Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative

Massachusetts Forest Health Monitoring: Tree Health and Physiology Measurements

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Metadata Provider

  • Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative

    • Address:
      705 Spear Street
      South Burlington, Vermont 05403
      United States of America

      Phone: (802) 391-4135
      Email: femc@uvm.edu
      Website: www.uvm.edu/femc

Abstract

    The Forest Health Monitoring Program was established in 1991 as a joint effort between the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) and the Vermont Monitoring Cooperative (VMC) (as of March 2017 renamed to Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative (FEMC)) to monitor the condition of a range of tree species in Vermont. Plot design follows the structure set by the National Forest Health Monitoring Program with additional metrics added to reflect improvements in monitoring technologies and additions to monitoring objectives. In collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the FEMC expanded the Forest Health Monitoring program that has been running in Vermont for over 15 years to Massachusetts. In 2019 twenty forested plots were selected from the network of plots that MA DCR has maintained to monitor wood quality and yield on state lands since the 1960s. The goal is to establish a total of twenty-five plots by 2020. Plots were selected to be representative of MA forest composition and distributed across the state. The field crews measured tree demography, including saplings and seedlings, recorded browse, invasive species, and damages, and assessed crown health, among other metrics. Plots will be assessed on an annual basis to provide an early warning sign of forest stress and changes in demography. We thank Bill VanDoren and Nicole Keleher at MA DCR for help with this effort.

People

  • Alexandra Kosiba: Principal Investigator

  • James Duncan: Principal Investigator

  • John Truong: Principal Investigator

  • Matthias Nevins: Content Provider

  • Matthias Sirch: Content Provider

  • Brenna Christensen: Content Provider

  • Eva Paradiso: Content Provider

  • Julia Pupko: Content Provider

  • Bill VanDoren: Content Provider

  • Nicole Keleher: Content Provider

Keywords

  • forest health monitoring, measurements, tree growth, tree health, tree species,

Organizations

  • Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative (FEMC) : lead
  • Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation : partner

Geographic Coverage

  • Coordinates

    Data Table

    • Title: Tree Health and Physiology Measurements
    • Start Date: 2019-08-13
    • End Date: 2021-12-31
    • Description: Measurements of a wide range of tree characteristics, including height, diameter, crown condition, health indicators and others

    • Purpose: Quantify and track changes in forest health over time

    • Condensed Title: Z1624_3220_E6RECG

    • Object Name: VMC.1624.3220

    • Data Type: mySQL
    • Citation: Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative and Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (2020) Tree Health and Physiology Measurements. FEMC. Available online at: https://www.uvm.edu/femc/data/archive/project/massfhm/dataset/tree-health-physiology-measurements

    • Online Distribution: https://vmc.w3.uvm.edu/vmcdevel/data/archive/project/massfhm/dataset/tree-health-physiology-measurements

    Attribute List

      Attribute Name: ActualLength
      • Label: ActualLength
      • Description: Tree height to top of live crown
      • Storage Type: decimal
      • Measurment Type: ratio
      • Precision: 0.01
      Attribute Name: CrownBaseHeight
      • Label: CrownBaseHeight
      • Description: Height from ground to base of tree crown
      • Storage Type: decimal
      • Measurment Type: ratio
      • Precision: 0.01
      Attribute Name: CrownClass
      • Label: CrownClass
      • Description: Position of the crown relative to neighboring trees
      • Storage Type: int
      • Measurment Type: ordinal
      • Precision: 1
      Attribute Name: DBH_Dendroband
      • Label: DBH_Dendroband
      • Description: Diameter at breast height using a dendroband installed on tree
      • Storage Type: decimal
      • Measurment Type: ratio
      Attribute Name: DBH_Modified
      • Label: DBH_Modified
      • Description: Diameter at breast height measured at painted band on tree ensuring same location for future measurement
      • Storage Type: decimal
      • Measurment Type: ratio
      • Precision: 0.01
      Attribute Name: DBH_Traditional
      • Label: DBH_Traditional
      • Description: Diameter at breast height using traditional method
      • Storage Type: decimal
      • Measurment Type: ratio
      • Precision: 0.1
      Attribute Name: Defoliation
      • Label: Defoliation
      • Description: Crown defoliation class
      • Storage Type: int
      • Measurment Type: ordinal
      • Precision: 1
      Attribute Name: Dieback
      • Label: Dieback
      • Description: Code representing the percentage of the live crown area including the dieback area
      • Storage Type: int
      • Measurment Type: ordinal
      • Precision: 1
      Attribute Name: Discoloration
      • Label: Discoloration
      • Description: Code for discoloration class
      • Storage Type: int
      • Measurment Type: ordinal
      • Precision: 1
      Attribute Name: DistanceMethod
      • Label: DistanceMethod
      • Storage Type: text
      • Measurment Type: nominal
      Attribute Name: EditReason
      • Label: EditReason
      • Storage Type: text
      • Measurment Type: nominal
      Attribute Name: HeightMethod
      • Label: HeightMethod
      • Description: The method used to measure heights - visual, clinometer, hypsometer
      • Storage Type: text
      • Measurment Type: nominal
      Attribute Name: Notes
      • Label: Notes
      • Description: Notes by text or special damage code
      • Storage Type: text
      • Measurment Type: nominal
      Attribute Name: PlotID
      • Label: PlotID
      • Description: Unique plot identifier
      • Storage Type: text
      • Measurment Type: nominal
      Attribute Name: SpecialDamage1
      • Label: SpecialDamage1
      • Description: Code for special damage 1 (code undefined)
      • Storage Type: int
      • Measurment Type: nominal
      • Precision: 1
      Attribute Name: SpecialDamage2
      • Label: SpecialDamage2
      • Description: Code for special damage 2 (code undefined)
      • Storage Type: int
      • Measurment Type: nominal
      Attribute Name: SpecialDamage3
      • Label: SpecialDamage3
      • Description: Code for special damage 3 (code undefined)
      • Storage Type: int
      • Measurment Type: nominal
      Attribute Name: Species
      • Label: Species
      • Storage Type: int
      Attribute Name: TotalLength
      • Label: TotalLength
      • Description: Tree height including dead or broken top
      • Storage Type: decimal
      • Measurment Type: ratio
      • Precision: 0.01
      Attribute Name: Transparency
      • Label: Transparency
      • Description: Foliage transparency indicator class
      • Storage Type: int
      • Measurment Type: ordinal
      • Precision: 1
      Attribute Name: TreeID
      • Label: TreeID
      • Description: Unique tree identification number
      • Storage Type: int
      • Measurment Type: nominal
      • Precision: 1
      Attribute Name: TreeStatus
      • Label: TreeStatus
      • Description: Coded tree status
      • Storage Type: int
      • Measurment Type: nominal
      Attribute Name: Vigor
      • Label: Vigor
      • Description: Coded tree vigor rating
      • Storage Type: int
      • Measurment Type: ordinal
      • Precision: 1
      Attribute Name: Year
      • Label: Year
      • Description: Year of data collection
      • Storage Type: date
      • Measurment Type: datetime
      • Precision: 1

    Methods

    • No methods recorded for this dataset

    Sampling Equipment

    • No sampling equipment recorded for this dataset

    Site Characteristics

    • No site characteristics recorded for this dataset