Data Requirements
Data Needed as Input for the Simulation
FVS and Suppose use the following input data files to control the simulation:
- A Locations file that contains basically a list of locations from which stand (or plot) data sets can be selected. This is only required by Suppose and not necessary if the FVS is used in a batch mode.
- A Stand List file containing specific information about an individual data set, e.g. its geographic location (latitude, longitude, elevation), its topography (slope, aspect) as well as calibration information (site index) and stand type description. The Stand List file is also required by Suppose.
- A Tree List file with the individual tree records. A tree record represents a certain number of trees by their species, diameter, height, tree history and other parameter of interest for the growth simulation.
- One or more Keyword files (optional, used especially for batch processing). Keyword files can define variables, treatment prescriptions, regeneration information or invoke any statement understood by FVS.
If Suppose is used for controlling the simulation, it basically merges the information from the locations, stand list and optional keyword files with statements that are entered with Suppose itself. The output of Suppose is also called a keyword file (but it is not to be confused with the input keyword file), and this is then supplied to the FVS variant executable according to the selection. [For a more detailed description of how FVS and Suppose process the input data see FMSC 1999, Teck et al. 1998, Crookston 1997, Crookston 1990, Wykoff et al. 1982.]
Data Sources
Test cases have been chosen from two areas of particular interest with regard to fuel treatments, the Rocky Mountain Front Range and the Sierra Nevada. For both areas, forest inventory data on a plot or stand level is available, but often not in a form that is directly ready for processing by FVS. The tree list files for the Sierra Nevada are US Forest Service inventory plot data provided by the USFS Region 5. They are translated from an ARC/INFO export file using a special translator program. The disadvantage of this procedure is the loss of site information (contained in the stand list files). In addition, the stand list files produced by the translator proved to contain errors that required manual postprocessing in order to avoid problems with the simulation. The Rocky Mountain Front Range data are example files available with the respective FVS variant and stand inventory data from Manitou Experimental Forest in Colorado.
In total, several hundred data sets were available for the Sierra Nevada, but a significantly smaller number for the Rocky Mountains. In the available time, it was not possible to perform and evaluate simulations for all plots in the Sierra Nevada. For the test cases, around 10 data sets were selected based on the stand type description, although this information can be misleading on a plot level. For the Rocky Mountain Front Range, the simulation was run on four Ponderosa pine type stands. Table 1 shows a summary of the tree list data used for the two areas.
| Data set | Trees/acre | Basal area | D max | Volume | Accretion | Mortality |
| plu557 | 956 | 262 | 62.8 | 10101 | 169 | 48 |
| plu566 | 1074 | 296 | 55.7 | 11322 | 241 | 88 |
| plu570 | 962 | 253 | 44.7 | 8562 | 192 | 56 |
| plu620 | 636 | 101 | 49.0 | 3399 | 41 | 8 |
| plu621 | 752 | 167 | 51.2 | 3956 | 102 | 25 |
| plu713 | 956 | 143 | 67.3 | 4981 | 136 | 20 |
| plu715 | 1103 | 74 | 41 | 1556 | 68 | 10 |
| plu716 | 247 | 64 | 24.6 | 1150 | 52 | 1 |
| plu718 | 844 | 310 | 74.0 | 11185 | 250 | 84 |
| plu721 | 1247 | 205 | 53.4 | 6272 | 342 | 58 |
| plu814 | 473 | 160 | 45.5 | 4152 | 114 | 30 |
| plu817 | 666 | 203 | 60.8 | 7659 | 166 | 36 |
| t0006930.003 | 1119 | 81 | 26.5 | 1148 | 41 | 1 |
| t0006930.012 | 1436 | 92 | 30.1 | 1803 | 57 | 2 |
| t0006930.033 | 482 | 110 | 25.9 | 2063 | 107 | 2 |
| Manitou | 404 | 110 | 21.0 | 1637 | 79 | 2 |
References
- Crookston, N. L. (1990): User’s Guide to the Event Monitor: Part of Prognosis Model Version 6. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-275. Ogden, UT: USDA Forest Service Intermountain Research Station.
- Crookston, N. L. (1997) Suppose: An Interface to the Forest Vegetation Simulator. In: Teck, R. et al. (eds.).: Proceeding: Forest Vegetation Simulator conference. 1997 Feb 3-7, Fort Collins, CO. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-373. Ogden, UT: USDA Forest Service Intermountain Research Station.
- FMSC (1999): FVS Model Structure and Execution. USDA Forest Service Forest Management Service Center. http://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvsstructure.html.
- Teck, R. et. al. (1998): The Forest Vegetation Simulator: A Decision-support Tool for Integrating Resource Science. http://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvsdesc.htm.
- Wykoff, W. R. et al. (1982): User’s Guide to the Stand Prognosis Model. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-133. Ogden, UT: USDA Forest Service Intermountain Research Station.