Rocky Mountain Research Station

Title: Nevada Photo-Based Inventory Pilot (NPIP) photo sampling procedures

Author: Frescino, Tracey S.; Moisen, Gretchen G.; Megown, Kevin A.; Nelson, Val J.; Freeman, Elizabeth A.; Patterson, Paul L.; Finco, Mark; Brewer, Ken; Menlove, James

Date: 2009

Source: Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-222. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 30 p.

Station ID: GTR-RMRS-222

Description: The Forest Inventory and Analysis program (FIA) of the U.S. Forest Service monitors status and trends in forested ecoregions nationwide. The complex nature of this broad-scale, strategic-level inventory demands constant evolution and evaluation of methods to get the best information possible while continuously increasing efficiency. In 2004, the "Nevada Photo-Based Inventory Pilot" (NPIP) was launched and involved the acquisition and processing of large-scale aerial photography (LSP) throughout the State of Nevada. The over-arching goals of this pilot are to exceed information requirements, accelerate inventory timelines, and reduce inventory costs. Meeting these objectives requires the development of several complex and inter-related procedures, including photo-sampling protocol, statistical estimators, cover measurement techniques, and improved methods for mapping forest and nonforest attributes. This report documents the first of these procedures, the photo-sampling protocol for the NPIP project.

Keywords: Nevada, photo-based inventory, photo interpretation, quality control, large-scale aerial photography (LSP)

View and Print this Publication (7.4 MB)

Publication Notes: 

• We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
• This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.
• You may send email to rschneider@fs.fed.us to request a hard copy of this publication. (Please specify exactly which publication you are requesting and your mailing address.)

 Get the latest version of the Adobe Acrobat reader or Acrobat Reader for Windows with Search and Accessibility

Citation

Frescino, Tracey S.; Moisen, Gretchen G.; Megown, Kevin A.; Nelson, Val J.; Freeman, Elizabeth A.; Patterson, Paul L.; Finco, Mark; Brewer, Ken; Menlove, James  2009.  Nevada Photo-Based Inventory Pilot (NPIP) photo sampling procedures.   Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-222. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 30 p..