FOREST INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS NATIONAL CORE FIELD GUIDE VOLUME I: FIELD DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES FOR PHASE 2 PLOTS Version 8.0 NORTHERN RESEARCH STATION FOREST SERVICE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE October 2018 National Core Field Guide Version 8.0 Northern Research Station Edition October 2018 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 2018. Forest Inventory and Analysis National Core Field Guide Volume I: Field Data Collection Procedures for Phase 2 Plots. Version 8.0. Unpublished information on file at http://www.fia.fs.fed.us/library/field-guides-methods-proc/. “Anyone who establishes a permanent plot should recognize that he or she hereby assumes responsibility for furnishing workers with a complete picture of conditions on the plot at the time of its establishment. Not only must each plot be properly marked and all measures are in near perfect order, but all notes and records must be complete. Otherwise, the plots may fail to yield the desired results and those who in later years become responsible for their care and for the analysis of the data, may be led to serious mistakes.” [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service 1935.] NRS Note: Data elements and procedures from the previous regional guides may no longer be applicable. NRS FIA Field Guide Version 8.0 Volume 1 is based on the National Core FIA Field Guide Version 8.0. All data elements are national unless indicated as follows: National data elements that end in “+N” (e.g., x.x+N) have had values, codes, or text added, changed, or adjusted from the CORE program*. Any additional regional text for a national CORE data element is hi-lighted or shown as a “NRS Note.” All regional data elements end in “N” (e.g., x.xN). The text for a regional data element is not hi-lighted and does not have a corresponding variable in CORE. All state specific regional data elements end in “N-XX” (e.g., x.xN-ME). The text for a state data element is not hi-lighted. NRS electronic file notes: National and regional FIA data elements that are not applicable in NRS are formatted as light gray or light gray hidden text. Hyperlink cross-references are included for various sections, figures, and tables. *All national data elements with added regional values/codes must be collapsed back to existing national standards by the Information Group unless supported by NIMS. Please direct questions or comments about this document to: Bob Ilgenfritz James Blehm Forest Inventory and Analysis Unit Forest Inventory and Analysis Unit USDA Forest Service USDA Forest Service 11 Campus Blvd., Ste. 200 1992 Folwell Ave Newtown Square, PA 19073 St. Paul, MN 55108 (610) 557-4061 (651) 649-5198 [email protected] [email protected] 1 National Core Field Guide Version 8.0 Northern Research Station Edition October 2018 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 13 Field Guide Layout ................................................................................................................................. 13 Units of Measure .................................................................................................................................... 14 0.0+N GENERAL DESCRIPTION ......................................................................................................... 15 0.1+N Plot Setup ............................................................................................................................... 17 0.2 Plot Integrity ................................................................................................................................. 18 0.5N Plot Data Security ................................................................................................................... 19 0.6N Wilderness (Reserved) Areas ................................................................................................ 21 0.7N Border States ......................................................................................................................... 22 1.0 PLOT LEVEL DATA ......................................................................................................................... 24 1.0.1N CYCLE [CYCL] .................................................................................................................. 24 1.0.2N SUB-CYCLE [SUBC] ......................................................................................................... 24 1.1+N STATE [ST] ............................................................................................................................ 24 1.1.1N UNIT [UNIT] ....................................................................................................................... 24 1.2+N COUNTY [CNTY] ................................................................................................................... 24 1.3+N PLOT NUMBER [PLT#] .......................................................................................................... 25 1.4+N PLOT STATUS [STAT]........................................................................................................... 25 1.5+N NONFOREST SAMPLING STATUS ...................................................................................... 25 1.6 NONFOREST PLOT STATUS Not Collected in NRS ................................................................. 25 1.7 PLOT NONSAMPLED REASON [REAS] .................................................................................... 25 1.8 NONFOREST PLOT NONSAMPLED REASON Not Collected in NRS ...................................... 26 1.9+N SUBPLOTS EXAMINED [EXAM] ........................................................................................... 26 1.10+N SAMPLE KIND [SK] ............................................................................................................... 27 1.10.1N PHASE ............................................................................................................................. 27 1.11 PREVIOUS PLOT NUMBER [PRV#] .......................................................................................... 27 1.12+N FIELD GUIDE VERSION ....................................................................................................... 28 1.13+N Current and Previous Date ..................................................................................................... 28 1.13.1 YEAR [YEAR] .................................................................................................................... 28 1.13.2 MONTH [MONT] ................................................................................................................ 28 1.13.3 DAY [DAY] ......................................................................................................................... 28 1.13.4N PREVIOUS YEAR [PYEAR] ............................................................................................ 28 1.13.5N PREVIOUS MONTH [PMON] .......................................................................................... 28 1.14 DECLINATION (CORE OPTIONAL) Not Collected in NRS ........................................................ 29 1.15+N HORIZONTAL DISTANCE TO IMPROVED ROAD [RDIS] ................................................... 29 1.16+N WATER ON PLOT [WTYP] .................................................................................................... 29 1.17 QA STATUS [QAST] ................................................................................................................... 29 1.18 CREW NUMBER [CRW1, CRW2, CRW3, CRW4, CRW5] ......................................................... 30 1.18.1N QA SCORE [QASC] ......................................................................................................... 30 1.18.1.1N QA SCORE CREW NUMBER [PROD1, PROD2, PROD3, PROD4, PROD5] ........ 30 1.18.2N ONE OR TWO PERSON PLOT [CRSZ] .......................................................................... 30 1.18.3N PLOT SEASON [SEAS] ................................................................................................... 30 1.18.4N TRAINING PLOT [TRAN] ................................................................................................. 31 1.18.5N DENIED ACCESS REASON [DARE] .............................................................................. 31 1.19+N GPS Coordinates ................................................................................................................... 31 1.19.1 GPS Unit Settings, Datum, and Coordinate System ......................................................... 32 1.19.2+N Collecting Readings ........................................................................................................ 32 1.19.3+N GPS UNIT [UNIT]............................................................................................................ 32 1.19.4 GPS SERIAL NUMBER [GPS#] ........................................................................................ 33 1.19.5+N GPS ENTRY METHOD [METH] ..................................................................................... 33 1.19.6 GPS DATUM [DATM] ........................................................................................................ 33 2 National Core Field Guide Version 8.0 Northern Research Station Edition October 2018 1.19.7+N COORDINATE SYSTEM [COORS] ................................................................................ 33 1.19.8+N Latitude