G. Carll

Year:

2010

Keywords:

Dwellings, heating control, ventilation control, wooden buildings, moisture, building moisture, dwelling moisture, building dampness, humidity control, wooden-frame houses, environmental engineering, testing, wood moisture, building testing, weathering, airtightness, mathematical models, temperature, foundations, water vapor, moisture control, moisture content, durability

Source:

Thermal performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings XI International Conference, December 5-9, 2010, Clearwater Beach, Florida [electronic resource]. [Atlanta, GA : American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers], 2010. [1 CD-ROM] : 14 p. ISBN 9781933742892

A call to improve methods for estimating tree biomass for regional and national assessments

Tree biomass is typically estimated using statistical models. This review highlights five limitations of most tree biomass models, which include the following: (1) biomass data are costly to collect and alternative sampling methods are used; (2) belowground data and models are generally lacking; (3) models are often developed from small and geographically limited data...

Author(s):

Aaron R. Weiskittel; David W. MacFarlane; Philip J. Radtke; David L.R. Affleck; Hailemariam Temesgen; Christopher W. Woodall; James A. Westfall; John W. Coulston

Year:

2015

Keywords:

forest biomass, statistical equations, tree measurements

Source:

Journal of Forestry. 113(4): 414-424.

Estimating FIA plot characteristics using NAIP imagery, function modeling, and the RMRS raster utility coding library

Raster modeling is an integral component of spatial analysis. However, conventional raster modeling techniques can require a substantial amount of processing time and storage space, often limiting the types of analyses that can be performed. To address this issue, we have developed Function Modeling. Function Modeling is a new modeling framework that streamlines the...

Author(s):

John S. Hogland; Nathaniel M. Anderson

Year:

2015

Keywords:

raster modeling, spatial analysis, RMRS Raster Utility

Source:

In: Stanton, Sharon M.; Christensen, Glenn A., comps. 2015. Pushing boundaries: new directions in inventory techniques and applications: Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) symposium 2015. 2015 December 8-10; Portland, Oregon. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-931. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station: 340-344.

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Total Publications in Treesearch: 53,230

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Hybrid estimators for mean aboveground carbon per unit area

Propagating uncertainty through individual tree volume model predictions to large-area volume estimates

Consequences of alternative tree-level biomass estimation procedures on U.S. forest carbon stock estimates

A comparison of above-ground dry-biomass estimators for trees in the Northeastern United States

Effects of uncertainty in model predictions of individual tree volume on large area volume estimates

An evaluation of the properties of the variance estimator used by FIA

An assessment of uncertainty in volume estimates for stands reconstructed from tree stump information

Canopy cover estimates for individual tree attributes

Sensitivity of FIA Volume Estimates to Changes in Stratum Weights and Number of Strata

Estimating forest characteristics using NAIP imagery and ArcObjects

Sample-based estimators used by the forest inventory and analysis national information management system

Modifying Taper-Derived Merchantable Height Estimates to Account for Tree Characteristics

Improved accuracy of aboveground biomass and carbon estimates for live trees in forests of the eastern United States

Measurement variability error for estimates of volume change

An empirical assessment of forest floor carbon stock components across the United States

Effects of uncertainty in upper-stem diameter information on tree volume estimates

Implementing the measurement interval midpoint method for change estimation

Estimating foundation water vapor release using a simple moisture balance and AIM-2 : case study of a contemporary wood-frame house

A call to improve methods for estimating tree biomass for regional and national assessments

Estimating FIA plot characteristics using NAIP imagery, function modeling, and the RMRS raster utility coding library

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