Monitoring Variables
Scientists measure the factors that affect the ecology of fire-prone forests.
These are:
- Fuel load - How much dead and downed wood is in the plots?
- Vegetation - What types of vegetation do the plots contain?
- Brush Species - What fire-prone brush species exist?
- Basal Area - What is the combined area of all tree diameters in the plots?
- Density / Species - What is the denisty of the tree species?
Additional NOCA Protocols:
- Monitor severity of insects & diseases - Is there insect or disease
effecting the trees?
- Crown Cover Rating - How much of the plot is covered by forest canopy?
- Fuel Moisture - How dry (fire-prone) is the fuel?