Monday 27 March 2017

Forest Health Monitoring Program Guidelines

By Martha Allen


Forests are crucial for the survival of human beings and the world in general. This is the realization that informed the initiation of the Forest Health Monitoring FHM program. This program was mandated to monitor any changes in terms of severity, extent and causes. Through the use of Detection Monitoring signals, significant changes in the status of forests can be reported and early intervention action taken.

The mandate of FHM is long term. It uses such short term tenets as insect infestation and disturbance to forecast and mitigate long term damage. This program also focuses on the widespread damages on forested areas and their ecosystems as well as those damages that are unexpected. The program also monitors and follows up changes with the aim of predicting future occurrences.

Protecting forests requires and involves a combination of both state and federal agencies. All the data available is used to develop a comprehensive view of how healthy forests are across US. This is the best way to capture early signs and take action before further damage can befall this ecosystem. Both biotic and abiotic data is used in developing models that help to understand forests and how to keep them healthy.

The major activities of FHM involve detection of early signs of trouble. This is done through sophisticated tools and standardized aerial and ground surveys. This evaluation helps to detect abnormal changes and the status of forests from time to time. It is an engaging process that also relies on the experiences recorded about the areas from the past. Through comparison, one can confirm or deny the changes to facilitate further action.

There are areas that require intense or specialized attention for particular reasons. FHM provides a perfect environment and tools for such. This is mainly to conduct research and monitor certain scenarios. An example is where one would like to understand soil and ecosystem changes when calcium is depleted from the soil. Forest and environmental management bodies will thus understand better how to deal with such situations.

Monitoring tools need to be advanced as the environment changes. Sharpening these tools and developing others makes detection of future indicators of trouble more precise, easier and faster. For instance, if an invasive species is introduced or detected, action can be taken before it becomes a catastrophe. Spatial data is also used to administer a section or compare it with others for better management. New techniques also help in understanding past occurrences with certainty.

It is impossible for Forest Service to collect all information required for protection or better understanding of these areas. In collaboration with other bodies working in forests or natural environments, FHM comes up with reports that guide management of forests. When multi-level government institutions and experts combine forces, they make forests easier to manage.

There are periodic reports on forests and focusing on different aspects of interest from time to time. The target for this program is to provide an authoritative and comprehensive approach to protection of forests. The program seeks to bring together all stakeholders interested in keeping forests healthy today and in future.




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