Tongass National Forest

Vegetation Mapping Model

A new predictive vegetation mapping assessment looks at tree density and mean tree diameter as a more comprehensive means of assessing forest structure, ecosystem diversity, or wildlife habitat, than timber volume (Caouette and DeGayner 2005). This assessment resulted in development of new vegetation-mapping model (called the Size-Density Model) which can portray broad-scale patterns in tree sizes and densities using selected attributes from existing GIS layers. Testing and assessment of the overall vegetation structure mapping has been completed.

Work Product(s): Products include technical papers that describe the assessment and the model as well as the model itself. These include the following papers:

• Predictive mapping for tree sizes and densities in southeast Alaska, by Caouette and DeGayner 2005
• Broad-scale classification and mapping of tree size and density attributes in productive old-growth forests in southeast Alaska's Tongass National Forest, by Caouette and DeGayner 2006

Science Consistency: Forest Service scientists have developed papers that describe the model for publication in peer-reviewed journals. The Pacific Northwest Research Station also provided review and science consistency comments, relative to this work item, for the Draft EIS.