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© Copyright 2005
Georgia Forestry
Commission
ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED
1-800-GA-TREES
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Forest Inventory & Analysis (FIA)
The Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC), in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service currently conducts ongoing forest inventory measurements throughout Georgia. The purpose is to periodically gather land and forest resource data from a series of permanent sample plots in order to assess current forest resource status and trends in Georgia. This forest inventory system enables GFC staff to provide guidance and assistance to the existing forest industry and prospective industries in sustainable utilization of Georgia's renewable forest resources.
FIA Data Collection Facts
Sample plots are established throughout Georgia at a density of about 1 plot per 6000 acres. They have been selected randomly, without regard to current land use, ownership, location, or land use changes which may have occurred since the previous inventory.
Twelve Georgia Forestry Commission Foresters work full time to collect this data.
An effort is made to contact and secure landowner permission prior to plot measurement by FIA foresters. In some cases, prior landowner contact cannot be made.
Approximately twenty percent (20%) of the sample plots are measured each year and all sample plots are measured within a 5- year period.
Data includes species composition and diversity, live wood and biomass volumes, wood growth and removals, forest health, insect and disease impact, past natural and man-caused disturbances, land use changes (i.e. conversion of land areas from forest to non-forest and vice versa), and many other types of data.
Data collection does not affect property taxes, nor will it limit in any way, the land use options of the landowner.
Plots are not clearly marked in an effort to avoid influencing any land management decisions/activities since each one is a representative snapshot of our forests at the time of measurement.
Landowner cooperation for our data collection is greatly appreciated. Please contact FIA Coordinator David Dickinson (Email: ddickinson@gfc.state.ga.us, Phone: 770-238-7685) for further information.
FIA Data Use
Collected data is electronically compiled and forwarded to the U.S. Forest Service FIA program office in Knoxville, Tennessee. Approximately 20% of the sample plots are collected each year and data compilation is performed each year on the last five years of measurements across all plots. This provides a 5-year rolling average for data parameters. The data is compiled into county, regional, and state summaries and as well as made available on the online FIA database shown at Forest Inventory Data Query Tools.
When using FIA data, the GFC recommends:
Professional foresters, with FIA data experience, provide further analysis and data interpretation for private companies and other organizations with limited forestry backgrounds. Contact the GFC Forest Utilization staff for more information on FIA data use for industry. (Nathan McClure, Email: nmcclure@gfc.state.ga.us, Phone: 478-951-4548)
FIA data users should review the definition of terms beginning on page 7 of the FIA Statistics Report for Georgia at
http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/rb/rb_srs036.pdf.
Consideration should be given to the sampling error for all FIA data queries:
- Data queries for small areas should not be done. A good rule of thumb for Georgia is to examine a geographic area that includes at least 20 counties, or a 50 mile radius of a given point.
- Sampling errors tend to be small for general data queries and sampling error is larger for more detailed data queries. For example, a query of total pine growing stock volume has less error than an estimate of Longleaf pine growing stock volume in the 21-25 year age class.
FIA data can be used for estimating the following forest attributes within a given geographic area, including statewide:
Amounts of forestland and various forest types
Amounts of forestland in various ownership categories and ownership changes
Amounts of forestland in various age classes
Wildlife habitat potential using forest type and age class
Timber and forest biomass volumes
Timber growth and removal amounts
Other uses of FIA data are described in a Forest Service Fact Sheet at http://www.fia.fs.fed.us/library/fact-sheets/overview/FIA_Data_Uses.pdf
Additonal Resources
Summary of 2008 Forestland Survey Data (pdf) for Georgia by County and Ownership Group: (2007 Data)
Georgia's Forests, 2004, U.S. Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Resource Bulletin SRS-149
Forest Inventory & Analysis Factsheet Georgia 2004
Forest Inventory Data Query Tools, U.S. Forest Service
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