Pacific Rim Forestry

Abstract

68Stakeholders' questions about subtropical and tropical forests can be as diverse and unique as the forests themselves. Obtaining the information needed to begin answering these questions requires innovation and adaptation of existing forest mensuration and inventory techniques that were developed primarily for use in temperate and boreal forests with a strong forest industry presence. Five cycles of forest inventory and monitoring in Puerto Rico and two cycles in the US Virgin Islands under the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program highlight the commonalities and differences between working in these subtropical forests and the temperate forests of the continental United States. Additionally, the Caribbean implementation of the FIA program has often taken a different approach from that used in the Pacific Islands territories. We can improve on delivery of forest resource information to island stakeholders by studying these experiences. By sharing the lessons learned with other Pacific Rim countries engaging in forest inventory and monitoring, we can learn from each other.

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