Condition Level VariablesCondition Level Variables

National Manual Version 1.55

Condition Class NumberCondition Class Number• No change

• Plot Center is always condition 1

Land Use Land Use •Land use codes have changed

•Census water is still 91

•Some new land uses

Forest Land Use CodesForest Land Use Codes01 Accessible timber land

02 Accessible other forest land

03 Inaccessible/hazardous forest land

Deleted Forest Land Use Codes:

•Reserved timberland

•Reserved other forest land

•Separate item to record if land is reserved or not

Agricultural Land UsesAgricultural Land Uses10 Other agricultural land

11 Cropland

12 Pasture (improved)

13 Idle farmland

14 Orchard

15 Christmas tree plantation

16 Maintained wildlife openings

RangelandRangelandChanged to code 20

Developed Land UsesDeveloped Land Uses30 Other developed land

31 Cultural (business, residential, etc.)

32 Right-of-way (road, railroad, utility line)

33 Recreation area

34 Mining

Other Non-Forest Land UsesOther Non-Forest Land Uses40 Other non-forest (barren land, rock)

41 Non-census water

42 Marsh

43 Beach

Non-Sampled Land UsesNon-Sampled Land Uses90 Other not sampled

91 Census water (not calculated into land base)

92 Denied access – land use not classfied

93 Hazardous – land use not classified

94 Area not in sample (Mexico)

Condition StatusCondition StatusFirst step in delineating conditions on the plot

1 Accessible forest land2 Nonforest land3 Noncensus water4 Census water5 Denied access area6 Area too hazardous to visit7 Area that is not in the sample9 Lost subplot/past condition data

NEW Past CodesNEW Past Codes• Land Use, Condition Status, Forest Type,

Regeneration Status

• Use current procedures to determine the past data as if you were applying the new rules at the time of the last survey (5 years ago for SK1)

• Previous crew notes, diagrams, and photos

• Best judgement: Only differ with old data if it is OBVIOUS that it would have been different if current procedures had been applied

OLD Land UseOLD Land Use• Record the current code that best matches the

land use that the previous cruiser recorded

• Record the most detailed code available

• Example: Previously most developed land uses were one code – 67 Urban and other. Best match for a road under current system is 32, NOT Other developed – code 30

• Only change the code if it is OBVIOUS that the previous cruiser incorrectly applied past rules

Nonforest YearNonforest Year• Only record on a landcleared forest condition• Record the year that the forest land was

converted to a non-forest condition

Similar Identified Condition ClassSimilar Identified Condition ClassLong name, but it’s actually a shortcut….

• Some conditions delineated only because they are landcleared, reverted, or procedural change

• Some may be too small to otherwise qualify as a “regular” condition

• Record the Condition Class Number of the condition that these small, broken out conditions would otherwise be “lumped” into

• Don’t need to record most of the condition level variables if there is a link to a similar condition

Similar Identified Condition ClassSimilar Identified Condition Class

• Some are large enough to stand on their own

• But are identical to another condition in every aspect except the Past Land Use

• Record the Condition Class Number of the identical condition

• Don’t need to record most of the condition level variables if there is a link to a similar condition

Long name, but it’s actually a shortcut….

• Some conditions delineated only because they are landcleared, reverted, or procedural change

Reserved StatusReserved Status0 Not reserved

1 Reserved

• Forest condition defining attribute• No change in reserved land definition• Coded separately from land use

Owner GroupOwner Group10 US Forest Service

20 Other Federal

30 State and Local Government

40 Private

• Forest condition defining attribute• Previously termed “Broad ownership category”• Forest Industry is no longer an owner group

Owner ClassOwner Class• Specific divisions within the Owner Group• Owner Class is NOT a condition defining

attribute

Owner Class CodesOwner Class CodesUS Forest Service Group

11 National Forest

12 National Grassland

13 Other Forest Service

Private Group

41 Corporate

42 Non-Gov’t Conservation/ Natural Resource Org

43 Unincorporated Partners/ Associations/ Clubs

44 Native American Reserve

45 Individual

Other Federal Land Group

21 National Park Service

22 Bureau of Land Mngmt

23 Fish and Wildlife Service

24 Dept of Defense/Energy

25 Other Federal

State and Local Gov’t Group

31 State

32 Local (County, City)

33 Other Non-Federal Public

Private Owner Industrial StatusPrivate Owner Industrial Status• Separated from the old private owner class code:• Not a condition defining attribute

0 Land is NOT owned by industrial owner with wood processing mill

1 Land IS owned by industrial owner with wood processing mill

Total Acres and Percent ForestTotal Acres and Percent ForestNo change: Still only record on NIPF land owners

Stand SizeStand Size• Condition defining attribute• One major departure from previous manual:

• Conditions that are delineated based solely on Stand Size must be at least two size classes apart

• Two exceptions to this new rule:• If another condition defining attribute (forest type,

regeneration status, etc.) is used to delineate a separate condition, then consider Stand Size as an “ancillary” attribute: Record the specific size class of each condition, even if only one class apart

• Nonstocked forest (code 0) vs. stocked forest (codes 1-4) are always delineated

Stand Size CodesStand Size Codes• Codes are now ordered from the small to large size

classes, and sawlog sizes are broken up:

0 Nonstocked

1 Up to 4.9 inches (seedlings/saplings)

2 5.0-8.9 softwoods/ 5.0-10.9 hardwoods (poles)

3 9.0-19.9 softwoods/ 11.0-19.9 hardwoods

4 20.0-39.9 inches

5 40.0+ inches

6 Cover trees (western TX/OK, ignore in AR, GA)

Regeneration StatusRegeneration Status• Formerly called “Stand Origin”• Condition defining attribute

• Codes are simplified:

0 Natural

1 Artificial

Artificial Regeneration SpeciesArtificial Regeneration SpeciesRecord species code of artificially planted stands

Tree DensityTree Density• Last condition defining attribute• Still only record change in density if it’s the only reason to

delineate a condition• Code changes:

1 Initial density class

2 Density class 2 – density different than 1

3 Density class 3 – density different than 1 and 2

Stand AgeStand Age• Stand Age is linked to Stand Size Class instead of Stand

Structure, but procedures are basically same

• Average age of trees in predominant Stand Size Class that are not overtopped

• When no single Stand Size Class is predominant, assign weights to the age of each size class

• If all of the trees in a condition class are not suitable to be bored for age, record 998

Stand StructureStand StructureNo change

DisturbanceDisturbance• Code up to three

• Most important to least important (use best judgement)

• Threshold: 25% of individual trees in condition

• Positive or negative effect

• Since last survey or within last 5 years on SK 1 plots

• Codes changed: 2 digits instead of 1 digit

Disturbance CodesDisturbance Codes00 None

10 Insects

20 Disease

30 Crown and ground fire (either prescribed or natural)31 Ground fire32 Crown fire

40 Animal other than the following:41 Beaver42 Porcupine43 Deer/ungulate45 Domestic animal/livestock (includes grazing)

Disturbance CodesDisturbance Codes50 Weather other than the following:51 Ice52 Wind (includes hurricane, tornado53 Flooding (weather induced)54 Drought

60 Vegetation (suppression, competition, vines)

70 Unknown/ not sure/ other (include a note)

80 Human – Any significant threshold human-caused damage not described by other Disturbance or Treatment codes

Disturbance YearDisturbance Year• Record the continuously over time, record 9999

• Since last year each disturbance occurred

• If occurs survey or within last 5 years on SK 1 plots

TreatmentTreatment• Code up to three

• Most important to least important (use best judgement)

• Since last survey or within last 5 years on SK 1 plots

• Codes changed

Treatment CodesTreatment Codes00 None

10 Other cutting11 Clearcut12 Partial harvest13 Seed-tree/shelterwood harvest (include final harvest of

the seed trees; don’t record as clearcut)14 Commercial thinning15 TSI

20 Site preparation

30 Artificial regeneration (no distinction between afforestation and reforestation)

40 Natural regeneration

50 Other silvicultural treatment (fertilizers, herbicides, etc.)

Treatment YearTreatment Year• Record the year each treatment occurred

• Since last survey or within last 5 years on SK 1 plots

Physiographic ClassPhysiographic Class• New codes:

• Xeric codes are grouped in the 10s• Mesic codes are grouped in the 20s• Hydric codes are grouped in the 30s

• Definitions are the same except the following four new classes have been broken out:

• Dry mountain tops and slopes category is split into:11 Dry Tops12 Dry Slopes

• Beaver and cypress ponds are broken out from the other hydric category:

34 Beaver ponds35 Cypress ponds

OperabilityOperability• No definitional change

• Codes changed:

0 No problems1 Seasonal access 2 Mixed wet and dry3 Broken terrain4 Year-round water problems5 Slopes of 20% or more

Water SourceWater Source• Not just permanent water– new intermittent code added• Added swamps, bogs and marsh

0 None1 Intermittent2 Permanent stream/canal less than 30 feet wide3 Permanent stream/canal 30-199 feet wide4 Permanent stream/canal 200 feet wide or greater5 Permanent swamp, bog, marsh less than 4.5 acres6 Permanent swamp, bog, marsh 4.5 acres or more7 Permanent lake/pond less than 4.5 acres8 Permanent lake/pond 4.5 acres or more9 Other permanent water (includes ocean)

• Record the water source that has greatest impact

Distance to Water SourceDistance to Water Source• Still water within 1000 feet

• No coding changes

Site ClassSite Class• Subtle changes

• Still estimate Site Class of condition if no site trees are collected

• No required list of site tree species, only a “preferred” list

• Can record any tree species as a site tree if no preferred species are present

• Estimate Site Class if there is not a site class curve in Appendix 4 for the site tree species recorded on plot

Fire and GrazingFire and Grazing• No changes

• Simple presence or absence on the condition

Condition Level NotesCondition Level Notes

Record any pertinent notes for each condition

Old Condition Level ItemsOld Condition Level ItemsTwo groups of items are no longer recorded at the condition

level:• Individual site tree information is recorded at the

Site Tree Level (Section 7.0)• Slope and Aspect are now recorded at the Subplot

Level (Section 4.0)

Dot count is gone:• No more subplot and microplot dots• No more 5 dot minimum on the subplot• All conditions on the plot are delineated,

regardless of area the condition occupies on the subplot

The End!The End!