Title: True versus perturbed forest inventory plot locations for modeling: a simulation study

Author: Coulston, John W.; Riitters, Kurt H.; McRoberts, Ronald E.; Reams, Greg A.; Smith, William D.

Date: 2006

Source: Canadian journal of forest research. 36(3): 801-807

Description: USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis plot information is widely used for timber inventories, forest health assessments, and environmental risk analyses. With few exceptions, true plot locations are not revealed; the plot coordinates are manipulated to obscure the location of field plots and thereby preserve plot integrity. The influence of perturbed plot locations on the development and accuracy of statistical models is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that the influence is related to the spatial structure of the data used in the models. For ordinary kriging we examined the difference in mean square error based on true and perturbed plot locations across a range of spatial autocorrelations. We also examined the difference in mean square error for regression models developed with true and perturbed plot locations across a range of spatial autocorrelations and spatial resolutions. Perturbing plot locations did not significantly influence the accuracy of kriging estimates, but in some situations linear regression model development and accuracy were significantly influenced. Unless the independent variable has high spatial autocorrelation, only coarse spatial resolution data should be used to develop linear regression models.

Keywords: forest inventories, simulation models

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Citation

Coulston, John W.; Riitters, Kurt H.; McRoberts, Ronald E.; Reams, Greg A.; Smith, William D.  2006.  True versus perturbed forest inventory plot locations for modeling: a simulation study.   Canadian journal of forest research. 36(3): 801-807.