Estimating down deadwood from FIA forest inventory variables in Maine

Down deadwood (DDW) is a carbon component important in the function and structure of forest ecosystems, but estimating DDW is problematic because these data are not widely available in forest inventory databases. However, DDW data were collected on USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots during Maine's 1995 inventory. This study examines ways to predict DDW biomass from other FIA variables so that DDW could be estimated without tedious measurement. Our results include a regression model that predicts DDW as a function of stand size class, basal area of dead and cut trees, and dummy variables for forest type and forest industry ownership. We also found DDW similar to FIA's standing-tree mortality at a statewide scale.