Cataloging Information
Recovery after fire
Two methods for identifying ecological restoration opportunities in the Northern Region of the Forest Service are compared. Different analysis methods are often used to address issues at different planning scales. The first method is a nonspatial characterization of current vegetation conditions using Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plot data grouped by potential vegetation for both the state of Montana and smaller landscape areas. The second method uses a spatially explicit model on two landscapes of one-half million and 1 million acres. Similar rule sets are used in both methods to compare current vegetation condition to historic vegetation conditions. This analysis indicates that spatially explicit modeling for determining restoration opportunities would not always support the same decisions made through a nonspatial analysis. For both types of land on the Pintler District area, suitable and unsuitable, the spatially explicit modeling indicates a greater need for more costly restoration and conversion treatments and less maintenance treatments compared to FIA plots for the entire state and just those within the area. For the three land classes on the Bitterroot Face area, only the suitable land had a similar mixture of treatment needs compared to the FIA plots for the entire state and those within the area. The differences in the levels of the treatment opportunities between the methods and scales can have a significant impact on the level of treatment needs and associated budgets identified for programs.