Using forest inventory data to assess exposure of U.S. forest land to nearby disturbances and land-use change
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This document summarizes research using forest inventory data and satellite imagery to assess exposure of U.S. forest land to nearby disturbances and land use change from 2001-2010. The researchers used a neighborhood approach to link forest inventory plots to pixels showing canopy disturbances or land use conversions. They found that 23% of forest land experienced a disturbance such as fire, stress, or removal, with private lands experiencing more disturbance than public lands. Disturbance exposure varied by forest type and ownership, with western forests generally experiencing more fire and eastern forests more removals. 13-15% of forests experienced multiple co-occurring disturbances. The neighborhood approach provides consistent exposure metrics across the U.S. to monitor disturbances over time.
Using forest inventory data to assess exposure of U.S. forest land to nearby disturbances and land-use change
- 1. Using forest inventory data to assess exposure of U.S. forest land to nearby disturbances and land-use change Jennifer Costanza Karen Schleeweis, Kurt Riitters April 12, 2021
- 2. Disturbances nearby add pressure to forests Mike Lewelling, forest-atlas.fs.fed.us Sam Beebe, Flickr Fort Bragg, North Carolina Francis Eatherington, forest-atlas.fs.fed.us
- 3. Disturbances to U.S. Forests and Rangelands How much disturbance and land-use change have forests in the conterminous U.S. been exposed to? A spatial neighborhood approach How does exposure vary by forest type group (broad vegetation type), ownership, and protection status? Tuesday: T-11, Landscape Change Kurt Riitters: Forest gain and loss in a shifting landscape mosaic
- 4. FIA: inventory of forest land to support estimation Forest plots across the conterminous US FIA database Area expansion factor Allows stratification by: Forest type group Ownership Protection status
- 5. Disturbance and land-use change Schleeweis et al. 2020 doi: 10.3390/f11060653 https://daac.ornl.gov Land-use change 2001-2011 (NLCD) Conversion to agricultural land use Conversion to urban land use Removals Fire Stress Stable forest https://www.mrlc.gov Forest canopy disturbances 2001-2010 (NAFD-ATT)
- 6. Linking plots and pixels via a neighborhood Area expansion factor Forest type group Ownership Protection status Inventory 147,000 plots, circa 2013 Canopy disturbance and land-use change 2001-2010 Exposure of forest land to disturbance or increases in ag or urban land use within a 4.4-ha neighborhood 7x7 window Neighborhood
- 7. Exposure of all U.S. forest land to disturbance and land-use change, 2001-2010 *Categories are not mutually exclusive
- 8. Who owns forest land that was exposed to disturbance? Private ownership Public ownership 23% 80% 72% 15% 7%
- 9. What is the protection status of forest land that was exposed to disturbance?
- 10. FIA forest type groups: broad forest types East West
- 11. Exposure by forest type group Western US Eastern US Most common Least common Most common Least common Removal Stress Fire
- 12. Exposure by forest type group Private ownership Public ownership Western US Eastern US Most common Least common Most common Least common
- 13. Exposure to multiple disturbances Private ownership Public ownership Western US Most common Least common Fire Stress Removal 1.00 0.75 0.50 0.25 0 13% of forest had exposure to co-occurring disturbances, 2001-2010 Proportion of Douglas-fir forest
- 14. Exposure to multiple disturbances Private ownership Public ownership Eastern US Most common Least common Removal 1.00 0.75 0.50 0.25 Proportion of Longleaf / slash pine forest Ag. Or dev. Stress Fire 15% of forest had exposure to co-occurring disturbances or land-use change, 2001-2010
- 15. Conclusions Benefits of the neighborhood approach Leverage the strengths of inventory and raster maps Develop consistent metrics across the U.S. Can be used for monitoring multiple disturbances over time Should be a first filter and prompt a deeper look at sensitivities, vulnerability, conservation, and management actions Sets the stage for further analysis and insights: link with other attributes from the FIA inventory Additional stratification Statistical estimation of effects of exposure to disturbance