Preliminary study on the assessment of deadwood volume by the French national forest inventory

Abstract

As the French national forest inventory does not currently monitor the lying compartment of the forest deadwood, the figures obtained on this topic are therefore partial. This study provides cost estimates and guidelines for assessing stumps, and standing and lying deadwood. Comparisons were made between a fixed-area sampling method and a line-intersect one. LIS was judged more time-efficient, especially in dense understorey. Computer simulations were performed in order to estimate the gain in precision with increasing transect lengths. The results showed a continuous improvement in precision associated with increases in transect length. The longest transect tested (50 m) still had a large coefficient of variation, suggesting that improvement in precision at the plot level could still be gained with longer transects. Therefore, from a practical standpoint in terms of fieldwork, we suggest that on a national scale lying deadwood should be measured by line-intersect sampling, whereas stumps, standing dead trees and snags can be monitored using standard fixed-area plots. To meet needs at the national level, we consider that local imprecision could be compensated for by the large number of plots measured each year. © 2009 INRA EDP Sciences.