Forest Health Monitoring Research Team

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 Research Team History

FIA (28%)

FHP (24%)

EFETAC (48%)

FHM Team Funding Sources(Annual Funding ≈ $1.2 million)

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 Staffing

FHM Research Team Problem Area 1a. 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

DETECTION MONITORING• Ground Surveys• Aerial Surveys• Satellite Surveillance

EVALUATION MONITORING• Problem Investigation

INTENSIVESITE

MONITORING• Process-Level Research

RESEARCH ONMONITORINGTECHNIQUES

FHM Research Team Current Activities—

FHM National Technical Reports:

2006, 2007, 2008 in press 2009 out for internal review

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—

Indicator Development and Implementation:

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 FIA:

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—

Collaboration with FHTET:

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 PROJECTSSPONSORED BY THE FOREST HEALTH MONITORING PROGRAM

(1998-2007)

Forest InsectsInterior West Forest InsectsNorth Central Forest InsectsNortheast Forest InsectsInterior West Forest InsectsSouthern Forest Insects

Forest DiseasesInterior West Forest DiseasesNorth Central Forest DiseasesNortheast Forest DiseasesInterior West Forest DiseasesSouthern Forest Diseases

Other Biotic Stressors and IndicatorsInvasivesLichensTree Crown Condition (Bechtold)Tree Mortality (Ambrose)

Abiotic Stressors and IndicatorsDown Woody MaterialDrought and Climate (Koch)FireOzoneSoil 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)