A GIS-based Approach to Predict Upland Hardwood Forest Productivity in the Southern Appalachians Based on FIA Data.

The forested ecosystems of the southern Appalachians are some of the most diverse in North America due to the variability in climate, soils, and geologic parent material coupled with the complex topography found throughout the region. These same characteristics cause upland hardwood stands to be extremely inconsistent with regard to site quality and productivity.  Site index has been the tool most commonly used to measure existing site quality and productivity, but this approach may not accurately quantify potential site quality and productivity, largely due to ubiquitous disturbance and variable land-use history.  In order to more accurately predict the site quality and potential productivity of an upland hardwood forest stand in the southern Appalachians, a layered GIS depicting variables related to water and nutrient availability was generated for a 5-county area in the Blue Ridge physiographic province.  Site quality classes and indicators were developed for different hardwood forest types within the study area, and an index of actual productivity based on local FIA plots was developed to tie back into the aforementioned site quality classes.  Finally, FIA data and plot locations were used to test the validity of the geospatial predictions.  Future research will attempt to include estimates of soil depth, surficial geology, and parent material.