Transcript Development of a Vegetation Classification

Development of a Vegetation
Classification System for the
Northern Region
Doug Berglund
Renee Lundberg
Renate Bush
Vegetation Analysis Support Needs: Broad & Mid-level
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Northern Region Overview
Integrated Restoration and Protection Strategy
Forest plan revision and amendments
Ecosystem Assessment at the Watershed Scale
Post-fire assessments
Forest-wide cumulative effects analysis
Ultimately all of this is to support project planning
and informed decision making
Litigation Fees Paid ’03 and ‘04
Analysis Components : Building Blocks
Classification
Inventory
Mapping
Vegetation classification, mapping, and inventory
Integration of these related processes to
communicate information.
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Vegetation classification What is it?
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Vegetation mapping Where is it?
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Vegetation inventory How much is there?
Vegetation classification, mapping, and inventory
Classification
Supply Labels
Map Feature
Design
Supply Labels
Estimate abundance
Tabular
Inventory
Compilation
Technology & resource limited
Mapping
Generalize map units
Supply plot data
Spatial
Inventory
Compilation
Spatially associate plots
Inventory
Guiding Principles
Guiding Principles
FGDC National Vegetation Classification:
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applicable over extensive areas
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repeatable
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consistent [between map and inventory]
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mutual exclusive and exhaustive categories
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hierarchical , aggregatable
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based on dominant or uppermost stratum
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mappable
Guiding Principles
Existing Vegetation Classification and Mapping
Technical Guide
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Canopy Cover
Dominance Type
Size
Vertical Structure
Guiding Principles
Practical - useful to those “practitioners”.
Simple, easy to understand – line officers
Can make calls in the field with minimal data
Applicable to current data collection attributes
R1-Veg Council
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Veg Council Classification
 Builds on lessons learned from previous mapping
efforts
 R1 Silviculturists, Fire Ecologists, Wildlife Biologists
and RMRS Scientists
 Field workshop: Bitterroot, Lolo, IPNF
R1-Veg Council
R1-Veg Council
Field Data from FVS .kcp
R1-Veg Council Classification
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Veg Council Classification
 Evaluated different classifiers,
 expecting to choose 1: Describe, FVS,
others
 Consensus of expert opinion
 None of the classifiers had the “right”
answers
 Developed new algorithms
Tree Dominance Types
Elemental Dominance
A. Single most abundant species > 60% of attribute * ……… List single species
A. Single most abundant species < 60% of attribute…..……. Go to B
B. 2 most abundant species > 80% of attribute #………………List 2 species
B. 2 most abundant species < 80% of attribute #……....……. Go to C
C. 3 most abundant species > 80% of attribute #……………….List 3 species
C. 3 most abundant species < 80% of attribute #……..……….Go to D
D. Shade intolerant species attribute > shade tolerant species attribute….......IMIX
D. Shade intolerant species attribute < shade tolerant species attribute…......TMIX
*attribute = BA, if basal area > 20 ft2; otherwise TPA, if trees per acre > 100;
if BA <20 and TPA < 100 TPA, classify as “none”.
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each species individually is > 20% of attribute
Elemental Dominance
847 elemental dominance types: requires aggregation into
dominance “groups” for broad- and mid-level analysis
Sizeclass
Sizeclass
2 Common Methods
• BA-Weighted Average DBH =
Sum (DBH x BA) / Total BA
• QMD =
square root (sum of DBH2 / total trees)
or diameter of tree of average BA
Sizeclass
Sizeclass
BA-weighted Average DBH classed as follows:
NTG Classes
 seedling
 0.1 – 4.9
 5.0 – 9.9
 10.0 – 14.9
 15.0 – 19.9
 20.0 – 24.9
 25.0 +
Traditional Classes
 seedling
 0.1 – 0.9
 1.0 – 4.9
 5.0 – 8.9
 9.0 – 13.9
 14.0 – 20.9
 21.0 +
Often requires collapsing into fewer classes for broad- and midlevel analysis
Canopy Cover
Canopy Cover
Definitions:
 Canopy cover is the proportion of the forest
floor covered by the vertical projection of the
tree crowns.
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Canopy closure is the proportion of the sky
hemisphere obscured by vegetation when
viewed from a single point.
Canopy Cover
Canopy Cover
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Use: Increasingly used attribute
 Wildlife models
 Fire behavior models
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Mapping: Substitute attribute for basal area in
Dominance and Size classification.
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FVS-model:
 Need to collect more field data – EM Variant
 Need to validate models
Canopy Cover
Canopy cover classed as follows:
Often requires collapsing into fewer classes for broad- and mid-level
analysis
Vertical Structure
Vertical Structure
Based on proportion of total basal area in the following
sizeclasses.
There are 5 possible vertical structure classes:
 1 = single story,
 2 = two-story,
 3 = three-story,
 C = continuous,
 none = insufficient ba/tpa found on the plot/stand.
Initially, every plot/stand is classified as having 1 layer of vertical structure.
Vertical Structure
Vertical Structure
Vertical Structure
Vertical Structure
Vertical Structure
Stand Classifier Tool
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Runs on any FVS tree list data
Consistent way to compare over time
Stand Classifier Tool
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Input FVS treelist
Stand Classifier Tool
Stand Classifier Tool: Multiple Setting Output
Stand Classifier Tool: Multiple Cycle Output
For more information
Region One, Forest and Rangeland Management Staff,
Inventory website:
http://fsweb.r1.fs.fed.us/forest/inv/classify/index.htm