Developing historically-consistent and broadly-applicable monitoring, reporting, and verification system for quantifying forest change

Project Leader:

Anthony D'Amato

Project Investigators:

Dr. Christopher Woodall, USFS Northern Research Station

Dr. Grant Domke, USFS Northern Research Station

Dr. Matthew Russell, University of Minnesota

Partners:

Federal agencies

US Fish and Wildlife Service

Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs)

Appalachian LCC

Upper Midwest and Great Lakes LCC

North Atlantic LCC

USDA Forest Service National Forest System

Research community

University of Minnesota

Tribal Organizations

State agencies

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States:

Maine

New Hampshire

Vermont

Massachusetts

Rhode Island

Connecticut

Maryland

Pennsylvania

Ohio

Michigan

Indiana

Wisconsin

Illinois

Minnesota

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Status:

Ongoing

Overview

Given the increasing impacts of climate change and natural disturbances on forest ecosystems across the US, there is a need for monitoring systems that allow for accurate and rapid detection of historic and future changes in forest area and carbon stocks. This collaborative project between UMN, USFS, and NASA is piloting a Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) accounting system that could be used within the context of the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory baseline reporting to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. To accomplish this, baseline biomass density and historic data about forest change derived from Landsat and LIDAR information are being combined with USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis monitoring system to provide annual estimates of forest C stock and stock change from 1990 to present for several regions of the US. Products include maps and data layers depicting forest change over broad geographic areas and a MRV accounting system for assessing forest area and carbon density.

Publications

Ma, W., Domke, G. M., Woodall, C. W., & D'Amato, A. (2019). Land Use Changes, Disturbances, and Their Interactions on Future Forest Aboveground Biomass Dynamics in the Northern US. Forests, 10, 606. http://doi.org/10.3390/f10070606 (Original work published Jul-23-2019)

Ma, W., Domke, G. M., D'Amato, A., Woodall, C. W., Walters, B. F., & Deo, R. K. (2018). Using matrix models to estimate aboveground forest biomass dynamics in the eastern USA through various combinations of LiDAR, Landsat, and forest inventory data. Environmental Research Letters, 13, 125004. http://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aaeaa3 (Original work published Dec-3-2018)

Engelstad, P. S., Falkowski, M. J., D'Amato, A., Slesak, R. A., Palik, B. J., Domke, G. M., & Russell, M. B. (2019). Mapping black ash dominated stands using geospatial and forest inventory data in northern Minnesota, USA. Canadian Journal Of Forest Research, 892-902. http://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2018-0481 (Original work published Jun-03-2019)

Sass, E. M., D'Amato, A., & Foster, D. R. (2018). Lasting legacies of historical clearcutting, wind, and salvage logging on old-growth Tsuga canadensis-Pinus strobus forests. Forest Ecology And Management, 419-420, 31-41. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2018.03.012 (Original work published Jan-07-2018)

Ma, W., Woodall, C. W., Domke, G. M., D'Amato, A., & Walters, B. F. (2018). Stand age versus tree diameter as a driver of forest carbon inventory simulations in the northeastern U.S. Canadian Journal Of Forest Research, 48, 1135-1147. http://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2018-0019 (Original work published Jan-10-2018)

D'Amato, A., Orwig, D. A., Foster, D. R., Plotkin, A. B., Schoonmaker, P. K., & Wagner, M. R. (2017). Long-term structural and biomass dynamics of virgin Tsuga canadensis-Pinus strobus forests after hurricane disturbance. Ecology, 98, 721-733. http://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.1684 (Original work published Feb-03-2017)

Woodall, C. W., Walters, B. F., Russell, M. B., Coulston, J. W., Domke, G. M., D'Amato, A., & Sowers, P. A. (2016). A Tale of Two Forest Carbon Assessments in the Eastern United States: Forest Use Versus Cover as a Metric of Change. Ecosystems, 19, 1401-1417. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-016-0012-0 (Original work published Jan-12-2016)

Woodall, C. W., Walters, B. F., Coulston, J. W., D'Amato, A., Domke, G. M., Russell, M. B., & Sowers, P. A. (2015). Monitoring Network Confirms Land Use Change is a Substantial Component of the Forest Carbon Sink in the eastern United States. Scientific Reports, 5, 17028. http://doi.org/10.1038/srep17028 (Original work published December 2015)

Russell, M. B., Domke, G. M., Woodall, C. W., & D'Amato, A. (2015). Comparisons of allometric and climate-derived estimates of tree coarse root carbon stocks in forests of the United States. Carbon Balance And Management. http://doi.org/10.1186/s13021-015-0032-7 (Original work published 4-Sep-2015AD)

Russell, M. B., Fraver, S., Aakala, T., Gove, J. H., Woodall, C. W., D'Amato, A., & Ducey, M. J. (2015). Quantifying carbon stores and decomposition in dead wood: A review. Forest Ecology And Management, 350, 107-128. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2015.04.033 (Original work published August 2015)

Woodall, C. W., Russell, M. B., Walters, B. F., D'Amato, A., Fraver, S., & Domke, G. M. (2015). Net carbon flux of dead wood in forests of the Eastern US. Oecologia, 177, 861-874. http://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-014-3171-8 (Original work published March 2015)

Russell, M. B., D'Amato, A., Schulz, B. K., Woodall, C. W., Domke, G. M., & Bradford, J. B. (2014). Quantifying understorey vegetation in the US Lake States: a proposed framework to inform regional forest carbon stocks. Forestry, 87, 629-638. http://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpu023 (Original work published December 2014)

Russell, M. B., Woodall, C. W., D'Amato, A., Fraver, S., & Bradford, J. B. (2014). Technical Note: Linking climate change and downed woody debris decomposition across forests of the eastern United States. Biogeosciences Discussions, 11, 9013-9034. http://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-6417-2014 (Original work published 2014)

Russell, M. B., Woodall, C. W., D'Amato, A., Domke, G. M., & Saatchi, S. S. (2014). Beyond mean functional traits: Influence of functional trait profiles on forest structure, production, and mortality across the eastern US. Forest Ecology And Management, 328, 1-9. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2014.05.014 (Original work published September 2014)

Russell, M. B., Woodall, C. W., Fraver, S., D'Amato, A., Domke, G. M., & Skog, K. E. (2014). Residence time and decay for downed woody debris biomass/carbon in eastern US forests. Ecosystems, 17, 765-777. Retrieved from http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/46089

Fraver, S., Milo, A. M., Bradford, J. B., D'Amato, A., Kenefic, L., Palik, B. J., et al. (2013). Woody Debris Volume Depletion Through Decay: Implications for Biomass and Carbon Accounting. Ecosystems, 16, 1262-1272. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-013-9682-z (Original work published November 2013)

Russell, M. B., Woodall, C. W., Fraver, S., & D'Amato, A. (2013). Estimates of downed woody debris decay class transitions for forests across the eastern United States. Ecological Modelling, 251, 22-31. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2012.12.012 (Original work published February 2013)

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Presentations

Ma, W., G. Domke, C.Woodall, and A.W. D'Amato. Comprehensive effects of land use change and disturbances on forest aboveground biomass dynamics in the northern USA. 2018. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, Washington, D.C. December 11, 2018.

D'Amato, A.W. 2018. A lesson in severe, episodic forest disturbances: The 1938 hurricane and long-term dead wood legacies. New England Society of American Foresters Winter Meeting. Nashua, NH. 2018

M. Russell, G. Domke, C. Woodall, A. D’Amato. Incorporating climate into belowground carbon estimates in the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory. 2015 Forest Inventory and Analysis Symposium. Portland, OR. December 8-10, 2015.

Woodall, C.W., Walters, B.F., Coulston, J.W., D’Amato, A.W., Domke, G.M., Russell, M.B., Sowers, P.A. 2015. Recent land use change is a substantial component of the forest carbon sink in the eastern United States. 100th Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting. August 9-14, 2015. Baltimore, MD.

Woodall, C.W., Walters, B.F., Coulston, J.W., D’Amato, A.W., Domke, G.M., Russell, M., Sowers, P. 2015. Forest carbon stocks and stock changes across classes of land use and land use change in the eastern US. 95th Winter Meeting of the New England Society of American Foresters. Fairlee, VT. March 24-27, 2015.

Woodall, C.W., Walters, B.F., Coulston, J.W., D’Amato, A.W., Domke, G.M., Russell, M., Sowers, P. 2015. Recent land use change is a substantial component of the forest carbon sink in the eastern US. 95th Winter Meeting of the New England Society of American Foresters. Fairlee, VT. March 24-27, 2015.

Woodall, C.W., Walters, B.F., Coulston, J.W., D’Amato, A.W., Domke, G.M., Russell, M., Sowers, P. 2015. Forest carbon stocks and stock changes across classes of land use and land use change in the eastern US. 5th North American Carbon Program Principal Investigators Meeting. Jan. 26-29, 2015. Washington, DC.

Russell, M.B., G.M. Domke, C.W. Woodall, A.W. D’Amato. Incorporating climate in the US National Greenhouse Gas Inventory to quantify belowground forest C stocks. 5th North American Carbon Program Principal Investigators Meeting, Washington, DC. Jan. 26-29, 2015.

Woodall, C.W., Walters, B.F., Coulston, J.W., D’Amato, A.W., Domke, G.M., Russell, M., Sowers, P. Forest carbon stocks and stock changes across classes of land use and land use change in the eastern US. 5th North American Carbon Program Principal Investigators Meeting, Washington, DC. Jan. 26-29, 2015.

Woodall, C.W., Domke, G.M., Smith, J.E., Coulston, J., Healey, S.P., Perry, C.H., Gray, A., Russell, M., D’Amato, A.W., Ogle, S., Swan, A. Reducing uncertainty and increasing consistency: Recent technical improvements to the 2015 United States forest carbon inventory. American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA. Dec. 15-19, 2014.

Russell, M.B., Woodall, C.W., D’Amato, A.W., Fraver, S., Walters, B.F. Domke, G.M., Skog, K.E. The half-life and residency of coarse woody debris biomass/carbon in eastern US forests. Presentation at The 4th North American Carbon Program All-Investigators Meeting, Albuquerque, NM. February 4-7, 2013.

M. Russell, C. W. Woodall, D’Amato, A.W., and S. Fraver. Residence time and decay rates of downed woody debris across eastern US forests. Presentation at 2nd IUFRO Conference on Complex Forest Ecosystems: Tree to Landscape, New Orleans, LA. October 7, 2013.

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Other

Media: Solutions Magazine, Fall 2013. “Rising from the ashes: What happens when the trees disappear from the forest?” /news/rising-ashes-what-happens-when-trees-disappear-forest