Use of Remote Sensing Data to Improve the Efficiency of National Forest Inventories: A Case Study from the United States National Forest Inventory

Abstract

Globally, forests are a crucial natural resource, and their sound management is critical for human and ecosystem health and well-being. Efforts to manage forests depend upon reliable data on the status of and trends in forest resources. When these data come from well-designed natural resource monitoring (NRM) systems, decision makers can make science-informed decisions. National forest inventories (NFIs) are a cornerstone of NRM systems, but require capacity and skills to implement. Efficiencies can be gained by incorporating auxiliary information derived from remote sensing (RS) into ground-based forest inventories. However, it can be difficult for countries embarking on NFI development to choose among the various RS integration options, and to develop a harmonized vision of how NFI and RS data can work together to meet monitoring needs. The NFI of the United States, which has been conducted by the USDA Forest Service’s (USFS) Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program for nearly a century, uses RS technology extensively. Here we review the history of the use of RS in FIA, beginning with general background on NFI, FIA, and sampling statistics, followed by a description of the evolution of RS technology usage, beginning with paper aerial photography and ending with present day applications and future directions. The goal of this review is to offer FIA’s experience with NFI-RS integration as a case study for other countries wishing to improve the efficiency of their NFI programs.

Mapping and Monitoring Forest Cover

“…They then introduce the concept of comparing or relating what can be determined on the detailed map created from the remotely sensed imagery with their forest inventory data collected on the ground. The paper by Lister et al [5] continues this important theme. This review paper provides a discussion of the efficiencies that the United States Forest Service employs by combining the National Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data and remote sensing [5].…”

“…The paper by Lister et al [5] continues this important theme. This review paper provides a discussion of the efficiencies that the United States Forest Service employs by combining the National Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data and remote sensing [5]. Many experiences and suggestions provided by this paper can help other countries to more effectively and efficiently map and monitor their forests.…”

“…The paper regarding large juniper forests also introduces the concept of carbon sequestration, which is particularly important to our environment today [3]. The final three papers deal with higher spatial resolution remotely sensed imagery [4][5][6]. The paper by Ganz et al [4] demonstrates the benefits of having a detailed forest map of a German forest created from high spatial resolution imagery.…”

Mapping and Monitoring Forest Cover

“…They then introduce the concept of comparing or relating what can be determined on the detailed map created from the remotely sensed with their forest inventory collected the ground. The paper by Lister et al [5] continues this important theme. This review paper provides a discussion of the efficiencies that the United States Forest Service employs by combining the National Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data and remote sensing [5].…”

Combining Multiple Geospatial Data for Estimating Aboveground Biomass in North Carolina Forests

“…2021, 13, 2731 2 of 17 (FIA) surveys [3,6,7,[9][10][11][12][13]. The FIA data are collected on a stratified sample of forestland plots, usually in 5-7 year intervals in the southeastern U.S. [14,15], and the nationally standardized database provides a consistent framework for developing and storing forest inventory data across all ownerships for the entire country [16].…”