The Experts below are selected from a list of 40287 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Jesse Abrams - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Current Status of Forest Health Policy in the United States.
Insects, 2019Co-Authors: Kamal J. K. Gandhi, Faith T. Campbell, Jesse AbramsAbstract:Federal policies related to Forestry and Forest Health (specifically, insects and diseases) have the potential to affect management practices, terms of international and interstate trade, and long-term sustainability and conservation. Our objectives were to review existing federal policies, the role of federal agencies in managing Forest Health, and guidance for future policy efforts. Since the 1940s, various federal policies relevant to Forest Health have been established, and several US Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies have been empowered to assist with prevention, quarantine, detection, management, and control of insects and diseases. Overall, our review showed that relatively few national policies directly address Forest Health as a stand-alone objective, as most of them are embedded within Forestry bills. Federal funding for Forest Health issues and the number of personnel dedicated to such issues have declined dramatically for some agencies. Concomitantly, native species continue to gain pestiferous status while non-native species continue to establish and cause impacts in the US. To enhance our ability and capacity to deal with current and future threats, concerted efforts are needed to advocate for both resources and stand-alone policy tools that take seriously the complexity of emerging sustainability challenges in both private and public Forestlands.
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Value Orientation and Forest Management: The Forest Health Debate
Environmental Management, 2005Co-Authors: Jesse Abrams, Erin Kelly, Bruce Shindler, James WiltonAbstract:Among both Forest practitioners and the general public, “Forest Health” has become an issue of contention. Whereas the debate over which treatments will best achieve Healthy Forests has been framed largely by the popular media and politicians as a struggle between industry and environmentalists, the views of the general public remain unexplored. Survey results from Oregon and Washington residents were used to assess the relationships between respondents’ self-described environmental or economic priorities and the following two variables: (1) acceptability of Forest management practices and (2) perceived threats to Forest Health. Findings indicate that active management was generally accepted by a majority of respondents regardless of their environmental or economic orientation. Disagreement emerged, however, when the appropriateness of specific management practices within specific Forest conditions was examined. Additionally, strong evidence was found for a relationship between self-described environmental or economic orientation and perceived threats to Forest Health. Those with an environmentally oriented viewpoint tended to perceive human-caused factors as the largest threats, whereas those with an economic orientation saw naturally occurring processes as the greatest threats. These findings suggest that the issue of contention is not active management per se. Rather, the major divisions in the Forest Health debate are defined by specific contexts and circumstances, as well as the management practices used.
Barbara L. Conkling - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Forest Health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2017
2018Co-Authors: Kevin M. Potter, Barbara L. ConklingAbstract:The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents Forest Health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing Forest Health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects funded through the FHM national program. In this 17th edition in a series of annual reports, national survey data are used to identify geographic patterns of insect and disease activity. Satellite data are employed to detect geographic patterns of Forest fire occurrence. Recent drought and moisture surplus conditions are compared across the conterminous United States. Data collected by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program are employed to detect regional differences in tree mortality. FIA plot-level lichen data are assessed as bioindicators for large-scale monitoring of air quality across eastern U.S. Forests. A national summary of crown condition across the United States is presented for 2011–15, and change over time in crown dieback is used to identify species in decline. Eight recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects are summarized, addressing Forest Health concerns at smaller scales.
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Forest Health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2015
2016Co-Authors: Kevin M. Potter, Barbara L. ConklingAbstract:The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents Forest Health status and trends from a national or multi- State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing Forest Health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects funded through the FHM national program. In this 15th edition in a series of annual reports, survey data are used to identify geographic patterns of insect and disease activity. Satellite data are employed to detect geographic patterns of Forest fire occurrence. Recent drought and moisture surplus conditions are compared across the conterminous United States. Data collected by the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program are employed to detect regional differences in tree mortality. National Land Cover Database land cover maps are used to summarize temporal trends in Forest fragmentation for the conterminous United States from 2001 to 2011. Eleven recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects are summarized, addressing Forest Health concerns at smaller scales.
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Forest Health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2013
2015Co-Authors: Kevin M. Potter, Barbara L. ConklingAbstract:The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents Forest Health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing Forest Health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects funded through the FHM national program. In this 13th edition in a series of annual reports, survey data are used to identify geographic patterns of insect and disease activity. Satellite data are employed to detect geographic patterns of Forest fire occurrence. Recent drought conditions are compared across the conterminous United States. Data collected by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program are employed to detect regional differences in tree mortality. A satellite-derived change detection system operating across the conterminous United States is described. A conceptual organization of existing and future technologies to support and improve Forest Health monitoring is presented. FIA data are used to produce a national map of invasive plant species infestation and to evaluate changes in crown conditions during the last decade. Five recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects are summarized, addressing Forest Health concerns at smaller scales.
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Forest Health Monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2014
2015Co-Authors: Kevin M. Potter, Barbara L. ConklingAbstract:The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents Forest Health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing Forest Health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects funded through the FHM national program. In this 14th edition in a series of annual reports, survey data are used to identify geographic patterns of Forest insect and disease activity. Satellite data are employed to detect geographic patterns of Forest re occurrence. Recent drought conditions are compared across the conterminous United States. Data collected by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program are employed to detect regional differences in tree mortality. Results of a national insect and disease Forest risk assessment, including maps, are presented. Using FIA and national land cover data, decline of intact Forest is assessed by Forest type and ownership. Ten recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects are summarized, addressing Forest Health concerns at smaller scales.
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Forest Health monitoring: National status, trends, and analysis 2012
2014Co-Authors: Kevin M. Potter, Barbara L. ConklingAbstract:The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents Forest Health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing Forest Health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects funded through the national Forest Health Monitoring Program. Survey data are used to identify geographic patterns of insect and disease activity. Satellite data are employed to detect geographic clusters of Forest fire occurrence. Data collected by the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program of the Forest Service are employed to detect regional differences in tree mortality. Relationships are assessed between macrolichen species richness and Forest density, Forest connectivity, and land cover. Macrolichen data are also used to investigate the effects of precipitation on indices used to develop nitrogen critical loads. Nine recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects are summarized, addressing Forest Health concerns at smaller scales.
Kurt H. Riitters - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Forest Health monitoring in the United States: focus on national reports
2013Co-Authors: Kurt H. Riitters, Kevin M. PotterAbstract:The Health and sustainability of United States Forests have been monitored for many years from several different perspectives. The national Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program was established in 1990 by Federal and State agencies to develop a national system for monitoring and reporting on the status and trends of Forest ecosystem Health. We describe and illustrate the annual national reports which are one aspect of the Analysis and Reporting component of the FHM Program. The evolution of the content and format of reports from 2001 through 2013 has followed from changes in information requirements. Current practices are illustrated by using material drawn from the 2013 report which includes three sections covering Forest Health status and trends (insect, disease, fire, drought, and tree mortality), new techniques in Forest Health monitoring (disturbance mapping, invasive plants, and tree crown conditions), and special investigations to evaluate the possible causes or consequences of observed Forest Health conditions.
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Forest Health monitoring: 2004 national technical report
2005Co-Authors: John W. Coulston, Mark J. Ambrose, Kurt H. Riitters, Barbara L. ConklingAbstract:The Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program’s annual national technical report presents results of Forest Health analyses from a national perspective using data from a variety of sources. Results presented in the report pertain to the Santiago Declaration’s Criterion 1— Conservation of Biological Diversity and Criterion 3—Maintenance of Forest Ecosystem Health and Vitality. We include status and trend information where possible, consistent with previous FHM national technical reports. Additional analytical techniques and results, new to the national report, are presented as examples of ways Forest Health data can be used. This report has eight sections. The first contains introductory material. The next four contain results from analyses of status and change for selected Forest Health indicators, e.g., several measures of Forest fragmentation, mortality and defoliation-causing insects and diseases, crown condition, and tree mortality, similar to analyses in previous FHM national reports. The next two sections describe analytical techniques and provide information about assessments presented in the national report for the first time, and the final section is a summary.
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Forest Health monitoring: 2003 national technical report
2005Co-Authors: John W. Coulston, Barbara L. Conkling, Mark J. Ambrose, Kurt H. Riitters, William D. SmithAbstract:The Forest Health Monitoring Program’s annual national reports present results from Forest Health data analyses focusing on a national perspective. The Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests are used as a reporting framework. This report has five main sections. The first contains introductory material. The next three sections, “Landscape Structure,” “Abiotic and Biotic Factors,” and “Forest Conditions,” contain results of data analyses. Some of the indicators discussed use data collected from ground plots. These include ozone bioindicator plants; changes in trees (crown condition, mortality, and stand age); and soils (Forest floor depth). Other indicators or indicator groups use data about insects and diseases, and remotely sensed or ground-based data about distance to roads, Forest edge, interior Forest, drought, fire, and air pollution (sulfates, nitrates, and ozone). Identifying patterns and observing possible relationships is an important part of national level analysis and reporting. The fifth section “Integrated Look at Forest Health Indicators” presents results of analyses designed to evaluate whether or not individual indicators or linear combinations of indicators discriminate between crowns in poor condition and crowns not in poor condition.
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Geographic Analysis of Forest Health Indicators Using Spatial Scan Statistics
Environmental Management, 2003Co-Authors: John W. Coulston, Kurt H. RiittersAbstract:Geographically explicit analysis tools are needed to assess Forest Health indicators that are measured over large regions. Spatial scan statistics can be used to detect spatial or spatiotemporal clusters of Forests representing hotspots of extreme indicator values. This paper demonstrates the approach through analyses of Forest fragmentation indicators in the southeastern United States and insect and pathogen indicators in the Pacific Northwest United States. The scan statistic detected four spatial clusters of fragmented Forest including a hotspot in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain region. Three recurring clusters of insect and pathogen occurrence were found in the Pacific Northwest. Spatial scan statistics are a powerful new tool that can be used to identify potential Forest Health problems.
John W. Coulston - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Status and future of the Forest Health indicators program of the USA.
Environmental monitoring and assessment, 2010Co-Authors: Christopher William Woodall, John W. Coulston, Michael C Amacher, William A Bechtold, Sarah Jovan, Charles H Perry, Kadonna C Randolph, Beth K Schulz, Gretchen C Smith, Borys TkaczAbstract:For two decades, the US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, has been charged with implementing a nationwide field-based Forest Health monitoring effort. Given its extensive nature, the monitoring program has been gradually implemented across Forest Health indicators and inventoried states. Currently, the Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis program has initiated Forest Health inventories in all states, and most Forest Health indicators are being documented in terms of sampling protocols, data management structures, and estimation procedures. Field data from most sample years and indicators are available on-line with numerous analytical examples published both internally and externally. This investment in national Forest Health monitoring has begun to yield dividends by allowing evaluation of state/regional Forest Health issues (e.g., pollution and invasive pests) and contributing substantially to national/international reporting efforts (e.g., National Report on Sustainability and US EPA Annual Greenhouse Gas Estimates). With the emerging threat of climate change, full national implementation and remeasurement of a Forest Health inventory should allow for more robust assessment of Forest communities that are undergoing unprecedented changes, aiding future land management and policy decisions.
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Status and future of the Forest Health indicators program of the USA.
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2010Co-Authors: Christopher W. Woodall, John W. Coulston, Michael C Amacher, William A Bechtold, Sarah Jovan, Charles H Perry, Kadonna C Randolph, Beth K Schulz, Gretchen Smith, Borys TkaczAbstract:For two decades, the US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, has been charged with implementing a nationwide field-based Forest Health monitoring effort. Given its extensive na- ture, the monitoring program has been gradually implemented across Forest Health indicators and inventoried states. Currently, the Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis program has ini- tiated Forest Health inventories in all states, and most Forest Health indicators are being docu- mented in terms of sampling protocols, data man- agement structures, and estimation procedures. Field data from most sample years and indicators
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Forest Health monitoring: 2001 national technical report
2005Co-Authors: Barbara L. Conkling, John W. Coulston, Mark J. AmbroseAbstract:The Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program’s annual national report uses FHM data, as well as data from a variety of other programs, to provide an overview of Forest Health based on the criteria and indicators of sustainable Forestry framework of the Santiago Declaration. It presents information about the status of and trends in various Forest Health indicators nationwide and uses statistically valid analysis methods applicable to large-scale ecological assessments. Five main sections correspond to the Santiago criteria: Biological Diversity, Productive Capacity, Health and Vitality, Conservation of Soil, and Carbon Cycling. A variety of indicators contribute information about the status of each Forest ecosystem considered. Many indicators use data collected from ground plots. Such indicators include species diversity (tree and lichens), bioindicator species (lichens and vascular plants sensitive to ozone), changes in trees (crown condition, damage, and mortality), physical and chemical soil characteristics, and aboveground and belowground carbon pools. Additional information about Forest Health status and change is derived from data that are used to measure Forest extent; data about insects and pathogens; and remotely sensed and/or groundbased data about Forest fragmentation, fire, and air pollution. A sixth section presents and discusses a multivariate analysis of the indicators. The technique provides a composite picture of Forest Health, based on statistically significant principal components.
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Forest Health monitoring: 2004 national technical report
2005Co-Authors: John W. Coulston, Mark J. Ambrose, Kurt H. Riitters, Barbara L. ConklingAbstract:The Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program’s annual national technical report presents results of Forest Health analyses from a national perspective using data from a variety of sources. Results presented in the report pertain to the Santiago Declaration’s Criterion 1— Conservation of Biological Diversity and Criterion 3—Maintenance of Forest Ecosystem Health and Vitality. We include status and trend information where possible, consistent with previous FHM national technical reports. Additional analytical techniques and results, new to the national report, are presented as examples of ways Forest Health data can be used. This report has eight sections. The first contains introductory material. The next four contain results from analyses of status and change for selected Forest Health indicators, e.g., several measures of Forest fragmentation, mortality and defoliation-causing insects and diseases, crown condition, and tree mortality, similar to analyses in previous FHM national reports. The next two sections describe analytical techniques and provide information about assessments presented in the national report for the first time, and the final section is a summary.
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Forest Health monitoring: 2003 national technical report
2005Co-Authors: John W. Coulston, Barbara L. Conkling, Mark J. Ambrose, Kurt H. Riitters, William D. SmithAbstract:The Forest Health Monitoring Program’s annual national reports present results from Forest Health data analyses focusing on a national perspective. The Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests are used as a reporting framework. This report has five main sections. The first contains introductory material. The next three sections, “Landscape Structure,” “Abiotic and Biotic Factors,” and “Forest Conditions,” contain results of data analyses. Some of the indicators discussed use data collected from ground plots. These include ozone bioindicator plants; changes in trees (crown condition, mortality, and stand age); and soils (Forest floor depth). Other indicators or indicator groups use data about insects and diseases, and remotely sensed or ground-based data about distance to roads, Forest edge, interior Forest, drought, fire, and air pollution (sulfates, nitrates, and ozone). Identifying patterns and observing possible relationships is an important part of national level analysis and reporting. The fifth section “Integrated Look at Forest Health Indicators” presents results of analyses designed to evaluate whether or not individual indicators or linear combinations of indicators discriminate between crowns in poor condition and crowns not in poor condition.
Kevin M. Potter - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Forest Health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2017
2018Co-Authors: Kevin M. Potter, Barbara L. ConklingAbstract:The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents Forest Health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing Forest Health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects funded through the FHM national program. In this 17th edition in a series of annual reports, national survey data are used to identify geographic patterns of insect and disease activity. Satellite data are employed to detect geographic patterns of Forest fire occurrence. Recent drought and moisture surplus conditions are compared across the conterminous United States. Data collected by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program are employed to detect regional differences in tree mortality. FIA plot-level lichen data are assessed as bioindicators for large-scale monitoring of air quality across eastern U.S. Forests. A national summary of crown condition across the United States is presented for 2011–15, and change over time in crown dieback is used to identify species in decline. Eight recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects are summarized, addressing Forest Health concerns at smaller scales.
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Forest Health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2015
2016Co-Authors: Kevin M. Potter, Barbara L. ConklingAbstract:The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents Forest Health status and trends from a national or multi- State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing Forest Health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects funded through the FHM national program. In this 15th edition in a series of annual reports, survey data are used to identify geographic patterns of insect and disease activity. Satellite data are employed to detect geographic patterns of Forest fire occurrence. Recent drought and moisture surplus conditions are compared across the conterminous United States. Data collected by the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program are employed to detect regional differences in tree mortality. National Land Cover Database land cover maps are used to summarize temporal trends in Forest fragmentation for the conterminous United States from 2001 to 2011. Eleven recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects are summarized, addressing Forest Health concerns at smaller scales.
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Forest Health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2013
2015Co-Authors: Kevin M. Potter, Barbara L. ConklingAbstract:The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents Forest Health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing Forest Health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects funded through the FHM national program. In this 13th edition in a series of annual reports, survey data are used to identify geographic patterns of insect and disease activity. Satellite data are employed to detect geographic patterns of Forest fire occurrence. Recent drought conditions are compared across the conterminous United States. Data collected by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program are employed to detect regional differences in tree mortality. A satellite-derived change detection system operating across the conterminous United States is described. A conceptual organization of existing and future technologies to support and improve Forest Health monitoring is presented. FIA data are used to produce a national map of invasive plant species infestation and to evaluate changes in crown conditions during the last decade. Five recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects are summarized, addressing Forest Health concerns at smaller scales.
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Forest Health Monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2014
2015Co-Authors: Kevin M. Potter, Barbara L. ConklingAbstract:The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents Forest Health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing Forest Health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects funded through the FHM national program. In this 14th edition in a series of annual reports, survey data are used to identify geographic patterns of Forest insect and disease activity. Satellite data are employed to detect geographic patterns of Forest re occurrence. Recent drought conditions are compared across the conterminous United States. Data collected by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program are employed to detect regional differences in tree mortality. Results of a national insect and disease Forest risk assessment, including maps, are presented. Using FIA and national land cover data, decline of intact Forest is assessed by Forest type and ownership. Ten recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects are summarized, addressing Forest Health concerns at smaller scales.
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Forest Health monitoring: National status, trends, and analysis 2012
2014Co-Authors: Kevin M. Potter, Barbara L. ConklingAbstract:The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents Forest Health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing Forest Health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects funded through the national Forest Health Monitoring Program. Survey data are used to identify geographic patterns of insect and disease activity. Satellite data are employed to detect geographic clusters of Forest fire occurrence. Data collected by the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program of the Forest Service are employed to detect regional differences in tree mortality. Relationships are assessed between macrolichen species richness and Forest density, Forest connectivity, and land cover. Macrolichen data are also used to investigate the effects of precipitation on indices used to develop nitrogen critical loads. Nine recently completed Evaluation Monitoring projects are summarized, addressing Forest Health concerns at smaller scales.