GRS Completes First (2016) Kuskokwim River Forest Inventory Field Season
July 31, 2016 - For Immediate Release
Geographic Resource Solutions completed its first BLM Alaska Forest Inventory field season in the middle Kuskokwim River drainage. Field sampling took place over a five-week period, beginning on June 13th and ending on July 16th, during which field staff sampled 148 field sites while traveling approximately 210 miles from east to west along the Kuskokwim River. Sample stands were selected for use in GRS's subsequent application of their Discrete Classification Mapping Methodology (DCMM) based on the processing of Landsat 8 imagery from 2014 and 2015. Sample stands were selected on the basis of image stratification results that identified the largest homogeneous areas of the different spectrally determined strata that represented the different forestlands in the middle Kuskokwim River drainage. Sample sites were accessed from points traveled to by boat along the river(s) and then cross-country hiking.
GRS staff implemented the line-point transect sampling methodology to develop the usual species/landscape feature-specific canopy cover estimates, but which GRS has adapted to also develop forest inventory estimates that include species-specific estimates of trees/acres, height, cubic volume, and biomass (dry tons/acre). All trees, shrubs, herbaceous and non-vascular plants were recorded, as well as landscape features that represented abiotic site features related to the sampled plant communities. Integrated in this sampling approach were Brown's transects to estimate both counts of both coarse by decay class and fine woody debris by fuel class. The resulting sample area summary data produced species-specific estimates of canopy cover, quadratic mean diameter, trees/acre, average heighth, cubic volume/acre, and biomass (dry tons)/acre.
During this effort GRS staff worked out of the communities of Stony River, Sleetmute, Crooked Creek, Napaimute, and Aniak. Air transportation for this effort was provided by Sound Aviation of Anchorage, AK and helicopter services were provided by Pollack Aviation of Wasila, AK. Guide services were provided by Charlie Gusty of Stony River, Denny Thomas of Crooked Creek, and Ronald Nathan of Aniak.
GRS staff that worked on this project were (left to right) Ken Stumpf, Sage Romberg, Kate Haile, and Chris Stumpf. John Koltun of Integrated Geospatial worked with GRS staff for the first two weeks of this effort.
