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Forest Monitoring and Remote Sensing
A Survey of Accomplishments and Opportunities for the Future
There is a widespread perception that existing efforts and capabilities for monitoring the management of America's forest resources are failing to meet increasingly complex and large-scale forest management needs. Although new technologies are available, how well have they been exploited by decisionmakers? The report finds that the United States lacks a national and timely forest database; that non-vegetation monitoring remains limited; that the nation's forest management structure impedes efforts to produce more comprehensive and uniform information; and that satellite imagery has not been widely used. Despite these shortcomings, U.S. monitoring practices are equivalent to--or more advanced than--those of other countries with significant forest resources. The authors recommend that U.S. policymakers (1) set clear national forest management priorities; (2) implement mandatory forest monitoring standards across all Forest Service divisions; (3) augment federal funding dedicated to in situ forest monitoring on a national scale; (4) explore nationwide utilization of Thematic Mapper imagery to speed up the forest inventory stratification process; and (5) develop a strategic vision for remote sensing in forestry.
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Contents
Chapter One:
Introduction
Chapter Two:
The Forest Monitoring Policy Environment
Chapter Three:
Current Monitoring Programs and Practice
Chapter Four:
Use of Remote Sensing in Forest Monitoring
Chapter Five:
Opportunities for Integration
Appendix A:
Specifications of Remote Sensing Satellites and Sensors
Appendix B:
Forest Monitoring and Remote Sensing in Brazil
Appendix C:
Forest Monitoring in Canada
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