Timber Products Monitoring

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program surveys primary roundwood receiving facilities in the United States to determine industrial uses of roundwood. The questionnaires provide general mill information such as location, type, and size, as well as procurement information such as the volume of roundwood received by product type, species, and geographic origin. The questionnaires are also used to estimate the volume, type, and use of mill residues. For ease of reporting, few restrictions are placed on the units of measure, meaning mills can report volume estimates in whatever units they choose. Conversion factors or procedures are then used to transform the survey data into regional and national standardized units. These conversion factors can vary by region, State, product type, species, survey year, or other variables. This report provides a compilation and discussion of the regional conversion factors used by FIA to transform mill survey roundwood and residue volume estimates into standard units of measurement.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program surveys primary roundwood receiving facilities in the United States to determine industrial uses of roundwood. The questionnaires provide general mill information such as location, type, and size, as well as procurement information such as the volume of roundwood received by product type, species, and geographic origin. The questionnaires are also used to estimate the volume, type, and use of mill residues. For ease of reporting, few restrictions are placed on the units of measure, meaning mills can report volume estimates in whatever units they choose. Conversion factors or procedures are then used to transform the survey data into regional and national standardized units. These conversion factors can vary by region, State, product type, species, survey year, or other variables. This report provides a compilation and discussion of the regional conversion factors used by FIA to transform mill survey roundwood and residue volume estimates into standard units of measurement.

To satisfy the increased demand for forest products, much of the future timber supply is expected to be derived from improved trees grown on managed plantations. This fast-grown resource will tend to be harvested in short-age rotations and will contain higher proportions of juvenile wood compared with wood in current harvests. As a result, current allowable properties may need to be reduced in the future. This report explores four options for monitoring the properties of fastgrown wood and briefly discusses the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches. The recommended multiple-stage sampling approach is illustrated in detail using simulated results based on the North American In-Grade test results for Southern Pine. Finally, the report presents details of a gbsreal worldgcs example of monitoring lumber properties currently being conducted by the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau.

Nontimber forest products (NTFPs) are fundamental to the functioning of healthy forests and play vital roles in the cultures and economies of the people of the United States. However, these plants and fungi used for food, medicine, and other purposes have not been fully incorporated into management, policy, and resource valuation. This report is a forest-sectorwide assessment of the state of the knowledge regarding NTFPs science and management information for U.S. forests and rangelands (and hereafter referred to as the NTFP assessment). The NTFP assessment serves as a baseline science synthesis and provides information for managing nontimber forest resources in the United States. In addition, this NTFP assessment provides information for national-level reporting on natural capital and the ecosystem services NTFPs provide. The report also provides technical input to the 2017 National Climate Assessment (NCA) under development by the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP).

Monitoring protocols are presented for: landbirds; raptors; small, medium and large mammals; bats; terrestrial amphibians and reptiles; vertebrates in aquatic ecosystems; plant species, and habitats.

Much information is available for specific gravity and other properties of wood and bark, but it is widely scattered in the literature. This paper compiles information for estimation of biomass for 156 tree species found in North America for use in national forest inventory applications. We present specific gravities based on average green volume as well as 12 percent moisture content volume for calculation of oven-dry biomass. Additional information is included on bark thickness, bark voids, and bark percentages by species and green and dry weight of wood and bark. --

With relative humidity and temperature data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the average equilibrium moisture content for each month of the year was calculated for 262 locations in the United States and 122 locations outside the United States. As an aid for storage of kiln-dried lumber, a graph is presented for determining the reduction in equilibrium moisture content that results from heating air in an enclosed storage space above the temperature of the outside air.

The book presents the current state and good practices of national forest inventories in monitoring wood resources and demonstrates pathways for harmonisation and improved common reporting. Beyond a general overview over availability and use of wood resources in different countries, it provides a unique collection of original contributions from national forest inventory experts with in-depth descriptions of current NFI methods in assessing wood availability and wood use in European countries, and selected countries from America and Asia.The main topics are national definitions and improvements in common reporting of forests available for wood supply, stem quality and assortments, estimation of change including growth and drain, and tree resources outside forest land. The book is a must-have for everyone who is contributing to national forest inventories either methodologically or operatively, for people who want or need to understand national forest inventory provided data and information on the availability of wood resources. By providing profound knowledge it is a valuable basis for scientists involved in scenario modelling and analysing effects of climate change, as well as individuals in private organisations and public administrations promoting the sustainable use of natural resources and the potential of green economy.