Forest Surveys Forest Surveys and GIS and GIS

Applications Applications on the Nez on the Nez

Perce Perce ReservationReservationGIS on Fire! Worley - Plummer, Idaho May 11, 2005 Rich Botto,

Nez Perce Tribe rbotto@nezperce.org

Development of Forest Development of Forest SurveysSurveys

Prior to 1970s – AppraisalsPrior to 1970s – Appraisals timber volume and valuetimber volume and value

1974 – First permanent CFI 1974 – First permanent CFI plots installedplots installed

forest management plans forest management plans sustainable harvest ratesustainable harvest rate

1987 – Initiated stand 1987 – Initiated stand based based inventory inventory systemsystem

silvicultural planningsilvicultural planning harvest schedulingharvest scheduling

2004 - FireMon program2004 - FireMon program monitoring forest fuels monitoring forest fuels fire management planningfire management planning

Comparison of Forest Comparison of Forest SurveysSurveys

Type of Survey Purpose Design Plot Layout Accuracy Standards

1Appraisals

(pre-harvest cruising)

Determine value ($) of standing timber.

Systematic grid with random start.

Variable radius plot or 100% tally of designated cut trees

+/-10% (67% Confidence level) for volume estimation and within specified tolerance levels.

2 CFI

Determine timber volume, assess current and potential forest growth and yield, and measure the forest trend toward desired objectives.

40 x 40 chain Reservation wide grid (80 acres per plot)

1/5 acre fixed plot with four 1/250th subplots.

Measurements must be within specified tolerance levels.

3 Stand Exams

Determine timber volume, assess current stand conditions for silvicultural planning purposes.

Systematic grid with random start

Variable radius plot with 1/100th acre fixed area subplot.

+/-20% (67% Confidence level) and within specified tolerance levels.

4 FireMonDetermine fuel loadings before and after fuel reduction treatments

Several random plots within treatment area

1/10 acre fixed plot NA

Pre-harvest cruisingPre-harvest cruising 1 or 2 timber sales1 or 2 timber sales 3 to 5 cutting permits3 to 5 cutting permits

Annual Inventory GoalsAnnual Inventory Goals

Pre-harvest cruisingPre-harvest cruising 456 CFI plots measured 456 CFI plots measured

every 10 yearsevery 10 yearsYEARYEAR CFI CFI

PLOTSPLOTS

1974-761974-76 322322

1985-861985-86 344344

1993-941993-94 393393

2003-042003-04 456456

Annual Inventory GoalsAnnual Inventory Goals

Annual Inventory GoalsAnnual Inventory Goals

Pre-harvest cruisingPre-harvest cruising 456 CFI plots measured 456 CFI plots measured

every 10 yearsevery 10 years 5,500 acres of stand 5,500 acres of stand

exams to ensure 10% exams to ensure 10% of land base updatedof land base updated

MSMT YR ACRES

1987 850.09

1988 67.60

1990 103.30

19914,017.2

8

19921,144.0

4

19931,356.4

1

19949,534.3

7

19954,107.4

9

19961,266.0

1

19972,215.6

3

19983,022.4

3

19996,206.9

3

20004,175.7

4

2001 318.61

20022,102.5

8

20031,157.4

9

20043,291.4

8

Pre-harvest cruisingPre-harvest cruising 456 CFI plots measured 456 CFI plots measured

every 10 yearsevery 10 years 5,500 acres of stand 5,500 acres of stand

exams to ensure 10% exams to ensure 10% of land base updatedof land base updated

WUI/HFR treatmentsWUI/HFR treatments

Annual Inventory GoalsAnnual Inventory Goals

Data Analysis & ReportingData Analysis & Reporting

Forest Projection Forest Projection System (FPS)System (FPS) AppraisalsAppraisals Stand examsStand exams

Data Analysis & ReportingData Analysis & Reporting

Forest Projection Forest Projection System (FPS)System (FPS)

BIA Analysis BIA Analysis Program, Program, Northwest Regional Northwest Regional OfficeOffice CFI plotsCFI plots

Data Analysis & ReportingData Analysis & Reporting

Forest Projection Forest Projection System (FPS)System (FPS)

BIA Analysis BIA Analysis Program, Northwest Program, Northwest Regional OfficeRegional Office

FireMon Data FireMon Data Analysis SoftwareAnalysis Software Fuels monitoring Fuels monitoring

plotsplots

Future Inventory NeedsFuture Inventory Needs

What is the composition of forest What is the composition of forest fuels at the stand levelfuels at the stand level??

Canopy, snags, ladder fuels, shrubs, Canopy, snags, ladder fuels, shrubs, nonwoody, litter-lichen-moss, and ground nonwoody, litter-lichen-moss, and ground fuelsfuels

Fine scale vs. coarse scale assessmentsFine scale vs. coarse scale assessments What are the effects of WUI/HFR What are the effects of WUI/HFR

treatments on fire hazards at the treatments on fire hazards at the landscape scale?landscape scale?

Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC)

GIS ApplicationsGIS Applications

FPS growth model calibration (clumpiness FPS growth model calibration (clumpiness index)index) Stem mapping CFI plotsStem mapping CFI plots

Forest events geodatabaseForest events geodatabase Documenting forest management practices Documenting forest management practices

(current and historical)(current and historical) Linking historical photographsLinking historical photographs

Fire hazard mapping using FVS (Forest Fire hazard mapping using FVS (Forest Vegetative Simulator)Vegetative Simulator) Fire and fuels extension model Fire and fuels extension model

Stem MappingStem Mapping

Acquire a GPS location for all Acquire a GPS location for all trees >5” Dbh on the fixed trees >5” Dbh on the fixed 1/5 acre plot (6627 live tree 1/5 acre plot (6627 live tree records)records) XY coordinate of plot center pinXY coordinate of plot center pin Distance to treeDistance to tree Azimuth to treeAzimuth to tree Calculate offset and GPS locations Calculate offset and GPS locations

for each tree for each tree

Click on plot 604

Forest Management Forest Management Geo-DatabaseGeo-Database

Documenting forest management Documenting forest management activities (historical, present, and planned) activities (historical, present, and planned) and creating Activity_IDs for your GIS and creating Activity_IDs for your GIS shapefilesshapefiles

Practice TypesPlantingPrecommercial thinningCommercial thinningOverstory removal/reductionSanitation/salvagePrescribed fireMechanical site prepPruningMechanical brush reductionLivestock grazing/browsingShelterwoodSeed treeClearcutFree thinSingle tree selectionGroup selectionChemical application

Event TypesPlantThinHarvestFireSitePrepHFRCruise

Forest Management

Geo-Database

Forest EventsType of EventEvent StatusContract NameContract NumberAdministratorStart DateEnd DateApproval StatusMap Status

ActivitiesEventActivity_IDType of PracticeUnitYearTract Name

TABLESActivitiesForestEventsEventTypesPracticeTypesTractNamesPracticePoly

Excel Spreadsheets

Export Utilities

GIS Shapefiles

Reports

Activity_ID (s) for current projectsSummary Reports

Forest practices by tract and time period

Forest Management

Geo- Database

Activity_IDPracticeUnit#YearTract NameAcres

Fire Hazard Mapping (FVS-Fire Hazard Mapping (FVS-FFE)FFE)

Torching and Crowning IndicesTorching and Crowning Indices Surface fireSurface fire Passive crown firePassive crown fire Active fireActive fire

AttributesAttributes Surface fuels, surface fuel moisture, canopy Surface fuels, surface fuel moisture, canopy

base ht, slope, wind effectsbase ht, slope, wind effects Canopy bulk density, slope, surface fuel Canopy bulk density, slope, surface fuel

moisturemoisture

Fire Hazard FVS-FFE

Other Fire Hazard/Risk Other Fire Hazard/Risk Mapping*Mapping*

(Coarse Scale)(Coarse Scale) Fire SeverityFire Severity

Proportion of above ground biomass Proportion of above ground biomass removedremoved

Fuel HazardFuel Hazard Containment difficultyContainment difficulty

Fire Regime Condition ClassFire Regime Condition Class Departure from historic baselineDeparture from historic baseline

*Idaho Interagency Assessment of Wildland Fire Risks to Communities and Ecosystems, December 21, 2004

Fire Severity

Fuel Hazard

FRCC

Future Inventory NeedsFuture Inventory Needs Integrate a fuels inventory program at Integrate a fuels inventory program at

the stand levelthe stand level Canopy, snags, ladder fuels, shrubs, nonwoody, litter-Canopy, snags, ladder fuels, shrubs, nonwoody, litter-

lichen-moss, and ground fuelslichen-moss, and ground fuels

Type of Survey Purpose Design Plot Layout Accuracy Standards

1Appraisals

(pre-harvest cruising)

Determine value ($) of standing timber.

Systematic grid with random start.

Variable radius plot or 100% tally of designated cut trees

+/-10% (67% Confidence level) for volume estimation and within specified tolerance levels.

2 CFI

Determine timber volume, assess current and potential forest growth and yield, and measure the forest trend toward desired objectives.

40 x 40 chain Reservation wide grid (80 acres per plot)

1/5 acre fixed plot with four 1/250th subplots.

Measurements must be within specified tolerance levels.

3 Stand Exams

Determine timber volume, assess current stand conditions for silvicultural planning purposes.

Systematic grid with random start

Variable radius plot with 1/100th acre fixed area subplot.

+/-20% (67% Confidence level) and within specified tolerance levels.

4 FireMonDetermine fuel loadings before and after fuel reduction treatments

Several random plots within treatment area

1/10 acre fixed plot NA

Thank you!