Ecological monitoring data provides the scientific basis for restoration treatments, such as thinning and prescribed burns, and is critical for adaptive management. Professionally collected and analyzed monitoring data can help answer questions about what works and what doesn’t when forests are managed for a specific outcome such as reducing wildfire risks or increasing wildlife habitat. This manual focuses on monitoring methods and protocols used primarily in upland forests. This manual is meant as an introduction to monitoring in upland forests and includes information on how to think about monitoring, how to use various tools, collect measurements, and conduct basic analyses. If your program plans to use this manual, we’re here to help! We can offer technical support with all the steps in the process. We’d also love for the data you collect according to these protocols to be part of the landscape-level analyses NMFWRI and our SWERI partners run, to better understand SW forest health. Please reach out to us! krmahan@nmhu.edu
Guidelines and Protocols for Monitoring Upland Forests Field Manual