Introduction
Through the 2024 Strategic Projects Initiative, the National Forest Foundation (NFF) has awarded SERG to be part of the Wildfire Crisis Strategy Zone Monitoring Crew, who will be conducting Common Stand Exams in the Cleveland, San Bernardino, Angeles and Los Padres National Forests and nearby communities.
Project Objectives
Common Stand Exams establish a consistent way of collecting terrestrial vegetation information necessary for monitoring site-specific montane forest resources. It provides a procedure for describing vegetation composition, structure and productivity in an adaptive ecological framework.
With detailed forest inventory data, managers can implement sustainable management strategies, aid in wildfire mitigation and develop high quality ecological monitoring protocols to maintain forest health and enhance ecosystem resiliency by adopting data-driven land management decisions.
The following outlines the key objectives of Common Stand Exams
- Evaluate Forest Health – assess tree health and vigor and identify threats from pathogens, such as the goldspotted oak borer, GSOB (Agrilus auroguttatus)
- Measure Vegetation Structure – gather data on forest composition, including tree diameter, height, canopy density and understory vegetation
- Estimate Growth and Yield – collect data on forest growth to estimate future biomass and timber availability
- Assess Fire Risk and Fuels – record fire fuel availability such as deadwood and ladder fuels that can increase wildfire risk
- Monitor Ecosystem Changes – document changes in forest composition changes caused by climate change, management decisions and natural disturbances
- Inform Management Decisions – to ensure compliance with regulations
Project Summary
SERG, also known as the Wildfire Crisis Strategy Zone Monitoring Crew, will implement the standard Common Stand Exam Protocol, adapted by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for plots established in specific zones across the four southernmost National Forests.
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