Transcript Bechtold - Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment

Forest Health Monitoring Research Team
FHM Research Team History
 1991: FHM Program established national HQ at RTP
 1991-1999: RTP staff evolved from administrative to research
 2000: FHM national HQ moved to DC
 2002: RTP staff converted to SRS Research Work Unit
 2007: RTP staff integrated with EFETAC as part of SRS realignment
FHM Team Funding Sources
(Annual Funding ≈ $1.2 million)
FIA
(28%)
FHP
(24%)
EFETAC
(48%)
FHM Research Team Staffing
 4 SRS Scientists




Bill Bechtold (Research Forester)
Kurt Riitters (Landscape Ecologist)
Bill Smith (Research Forester)
Ken Stolte (Research Ecologist)
 Valerie Cooper (Administrative Support)
 4 NCSU Scientists




Kevin Potter (Genetics)
Frank Koch (Risk Assessment)
Barbara Conkling (Forest Soils)
Mark Ambrose (Growth / Mortality)
FHM Research Team Problem Area 1
a. Improve existing monitoring systems and develop new sampling and
survey designs, measurement techniques, and estimation procedures
b. Integrate data, models, and interpretation techniques to assess forest
health and conduct risk assessments and analyses at multiple scales
c. Utilize spatial analyses and principles of landscape ecology in forest
health monitoring and assessment
d. Utilize data from long-term comprehensive monitoring of key ecosystem
processes and components in forest health assessments
e. Develop automated systems needed for processing satellite imagery to
detect disturbances in forested systems
3 Tiers of Forest Health Monitoring
INTENSIVE
SITE
MONITORING
• Process-Level Research
EVALUATION MONITORING
• Problem Investigation
DETECTION MONITORING
• Ground Surveys
• Aerial Surveys
• Satellite Surveillance
RESEARCH ON
MONITORING
TECHNIQUES
FHM Research Team Current Activities—
FHM National Technical Reports:
 2006, 2007, 2008 in press
 2009 out for internal review
FHM Research Team Current Activities—
Indicator Development and Implementation:
 Crown Indicator Advisor (Bechtold, Randolph)
 National FHM Working Group Crown Posters:
 Statistical Power Analysis of the Crown Indicator
 Elevated Northern White Cedar Dieback in ME and MI
 Effects of Hurricane Isabel on Forests in VA
 VEG GTR (Schulz, Bechtold, Zarnoch).
 Densiometer Measurements of Canopy Cover (Stolte)
FHM Research Team Current Activities—
Collaboration with FIA:





FIA Field Guides (Conkling)
FIA Data Base User Manuals (Conkling)
FIA Task Teams (Bechtold)
RPA Landscape Pattern Analysis (Riitters)
Oregon Range Pilot (Riitters)
FHM Research Team Current Activities—
Collaboration with FHTET:
 Risk maps for Mediterranean Pine Engraver
and Asian Gypsy Moth (Koch, Smith)
 Instruction manual describing risk-map
production techniques (Koch, Smith)
 Journal article on special detection surveys
for introduced pests (Koch, Smith)
 Land cover and fragmentation tools for
state-level reporting (Riitters)
FHM Research Team Current Activities—
Risk Analysis (Koch and Smith):
 Incorporation of probabilistic uncertainty analyses into risk mapping
 Incorporation of non-probabilistic uncertainty analyses into risk mapping
(info-gap decision theory)
 Comprehensive approach to combine all stages of invasion into a single
risk-map product (entry, spread, and establishment)
 Cross-border analysis of sirex wood wasp (US / Canada)
 Analysis of human-mediated pathways for invasives on APHIS top-50 list
 Use of categorical and ordinal data for risk analysis
 Software to model spread of invasives using Bayesian network approach
FHM Research Team Current Activities—
Fragmentation (Riitters):
 2010 Montreal Process 5-year report
 Change Analysis: new vs. previous NLCD maps
 Fragmentation overlays for Google Earth
FHM Research Team Current Activities—
Genetics (Potter):
 Genetic diversity and gene exchange in Oocarpa Pine
relative to pitch canker resistance
 Regional patterns of phylogenetic community structure in
North American forest trees
 Evolutionary history and genetic diversity of Fraser and
Intermediate Fir
 Comparison of phylogenetic diversity to other measures of
tree species diversity
 Eastern Hemlock genetic variation and evolutionary history
 Evaluation of Carolina Hemlock gene conservation efforts
FHM Research Team Current Activities—
Evaluation Monitoring:
 Assessing Risk of Tree Extinction and Genetic Degradation from Climate
Change (Hargrove, Potter, Koch)
 Forecast location and quality of tree species habitats under climate change scenarios
 Predict portions of species ranges at risk due to distance from projected habitat
 Yellow Birch Mortality in the Southern Appalachians as an Indicator of
Acidified Soils (Stolte)
 Study birch and other calcium-sensitive species as indicators of soil acidification
 Evaluate potential for acidification to increase susceptibility to regional stressors
 EM Selection Panel (Bechtold)
 EM Synthesis Project (Bohne, Friedman, Bechtold, Tkacz)
 Effort originated with 2006 FHM Program review
 Summarizes results of 194 projects funded between 1998-2007
A SYNTHESIS OF EVALUATION-MONITORING PROJECTS
SPONSORED BY THE FOREST HEALTH MONITORING PROGRAM
(1998-2007)
Forest Insects
Interior West Forest Insects
North Central Forest Insects
Northeast Forest Insects
Interior West Forest Insects
Southern Forest Insects
Forest Diseases
Interior West Forest Diseases
North Central Forest Diseases
Northeast Forest Diseases
Interior West Forest Diseases
Southern Forest Diseases
Other Biotic Stressors and Indicators
Invasives
Lichens
Tree Crown Condition (Bechtold)
Tree Mortality (Ambrose)
Abiotic Stressors and Indicators
Down Woody Material
Drought and Climate (Koch)
Fire
Ozone
Soil Conditions
FHM Research Team Current Activities—
Miscellaneous:
 FHM Monthly Update (Conkling)
 FHM National Working Group Meeting Arrangements (Cooper)
 Analyze urban tree data from MA, MD, and NJ (Ambrose, Smith)
 Citizen Scientist reference manual (Stolte)
 Appalachian Trail monitoring and information system (Stolte)




Develop data layers consistent with the AT “Vital Sign” indicators
Establish ground monitoring system to complement NASA’s satellite system
Analyze past, present and projected ecosystem conditions on the AT
Launch web-based system for data visualization, sharing, and management
FHM Research Team Current Activities—
International:




FHM Pilot Project in Mexico (Bechtold)
Montreal Process Fragmentation Indicator Lead (Riitters)
European Commission Joint Research Center (Riitters)
Canadian risk-mapping and pest invasion models (Koch)