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New Approaches to FIA data for understanding distribution, abundance, and response to climate change

Informally Refereed

Abstract

We are using Forest Inventory and Analysis data to examine evidence for tree responses to climate change. By comparing seedling and tree occurrence data, we found that there is not yet evidence that tree populations in the eastern half of the United States are shifting geographic ranges to higher latitude in response to warming temperature. We are developing novel statistical methods to quantify seedling abundance in relation to climate and biotic variables, and to compare seedling and tree responses. We summarize how combining abundance data for seedlings and trees is allowing us to identify differences in how trees respond to climate change in the eastern half of the United States.

Parent Publication

Keywords

statistics, estimation, sampling, modeling, remote sensing, forest health, data integrity, environmental monitoring, cover estimation, international forest monitoring

Citation

Zhu, Kai; Ghosh, Souparno; Gelfand, Alan E.; Clark, James S. 2012. New Approaches to FIA data for understanding distribution, abundance, and response to climate change. In: Morin, Randall S.; Liknes, Greg C., comps. Moving from status to trends: Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) symposium 2012; 2012 December 4-6; Baltimore, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-105. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. [CD-ROM]: 86-91.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/42676