Tag: Forest health monitoring

Assessing the Health of U.S. Forests

by Lars Pomara, Eastern Threat Center  • 
Forests are complex ecosystems. They are constantly changing as a result of tree growth, variations in weather and climate, and disturbances from fire, pathogens, and other stressors. The USDA Forest Service Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) program tracks these ongoing changes — every year, across the nation — as a forest health check up. The 2018…  More 

The State of the Nation’s Forests

by Stephanie Worley Firley, Eastern Threat Center  • 
Forests are constantly changing with weather, disturbance, and conversion to other land uses, but how do we know if year-to-year changes are just a one-off or part of a larger shift? Annual summaries of forest health are key to our understanding, say the editors and authors that produced Forest Health Monitoring: National Status, Trends, and…  More 

Annual Forest Health Checkup

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
Insects, diseases, droughts, and fire threaten forests. Each year, the U.S. Forest Service assesses threats facing the nation’s forests. Forest managers, scientists, and decision-makers rely on the annual reports. SRS recently published the 2016 Forest Health Monitoring report. The report is the 16th in the annual series, and is sponsored by the FS Forest Health…  More 

UrbanCrowns and ForestCrowns

by Zoё Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
Yesterday’s article covered a method of estimating the stormwater function of urban trees using forest canopy measures. Just how does a manager or other practitioner calculate the extent of a tree crown or a forest stand canopy? U.S. Forest Service scientists from the Southern Research Station Utilization of Southern Forest Resources unit have developed software tools…  More 

Annual Report Keeps a Finger on the Pulse of U.S. Forest Health

by Stephanie Worley Firley, Eastern Threat Center  • 
Everyone can understand the importance of a yearly checkup for monitoring one’s general health and wellbeing. Regular “checkups” are also necessary to gauge the overall health and monitoring needs of U.S. forests, so managers, scientists, and decision makers look to the U.S. Forest Service’s annual Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) national report to gain insights into…  More