FIELD INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ANNUAL INVENTORY OF ALASKA 2018 FOREST INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS RESOURCE MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION USDA FOREST SERVICE THIS MANUAL IS BASED ON: FOREST INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS NATIONAL CORE FIELD GUIDE VOLUME I: FIELD DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES VERSION 7.2 Cover image by Gretchen Bracher pg.III Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION . 19 SECTION 1.1 ORGANIZATION OF THIS MANUAL. 19 SECTION 1.2 THE INVENTORY . 20 SECTION 1.3 PRODUCTS . 20 SECTION 1.4 UNITS OF MEASURE . 20 SECTION 1.5 PLOT DESIGN GENERAL DESCRIPTION . 20 SUBSECTION 1.5.1 PLOT LAYOUT . .21 SUBSECTION 1.5.2 DATA ARE COLLECTED ON PLOTS AT THE FOLLOWING LEVELS . .21 SECTION 1.6 QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL . 22 SUBSECTION 1.6.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION . .22 SECTION 1.7 SAFETY . 22 SUBSECTION 1.7.1 SAFETY IN THE WOODS. .22 SUBSECTION 1.7.2 SAFETY IN AND AROUND THE HELICOPTER . .23 SUBSECTION 1.7.3 SAFETY ON THE ROAD. .23 SUBSECTION 1.7.4 WHAT TO DO IF INJURED . .24 SECTION 1.8 RESPECTING LANDS ACCESSED TO MEASURE FIA PLOTS IN ALASKA . 24 CHAPTER 2 LOCATING THE PLOT . 27 SECTION 2.1 LOCATING AN ESTABLISHED PLOT. 27 SUBSECTION 2.1.1 NAVIGATING WITH PHOTOGRAPHY . .27 SUBSECTION 2.1.2 NAVIGATING WITH GPS . .28 SUBSECTION 2.1.3 NAVIGATING WITH REFERENCE POINT (RP) DATA. .28 SUBSECTION 2.1.4 REVERSE REFERENCE POINT (RP) METHOD . .28 SECTION 2.2 ESTABLISHED PLOT ISSUES . 29 SUBSECTION 2.2.1 DIFFICULTY FINDING ESTABLISHED PLOTS . .29 SUBSECTION 2.2.2 INCORRECTLY INSTALLED PLOT . .30 SUBSECTION 2.2.3 INCORRECTLY INSTALLED SUBPLOT OR MICROPLOT . .30 SUBSECTION 2.2.4 PC OR SUBPLOT/MICROPLOT PIN MISSING OR MOVED. .30 SUBSECTION 2.2.5 LOST SUBPLOT . .31 SUBSECTION 2.2.6 LOST PLOT (REPLACEMENT PLOT) . .31 SECTION 2.3 LOCATING NEW PLOTS . 31 SUBSECTION 2.3.1 LOCATING PLOTS USING PHOTOS. .31 SUBSECTION 2.3.2 LOCATING A NEW PLOT WITH REFERENCE POINT (RP) . .31 SUBSECTION 2.3.3 INSTALLING A PLOT WITH TARGET (TGT) COORDINATES . .32 SECTION 2.4 CIRCUMSTANCES PRECLUDING PLOT ESTABLISHMENT/ of Contents Table MEASUREMENT. 32 SECTION 2.5 SKIPPED AND CARRYOVER PLOTS. 33 CHAPTER 3 PLOT LAYOUT AND REFERENCING. 35 SECTION 3.1 PLOT DESIGN . 35 pg.IV SUBSECTION 3.1.1 PLOT LAYOUT . .35 SUBSECTION 3.1.2 PLOT DIMENSIONS . .35 SECTION 3.2 PLOT ESTABLISHMENT . 36 SUBSECTION 3.2.1 PLOT ESTABLISHMENT GUIDELINES. .36 SUBSECTION 3.2.2 PLOT INTEGRITY . .36 SUBSECTION 3.2.3 NEW PLOT ESTABLISHMENT TOLERANCES. .37 SECTION 3.3 MONUMENTING AND REFERENCING PLOT CENTER . 37 SUBSECTION 3.3.1 THE REFERENCE POINT . .37 SUBSECTION 3.3.2 WITNESS TREES/OBJECTS . .37 SUBSECTION 3.3.3 EXCEPTIONS TO MONUMENTING PLOT CENTER. .38 SECTION 3.4 MONUMENTING AND REFERENCING SUBPLOTS 2 THROUGH 4 39 SUBSECTION 3.4.1 LOCATE AND MONUMENT SUBPLOT CENTER . .39 SUBSECTION 3.4.2 ESTABLISHING SUBPLOTS WHEN PLOT CENTER IS INACCESSIBLE . .39 SUBSECTION 3.4.3 LOCATE AND MONUMENT THE MICROPLOT. .40 SECTION 3.5 MONUMENTING AND REFERENCING ENTIRELY NONFOREST PLOTS . 40 SUBSECTION 3.5.1 NONFOREST PLOTS . .40 SUBSECTION 3.5.2 NONFOREST PLOTS WITHOUT MEASURABLE NONFOREST . .40 CHAPTER 4 PLOT LEVEL DATA. 41 SECTION 4.1 LOST PLOT/REPLACEMENT PLOT. 41 SUBSECTION 4.1.1 LOST ANNUAL PLOT. .41 SUBSECTION 4.1.2 REPLACEMENT PLOT. .41 SECTION 4.2 PLOT LEVEL DATA DOWNLOADED TO THE PDR . 42 SUBSECTION 4.2.1 PLOT LEVEL DATA ITEMS . .42 ITEM 4.2.1.1 STATE (CORE 1.1) . 42 ITEM 4.2.1.2 COUNTY (CORE 1.2) . 42 ITEM 4.2.1.3 PLOT NUMBER (CORE 1.3). 42 ITEM 4.2.1.4 CYCLE (PNW). 42 ITEM 4.2.1.5 SUBCYCLE (PNW) . 42 ITEM 4.2.1.6 PERIODIC PLOT NUMBER (AFSL, PFSL). 43 ITEM 4.2.1.7 FIELD GUIDE VERSION (CORE 1.12). .43 ITEM 4.2.1.8 PDR STARTING DATA RECORDER VERSION NUMBER (PNW) . 43 ITEM 4.2.1.9 PDR ENDING DATA RECORDER VERSION NUMBER (PNW) . 43 ITEM 4.2.1.10 DECLINATION (CORE OPTIONAL 1.14) . 44 ITEM 4.2.1.11 CHANGE MATRIX REQUIRED (PNW). 44 ITEM 4.2.1.12 P2 VEGETATION SAMPLING STATUS (CORE OPTIONAL 8.3.1) . 44 ITEM 4.2.1.13 LEVEL OF DETAIL (CORE OPTIONAL 8.3.2) . 44 ITEM 4.2.1.14 INVASIVE PLANT SAMPLING STATUS (CORE OPTIONAL 9.3) . 45 ITEM 4.2.1.15 INVASIVE PLANT SPECIMEN COLLECTION RULE (CORE OPTIONAL 9.12) . 45 ITEM 4.2.1.16 DWM SAMPLING STATUS (BASE) . .45 ITEM 4.2.1.17 SURVEY GRADE GPS SUBPLOT ROVER FILES COLLECTED (PNW) . 46 ITEM 4.2.1.18 YEAR OF PREVIOUS INVENTORY (PNW) . 46 ITEM 4.2.1.19 MONTH OF PREVIOUS INVENTORY (PNW) . 46 ITEM 4.2.1.20 YEAR OF PERIODIC INVENTORY (AFSL) . 46 SUBSECTION 4.2.2 SPECIAL STUDIES. .47 ITEM 4.2.2.1 FIRE PLOT (AFSL, PFSL) . 47 SECTION 4.3 PLOT LEVEL DATA COLLECTED IN THE FIELD . 48 SUBSECTION 4.3.1 CREW VISIT INFORMATION . .48 ITEM 4.3.1.1 SAMPLE METHOD CODE (PNW) . .48 Table of Contents pg.V ITEM 4.3.1.2 QA STATUS (CORE 1.17) . 48 ITEM 4.3.1.3 CREW TYPE (AFSL, PFSL) . 48 ITEM 4.3.1.4 CREW NUMBER (CORE 1.18) . 49 ITEM 4.3.1.5 TRANSPORTATION TO PLOT (AFSL). 49 SUBSECTION 4.3.2 CURRENT DATE OF INVENTORY. ..