Mature forest model inputs

  • This interactive mapping app was developed to investigate the main input spatial data layers for the mature forest model: (1) forest canopy cover, (2) forest canopy height and (3) forest above ground living biomass. These data can be examined stratified by ecoregion (level III) and major forest group.

  • The app was used in a series of workshops held with over 40 forest ecology and conservation experts who provided guidance in identifying the best available data sources, limitations on their use, and key assumptions regarding their interpretation.

Instructions for using the model inputs mapping tool

  1. Click on a location within conterminous USA. The level 3 ecoregion name will display in the top right portion of the map.

  2. Using the first drop down menu on the left hand side, select an ecoregion.

  3. Once the map has loaded, filter forests using the sliders to thresholds of forest height, cover and biomass.

  4. If you are interested a single forest group, further filter the map using the second drop down menu on the left hand side.

  5. To restart the process from the beginning, click 'Restart selection' .

Input data sources

Forest height - Potapov, P., Li, X., Hernandez-Serna, A., Tyukavina, A., Hansen, M.C., Kommareddy, A., Pickens, A., Turubanova, S., Tang, H., Silva, C.E. and Armston, J., 2021. Mapping global forest canopy height through integration of GEDI and Landsat data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 253, p.112165.

Above ground live woody biomass - Harris, N.L., Gibbs, D.A., Baccini, A., Birdsey, R.A., De Bruin, S., Farina, M., Fatoyinbo, L., Hansen, M.C., Herold, M., Houghton, R.A. and Potapov, P.V., 2021. Global maps of twenty-first century forest carbon fluxes. Nature Climate Change, 11(3), pp.234-240.

Forest cover - Hansen, M.C., Potapov, P.V., Moore, R., Hancher, M., Turubanova, S.A., Tyukavina, A., Thau, D., Stehman, S.V., Goetz, S.J., Loveland, T.R. and Kommareddy, A., 2013. High-resolution global maps of 21st-century forest cover change. science, 342(6160), pp.850-853.

Ecoregions (Level III) Omernik JM, Griffith GE (2014) Ecoregions of the conterminous United States: evolution of a hierarchical spatial framework. Environmental management 54(6):1249-1266

Major forest type groups Ruefenacht B, Finco M, Nelson M et al (2008) Conterminous US and Alaska forest type mapping using forest inventory and analysis data. Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing 74(11):1379-1388