Title:

Forest Vegetation Simulator keyword component (KCP) files associated with the compendium of silvicultural treatments for forest types in the United States

Author(s):

Houtman, Rachel M.; Day, Michelle A.; Hooten, Erin; Ritchie, Martin W.; Jain, Theresa B.; Schuler, Thomas M.

Publication Year:

2023

How to Cite:

These data were collected using funding from the U.S. Government and can be used without additional permissions or fees. If you use these data in a publication, presentation, or other research product please use the following citation:

Houtman, Rachel M.; Day, Michelle A.; Hooten, Erin; Ritchie, Martin W.; Jain, Theresa B.; Schuler, Thomas M. 2023. Forest Vegetation Simulator keyword component (KCP) files associated with the compendium of silvicultural treatments for forest types in the United States. Updated 04 June 2024. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2022-0037

Abstract:

The national silviculture compendium is the first-ever compendium of silviculture treatments that cover most commercially operable forest types in the United States, built with input from a national team of silviculture experts from each National Forest System Region and Research Station of the USDA Forest Service. The compendium contains 240 silvicultural treatments, and 266 associated keyword component files (KCP) that are used with the Forest Service-supported Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS), covering all regions and most commercial forest types in the United States in 2020. The treatments are based on current national forest plans and objectives but are relevant to other forested lands with similar conditions and management objectives. In part, the silvicultural compendium provides plausible real-world treatments to be used by planners, modelers, for training purposes (e.g., National Advanced Silviculture Program), and by others needing to simulate management-driven treatments with validated silvicultural parameters defined by silviculture experts from each region. Currently, KCP files for Regions 1-6 are available (Regions 8, 9 and 10 will be added as they are finalized). This data publication also includes information files such as a complete description of the 8 main treatment types and a list of each national forest and their organization code and region. Also included is a crosswalk between the KCP files and vegetation characteristics which can be used to apply KCPs to stands within each national forest in the United States, assigning treatments by biophysical setting, NVC and Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) cover type is included. Additionally, a table documenting a broad potential application of KCP files to appropriate National Vegetation Classifications (NVC) that are not represented in the compendium but exist within a given national forest is provided. This list of treatments by NVC and forest can be used to assign treatments to areas that are otherwise unassigned treatments within the compendium.

Keywords:

biota; environment; Natural Resource Management & Use; Forest management; Restoration; Timber; Forest Vegetation Simulator; FVS; silviculture; forest management; United States

Related publications:

• Schuler, Thomas M.; Jain, Theresa B.; Day, Michelle A.; Dey, Daniel C.; Patel-Weynand, Toral. 2024. Active management for resilient and productive forests. General Technical Report. WO-GTR-103. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington Office. [In press].

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