Forest Health Monitoring

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Forest Health Monitoring

• Dr. Robert Mathiasen
• School of Forestry
• Northern Arizona University
• Robert.Mathiasen_at_nau.edu

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Another Possible Perspective on Forest Health

• Forest health is
• 1. the condition of a specified forest ecosystem
  at a specified time,
• 2. this condition can be measured using selected
  indicators,
• 3. it is dependent on value judgments related to
  forest management/use objectives of the human
  society using the forest ecosystem.
• The health of a forest is dynamic and the
  selected indicators should be able to monitor
  changes in the health of the ecosystem over time.
• One of the first objectives of a forest health
  monitoring program should be to determine
  reference or baseline conditions of the forest
  ecosystem (s).

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Healthy Forest Ecosystems?
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Healthy Forest Ecosystems?
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Healthy Forest Ecosystems?
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Forest Health Monitoring

• The Montréal Process
• In 1993 Canada convened the International Seminar
  of Experts on Sustainable Development of Boreal
  and Temperate Forests in Montréal.
• European countries work within the Ministerial
  Conference on the Protection of Forests in
  Europe. Started in 1990.

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Ministerial Conference on the Protection of
Forests in Europe

• 45 European countries and the European Community
• Cooperates with many international organizations
• Addresses threats to forests and promotes
  sustainable forest management
• Remains the principal political platform for
  international cooperation on sustainable forest
  management in Europe

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The Montréal Process

• In 1994, Canada drew countries together from
  North and South America and the Pacific Rim to
  develop criteria and indicators for sustaining
  non-tropical forests as a continuation of the
  Montréal Process.
• Other initiatives include the Tarapoto Proposal
  for the Amazon Basin the Central America, Near
  East, and Dry- Zone Africa Regional Initiatives,
  and the International Tropical Timber
  Organization.

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The Santiago Declaration

• In 1995 the Montréal Process countries met in
  Santiago, Chile and issued a declaration with 7
  criteria and 67 indicators to serve as guides for
  conservation and sustainable forest management
  (SFM) of temperate and boreal forests.

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Criterion 3 of the Montréal Process is Forest
Health

• 1 Conservation of biological diversity
• 2 Maintenance of productive forests
• 3 Maintenance of forest health
• 4 Maintenance of soil and water resources
• 5 Maintenance of global carbon cycles
• 6 Maintenance of socio-economic benefits
• 7 Legal, institutional, and economic
  frameworks for SFM

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Forest Health Indicators under the Santiago
Declaration

• 1 Area and of forest affected by processes and
  agents beyond the reference (baseline) condition.
• 2 Area and of forest subjected to specific air
  pollutants and ultra violet B.
• 3 Area and of forest with diminished biological
  components indicative of ecological changes.

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Forest Health Monitoring Some Examples of
Approaches

• DRY-ZONE AFRICA PROCESS 30 countries
• Identified 7 criteria and 47 indicators
• Forest Health Criterion has 6 indicators.
  Examples of Indicators
• 1 Area and of forest modified by fire,
  storms, insects and diseases, and animals
• 2 - of forest without regeneration
• 3 Changes in nutrient balance and soil acidity
• 4 - of population employed in farming

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Forest Health Monitoring Some Examples of
Approaches

• TARAPOTO PROCESS Amazon Basin
• 8 countries
• Identified 8 criteria and 15 indicators
• 1 Existence of policies and legal framework for
  land-use planning
• 2 Rate of conversion of forests to other uses
• 3 Prevention measures to protect water courses
  from forest extraction activities

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Forest Health Monitoring Some Examples of
Approaches

• CANADA ARNEWS
• Acid Rain Early Warning System
• Started in eastern Canada and expanded to entire
  country in 1992
• Monitors baseline conditions and changes in
  forest ecosystems
• Determines the presence of and fluctuations of
  factors that damage forests
• Monitors effects of air pollution on forests

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Forest Health Monitoring Essential Elements

• Indicators should be easily measured on a
  periodic basis.
• Data collection should be standardized and
  personnel collecting data well trained.
• Monitoring should be done on permanent plots that
  are not destructively sampled.
• Monitoring plots should be re-measured in a time
  frame that allows changes to be detected.
• A system to insure collected data is reliable
  should be used for quality assurance.
• The monitoring plots should be randomly/systematic
  ally located and there should be an adequate
  number of plots for monitoring the forest types
  present.

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Development of Forest Health Indicators

• Step 1 Develop a conceptual framework of forest
  health and forest health issues.
• Step 2 Identify important societal values for
  forest ecosystems.
• Step 3 Identify most important components and
  processes in forest ecosystems.
• Step 4 Formulate assessment questions what
  information is needed.
• Step 5 Develop a list of possible indicators
  based on Steps 1-4.

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Testing of Forest Health Indicators

• Select knowledgeable individuals to lead
  development and testing of selected indicators.
• Develop set of criteria that each indicator must
  meet before it is adopted as a core indicator.
• Test selected indicators in pilot projects to
  determine how well they meet the performance
  criteria chosen in 2.
• Field test indicators that pass Step 3.
• If the indicator passes all tests then adopt as a
  core indicator of forest health.

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Indicator Development Criteria used by FHM
Program in U.S.

• Low environmental impact and no impact on other
  selected indicators.
• Simple to quantify measurements are fast, easy,
  and inexpensive.
• Easy to interpret.
• Stable during the measurement period.
• Regionally applicable to forest types can be
  measured in at least 50 plots.
• Statistically valid variability is within
  acceptable limits so the indicator is actually
  useful in detecting changes in forest health.

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FHM Core Indicators used in U.S.

• Crown condition
• Ozone Injury
• Tree Damage
• Tree Mortality
• Lichen Communities
• Down Woody Debris
• Vegetation Diversity and Structure
• Soil Condition

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Crown Condition Indicator

• Based on the amount, condition, and distribution
  of foliage in tree crowns.
• Why Tree Crowns?
• Location of net primary productivity.
• Usually the first part of tree to show natural or
  human-caused stresses.
• They form the basic structural architecture of a
  forest ecosystem and they affect understory
  plants and animals.
• Crown condition is highly correlated with tree
  growth, survival, and reproduction.

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How is Tree Crown Condition measured?
Crown diameter widest point of the crown and
at 90 degrees from the widest point. Live
Crown Ratio percentage of the trees total
height with live foliage contributing to
the trees growth. Estimated to nearest
5. Crown Density Amount of light blocked by
branches and foliage in the live
crown. Crown Dieback recent branch mortality
or percentage of tip dying back from crown
edge. Estimated to the nearest 5 Foliage
Transparency amount of sunlight visible
through the live crown. Estimated to nearest
5
Made for all trees 5 inch DBH
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Crown Condition Indicator is used for

• Monitoring visible changes in crown conditions
• Relating crown condition to tree growth
• Estimating probability of crown fires
• An indirect indicator of soil fertility and
  toxicity
• An indicator of climate change
• Monitoring insects and diseases causing
  defoliation and/or crown dieback

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U.S. Forest Health Monitoring Program and the
Santiago Declaration

• Using the core forest health indicators and other
  forest inventory measurements the U.S. FHM
  program address 38 of the 67 indicators
  recommended by the Santiago Declaration.
• The program uses permanent plots, aerial surveys,
  and other data sources.
• Consists of five components
• 1. Detection Monitoring 2. Evaluation
  Monitoring
• 3. Research on Monitoring Development
• 4. Intensive Site Monitoring and 5. Analysis and
  Reporting.

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Detection Monitoring

• Uses permanent plots systematically located
  throughout the U.S.
• Measures the 8 selected forest health core
  indicators using a cluster of 4 circular 0.048 ha
  plots per sample location.
• Aerial survey data complements the on-ground
  monitoring.

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Plot Component

• Consists of a network of permanent plots located
  using the grid system set up by EPAs
  Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program.

• 15,000 points across the country (4,600 are
  forested)
• Located 27 km apart each point represents
  64,000 ha.

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Sample Plot Design

• Four clustered subplots (24 ft radius, 1/24 acre)
• Four clustered annular plots around the subplots
  (59 ft. radius)
• One microplot in each subplot (6.8 ft. radius,
  1/300 acre, offset 12 ft. from center)
• Three vegetation quadrats in each subplot (1 sq.
  m)
• Seven canopy density points located on perimeter
  and in center of subplots
• Soil sample pits
• Lichen sampling area
• Ozone damage

9. Off-Plot Surveys aerial detection surveys
(airplane, satellite images) of pest/disease
incidence and impacts INDEPENDENT of plot
network.
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Strengths of the U.S. FHM Program

• Establishes baseline data for core indicators.
• Uses standardized data collection procedures.
• Has specific criteria that each FH indicator must
  meet.
• Uses quality assurance procedures to insure that
  data is reliable.
• Provides intensive training for data collection
  personnel.
• Analyzes data and provides reports on forest
  health changes to public and government
  representatives on a timely basis.

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Application of the U.S. FHM Program

• Tanzania Established a total of 43 plots in the
  Eastern Arc Mountains in 2000 and 2001.
• Indicators Crown condition, tree damage, and
  mensuration data (species density, diameters,
  heights, crown position)
• Indonesia Establishing FHM plots to monitor
  sustainability and biodiversity of tropical rain
  forests using FHM sampling design.
• Eastern Europe Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania,
  Latvia, and Estonia using modified FHM system.

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Examples of Forest Health Issues in the United
States

• Fire Hazard
• Estimated 18 million ha of western forests have
  extreme fire risk.
• Air pollution
• Ozone and other pollutants affect forests near
  large metropolitan area, such as Los Angeles.

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Examples of Forest Health Issues in the United
States

• Insects outbreaks and disease incidence are
  increasing.
• Mountain pine beetle
• outbreak ----------------------
• Invasion of exotic plants, insects, and diseases
  is a critical issue.
• Asian long-horned beetle

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Global Issues in Forest Health

• Deforestation Carbon cycling
• Desertification Air pollution
• Clean water Soil erosion and acidity
• Biological diversity Insects and diseases
• Fire hazard Storm and fire damage
• Forest fragmentation
• Conservation vs. preservation
• Economic and social benefits of forests
• Introduction of exotic organisms

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Discussion Group Topics

• What are the important forest health issues in
  your region?
• Is your country or region involved in one of the
  regional initiatives related to forest health and
  sustainable forest management?
• How would you suggest your country or region get
  more involved in monitoring the health of its
  forests and the use (or lack of use) of
  sustainable forest management practices within
  the international forestry community?
• How would your group suggest countries with
  forest health issues take direct action to move
  national and local governments and public
  organizations to get more involved in forest
  health monitoring?
• Other questions that your group feels are
  important?

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Discussion Groups

• Discuss questions 20 minutes.
• Presentations by each sub-group to workshop 20
  minutes total.
• Summary 5 - 10 minutes.