US National Maps Attributing Forest Change: 1986–2010

Forests

Samuel N. Goward¹  Chengquan Huang¹  Gretchen G. Moisen²  Karen G. Schleeweis²  Elizabeth A. Freeman²  Chris Toney²  Todd A. Schroeder³  Jennifer L. Dungan⁴ 

[1] Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, 2181 Samuel J. LeFrak Hall, College Park, MD 20742, USA;Forest Inventory and Analysis, US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 507 25th Street, Ogden, UT 84401, USA;Forest Inventory and Analysis, US Forest Service, Southern Research Station, 4700 Old Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919, USA;NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA;

关键词: forest cover loss;    disturbance;    conversion;    attribution;    Landsat time series;    Random Forests;   

DOI  :  10.3390/f11060653

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

National monitoring of forestlands and the processes causing canopy cover loss, be they abrupt or gradual, partial or stand clearing, temporary (disturbance) or persisting (deforestation), are necessary at fine scales to inform management, science and policy. This study utilizes the Landsat archive and an ensemble of disturbance algorithms to produce maps attributing event type and timing to > 258 million ha of contiguous Unites States forested ecosystems (1986–2010). Nationally, 75.95 million forest ha (759,531 km²) experienced change, with 80.6% attributed to removals, 12.4% to wildfire, 4.7% to stress and 2.2% to conversion. Between regions, the relative amounts and rates of removals, wildfire, stress and conversion varied substantially. The removal class had 82.3% (0.01 S.E.) user’s and 72.2% (0.02 S.E.) producer’s accuracy. A survey of available national attribution datasets, from the data user’s perspective, of scale, relevant processes and ecological depth suggests knowledge gaps remain.

【 授权许可】

Unknown