Filename: DAMAGE_H About the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program: The FHM program is managed by the USDA Forest Service (FS) in cooperation with other program participants. Funding comes largely from the FS and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Other participants include State Forestry and Agriculture agencies, the USDI Bureau of Land Management, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and several universities. The National Association of State Foresters provides essential program support, guidance, and assistance. Detection Monitoring, the most extensive of FHM's three monitoring activities, is designed to provide data to determine baseline or current conditions of forest ecosystems, and to detect changes and trends over time. This information is analyzed to determine if detected changes are anticipated, and if those changes indicate improving forest health or are cause for concern, warranting additional evaluation. Detection Monitoring covers all forested land and has two components: (1) the on-frame component, which is measurements made on the FHM network of permanent plots; and (2) the off-frame component, which is forest surveys made off of the FHM plot network and includes forest insect, disease, and other stressor effects. (References: The Forest Health Monitoring National Brochure, and the FHM Fact Sheet Series. Available at the Forest Health Monitoring National Office, P.O. Box 12254, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709) Coverage: FHM uses the EMAP sampling grid, which is formed from a triangular grid of sampling points. The FHM ground plots are approximately 1-hectare in size and contain 4 subplots approximately 1/60 hectare in size. Ground plots are approximately 27 km apart. (Reference: Stevens, D.L. 1994. Implementation of a national monitoring program. J. Environ. Manage. 42:1-29.) About the Index/Measurements: Open wounds - An opening or series of openings where bark has been removed or the inner wood has been exposed and no signs of advanced decay are present. Pruning wounds that cut into the wood of the main stem are coded as open wounds, if they meet the threshold; those which leave the main stemwood intact are excluded. Resinosus - Areas of resin or gum (sap) exudation on branches and trunks. Conks and fruiting bodies - Conks, fruiting bodies, and other indicators of advanced decay. Fruiting bodies on the main bole, crownstem, and at the point of the branch attachment are decay indicators. "Punky wood" is present when openings larger than the width of a pencil occur in the main bole. Punky wood is evidenced by soft, often moist, and degraded tissue. Broken bole, branches, or roots - Broken roots within 3 feet (0.91 m) of bole either from excavation or rootsprung for any reason. Roots beyond 3 feet (0.91 m) of bole that are broken or dead. Branches or shoots that are broken or dead. Dead branches attached to the bole below the base of the live crown are not coded. Stem broken in the bole area (below the base of the live crown) and tree still alive. Discolored foliage - At least 30% of the foliage is more than 50% affected. Affected foliage must be more of some color other than green. If the observer is unsure if the color is green, it is considered green and not discolored. Damaged foliage or shoots - Insect feeding, shredded or mechanically damaged or distorted foliage or shoots affecting at least 30% of foliage or shoots. Also includes herbicide-damaged shoots. Cankers, galls, and lesions - Cankers may be caused by various agents but are most often caused by fungi. The bark and cambium are killed, and this is followed by death of the underlying wood, although the causal agent may or may not penetrate the wood. This results in areas of dead tissue that become deeper and wider, or galling (including galls caused by rusts) on roots, bole, or branches. Complete information about the measurements can be found in the Forest Health Montioring Field Methods Guide (Tallent-Halsell, N. (editor). 1994. Forest Health Monitoring 1994 Field Methods Guide. EPA/620/R-94/027. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, Las Vegas, NV.) Definition of Data Set Variables (in the order they appear in the data set): HEX - the unique 7-digit code assigned to each 40 km2 hexagon. TOT93 - total number of hardwoods on the plot examined for damage in 1993. PCT93 - Percent (%) of total hardwoods on the plot examined for damage that had damage identified in 1993. The damages recorded were: open wounds; resinosus; conks and fruiting bodies; broken bole, branches, or roots; discolored foliage; damaged foliage or shoots; cankers, galls, and lesions. TOT94 - total number of hardwoods on the plot examined for damage in 1994. PCT94 - Percent (%) of total hardwoods on the plot examined for damage that had damage identified in 1994. The damages recorded were: open wounds; resinosus; conks and fruiting bodies; broken bole, branches, or roots; discolored foliage; damaged foliage or shoots; cankers, galls, and lesions.