Design & Analysis Tools for Inventory & Monitoring: DATIM

Transcription

1 Design & Analysis Tools for Inventory & Monitoring: DATIM

2 Background Monitoring is conducted at a variety of scales and for a variety of purposes. FS spends roughly half a billion/year on I&M Under the new Planning Rule, Forests will likely be conducting annual evaluations of ecological conditions and trends in achieving plan goals Each Forest is left to develop their own monitoring and analytical approach Potential exists for improving efficiency and consistency of information.

3 Vision Improve monitoring designs and data analyses by developing nationally consistent tools Create inventory and monitoring tools: Design Tool (DTIM) and Analytical Tools (ATIM) Initial focus on vegetation monitoring, but will expand to other resources that use plot-based sampling While the tools will be publicly accessible, they are to be designed with NFS in mind.

4 Approach Leverage existing data, research and tools, including Regional I&M tools, FSVeg, and Geospatial Interface Use Forest Inventory & Analysis (FIA) data as base level for intensification Draw upon FIA s research into estimation methods and on optimal sampling and plot design Build upon existing FIA design and analysis tools Focus on National Forest System needs, including climate change monitoring, then generalize

5 Approach (cont.) Created a core team to develop the requirements for the tools Funded a Project Manager, a documentation specialist, and a team of developers

6 Inventory & Monitoring Toolkit Design Tool to identify monitoring needs, and to specify sampling design to balance cost and precision in order to address monitoring questions. Portable Data Recorder Tool software on PDR to collect, validate, and transfer data. Not currently part of DATIM. Database and Compilation Tool to store and compute calculated fields Spatial / Tabular Analytical Tools use standard methods or spatial means of specifying area for which to estimate tables and maps.

7 Design Tool for Inventory & Monitoring (DTIM) Provide the Forest staffs with a method for designing an important part of their monitoring program based on available FIA and intensified grid data Help determine key inventory and monitoring questions. Evaluate existing FIA data and intensified grid data to estimate current conditions and monitor trends Identify unmet information needs and sample sizes to meet precision requirements, then estimate acquisition costs.

8 Role of Design Tool for I&M (DTIM) FIA and Regional Data Sources Plot List Information Needs Design Tool Forest Plan Monitoring Guide Computed Variable Protocols List of Tables Protocol Sample Design Data Recorder Field Data Compilation Tool FSVeg Analysis Tool Spatial Data Results for Forest Planning or Cumulative Effects

9 Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring (ATIM) Apply NFS models and classification algorithms to plot data and store computed values as part of the data for further analysis. Enable NFS to analyze plot data to derive estimates of current conditions and trends using web and/or PC-based analytical tools (FIDO and EVALIDator). Use Spatial Intersection Tool using the Geospatial Interface (GI) to localize analysis and to summarize plot data by map attribute classes.

10 FIA Data Analysis Tools for I&M Compilation Phase Analysis Phase Regional Data Define Project & Data (PSD) Boundary/ Strata User s Spatial Data Spatial Intersection Tool (GI) Published Spatial data FIA to FSVeg Loader FSVeg CSE Loader Spatial Intersection Tool (GI) ATIM Web (queries & tables & maps) ATIM PC (queries & tables) Project Tables FSVeg DATIM Compilation System Proxy DataMart FSWeb access to ATIM Web or to download ATIM PC Export DATIM Subset

11 Uses Adaptive approaches are needed to address emerging monitoring requirements at the forest and landscape levels associated with climate change, carbon reporting, bio-fuels, and sustainability Other Uses include: developing forest plan components forest plan monitoring associated with vegetation monitoring of broad-level incidence and spread of invasive plant species monitoring and management of wildlife habitat cumulative effects analysis for project level planning monitoring and management of fuels.

12 Characteristics Forests need statistically sound and defensible estimates of status and trends Must be consistent over time (remeasurement) and space (scaling) FIA data have these characteristics and are freely available for use at broad scales (>100,000 ac) FIA uses a spatially balanced design thus can be used for any subset of the area, so data can be associated with other spatial datasets (resources)

13 Objectives 1. Working with forest, regional, and national monitoring staff within NFS, identify the needs for design and analysis tools for monitoring and other analysis. 2. Provide an expert system-based DTIM to guide regional and forest staff through the development of a forest monitoring plan. Stratifications will be supported when there is need for focus on small areas and rare types.

14 Objectives (cont.) 3. The DTIM will draw upon existing FIA and intensified grid data to determine current condition and trend and, if necessary, to develop FIA-compatible designs to ensure efficient data collection. Other inventory protocols will also be supported. 4. Develop analytical tools (ATIM) that are customizable enough to meet NFS analysis needs above and beyond tables produced by FIA s current analytical tools, Forest Inventory Data Online (FIDO) and EVALIDator.

15 Monitoring Steps Typically, forest inventory planning starts with identifying the area to be sampled and the attributes to collect. However, the survey will be better if planning starts with identification of the objectives begin with the end in mind The four tools address most of the 15 monitoring steps NIMAC has identified: Design Phase Data Collection Data Storage and Compilation Data Analysis and Decision Making

16 The Planning Phase The Design Tool could help with the first 9 monitoring steps 1. Identify customers and set broad objectives pick from list of broad objectives based on desired conditions or outcomes 2. Select monitoring questions pick from list of generic questions based on the chosen objectives 3. Select attributes pick from list of metrics for the questions chosen, then select from list of categorical attributes used to make tables to answer the questions. Then pick any additional attributes of interest

17 The Planning Phase 4. Assess existing data use the Analytical Tool on FIA or other existing data to determine whether they are sufficient to answer the questions, or to assess their variability if they are not adequate. 5. Set time/cost and precision constraints If existing data are inadequate, then identify the costs of each component of monitoring. Specify precision and scale of analysis for key metrics. 6. Develop an efficient plot and sampling design balance cost and precision in order to address monitoring questions. Based on the plot design chosen, determine sample size.

18 Field Planning 7. Select plots select plot locations in a spatially balanced way based on chosen sample size and sampling rules.

19 Field Planning 8. Plan field work generate field manual text for selected attributes 9. Train generate training materials for selected attributes. Develop a QA/QC plan.

20 Data Collection 10. Collect data Portable Data Recorder software can be customized based on the planning phase. 11. Enter and store data the data should be entered and checked while in the field using PDR software, then transferred electronically to the office.

21 The Compilation Tool 12.Compile data the DATIM Compilation System computes derived variables, such as basal area or biomass, and stores them in an enhanced version of FSVeg (a DataMart).

22 The Analytical Tools 13.Assess and interpret data use the spatial/tabular analytical tool to ask questions of the data and compare the study area to the forest matrix.

23 EVALIDatorPC MS Access Tool

24 FIDO Forest Inventory Data Online

25 Spatial Interface to Analysis Tool Select plots by: Features (polygons) User-defined polygon Features in table Distance from linear features Return list of plots and polygon area to ATIM for estimating tables.

26 Final Steps in Adaptive Management 14.Evaluate objectives and monitoring protocol. Did the data collected meet the information needs? 15.Decide on future forest/grassland management Biennial Monitoring Reports Watershed Assessments Climate Scorecard Plan Amendments or Revisions Broad-scale monitoring

27 Benefits National consistency in developing monitoring plans and in reporting estimates on NFS lands, plus the design and analysis tools would be integrated and linked to one another. Enhanced forest and region monitoring design skills resulting in efficient and effective monitoring plans. Statistically defensible designs and resultant estimates, which are consistent between FIA and NFS. Ability to address mid-level information needs, intensification of plots, changes in remeasurement cycle, and addition of attributes.

28 Benefits (cont.) Used for customized reporting at forest, regional, national and international levels. Centralized development means that changes can be implemented once in response to user demand or to environmental changes such as those from CIO. Integration with FIA for both the design and the analytical tool. Allows forest staffs to leverage the existing FIA data with intensified data that are available to them.

29 Next Steps Actively developing the ATIM and Spatial Intersection Tools based on current requirements. Vet requirements with stakeholder groups Land Management Planning community Inventory and monitoring staff at Regional and Forest levels Resource program managers in WO and ROs

30 Key Points Determine your questions (DTIM can help) Identify best dataset or sampling system to address your questions. Find most efficient combination. FIA data can help answer questions at Forest and landscape scales for suitable and unsuitable lands Tools available now and more coming to analyze these mid-scale data Your feedback is helpful to make DATIM as useful as possible to NFS across the country

31 Contact DATIM Project Leader Charles T. Chip Scott National Inventory & Monitoring Applications Center (NIMAC) Forest Inventory & Analysis USDA Forest Service 11 Campus Blvd., Suite 200 Newtown Square, PA