Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
4333 BROOKLYN AVE NE
SEATTLE,WA 98195
Performing Department
Forest Ecology
Non Technical Summary
This is a collaborative project between the National Park Service (NPS) and the University of Washington (UW) to explore methods for using airborne LiDAR data to improve existing regional fuel model mapping with additional information on forest overstory characteristics. NPS and UW will cooperate to provide an analysis of the forest structure across the newly enlarged Oregon Caves National Monument and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area using previously collected airborne LiDAR data. The UW will work with NPS ecologists and fuels specialists to use the LiDAR data products to identify potential locations for various fuels treatment project areas and to produce maps useful for planning and prioritizing areas for individual or localized treatments. Expected products include, spatial data layers from LiDAR-derived data, visualization aids to assist with development of interpretive and educational tools for silvicultural and other forest restoration treatments, and final report that describes the project methods and results.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
0%
Applied
100%
Developmental
0%
Goals / Objectives
We will accomplish the following specific objectives:1. Use existing airborne LiDAR data to map forest overstory within the boundaries of Oregon Caves National Monument (ORCA) and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (WHIS) and a surrounding 5 km buffer (if data are available).2. Examine the forest structure and climate data to assess areas in which surface fuels may vary using the methods similar to those used for the mapping of fuel beds at Mount Rainier National Park (developed in a previous Task Agreement, P10AC00469).3. Determine which LiDAR products will be most useful for developing forest and/or fire management plans and during the actual management of a fire.4. Use LiDAR data to create visualization aids for interpretive and educational tools for silviculture treatments (or other types of treatments).
Project Methods
We will:1. Use airborne LiDAR to map forest and woodland structure within and up to five kilometers surrounding Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve (ORCA) and at Whiskeytown Recreation Area (WHIS) or to the boundaries of the LiDAR data (whichever is smaller).2. Use LiDAR data to measure the heterogeneity of forest and woodland structure and to define structure classes for the study area.3. Use LiDAR-derived ground models to create maps of topography and slope position to aid in mapping topographic features that might influence fire severity. Map these metrics across the entire study areas at 30 m resolution across both study areas; within the ORCA boundaries, these metrics will also be mapped at 1 m resolution. Work with the National Park Service (NPS) to jointly assess the utility of metrics mapped at 1 m resolution across WHlS.4. Associate forest structure classes with fuel models currently mapped across the study area, with elevation, and with topographic features and slope position.5. Meet with NPS in a workshop to use the LiDAR-derived structure classes and topographic metrics to refine the existing fuel and fuel maps; conduct site visits as needed.6. Develop a final report that describes the project objectives, methods, and results.7. Work with NPS to create visualization aids to assist with development of interpretive and educational tools for silvicultural and other forest restoration treatments.8. Upon request of the NPS, obtain digital photographs with captions of project activities and make these available to the NPS Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Senior ScienceAdvisor and others for use in presentations and reports.