FOREST VEGETATION SIMULATOR BULLETIN Issued By: USDA FOREST SERVICE WASHINGTON OFFICE DETACHED FORT COLLINS, COLORADO BULLETIN NO: 722 DATE: 06/28/12 VARIANTS: ALL MAIN TOPICS: 1) FVSSTAND POST-PROCESSORS AND REPUTE UPDATE 2) AVERAGE SUMMARY TABLE POST-PROCESSOR 3) FUELS PHOTO SERIES (ALL) 4) BIOMASS ESTIMATES (ALL except NI and NC) 5) ALASKA CEDAR SYMBOL CHANGE (AK, BM, EC, PN, and WC) 6) GIANT CHINQUAPIN NOMENCLATURE UPDATE (CA, EC, PN, SO, WC, and WS) 7) NEW APPALACHIAN DISTRICT CODE (SN) 8) SPECIES CODE OUTPUT TO DATABASE (ALL) 9) REGEN TABLE UPDATE (IE) 10) NEW METRIC VARIANT (NE) 11) DWARF MISTLETOE HEIGHT GROWTH IMPACT (ALL except CS, LS, NE and SN) 12) MS ACCESS INPUT DATABASES (ALL) DESCRIPTION: Post-Processors 1) As the FVS variant species lists have been expanded the FVSSTAND post-processor and REPUTE program have been updated to recognize the new species. These programs have now been updated to recognize the new species in the East Cascades variant (see FVS Update Bulletin No. 720) 2) The Average Summary Table post processor has been updated to correct an error with the weight-by-plots option. FVS Variants 3) All variants: Users can initialize their surface fuel loading by selecting a fuels photo series reference and code. The logic used to read in and interpret the codes was improved. The valid codes for some photo series references (16, 29, and 30) were changed to match those used in the FSVEG database. 4) ALL variants except NI and NC: The biomass estimates in the Fire and Fuels Extension were adjusted to improve values for trees below or near the minimum merchantable diameter for cubic foot volume. In the SN variant, the equations used to estimate crown biomass were switched to those in Jenkins (2003), matching the other eastern variants. Because some hardwood species in western FVS variants use crown biomass equations from the east, those estimates are altered as well. Jenkins, J.C., D.C. Chojnacky, L.S. Heath, and R.A. Birdsey. 2003. National-scale biomass estimators for United States tree species. For Sci. 49:12-35. 5) AK, BM, EC, PN, and WC: The International Botanical Congress updated the scientific name of Alaska cedar to Callitropsis nootkatensis (PLANTS symbol=CANO9) from Chamaecyparis nootkatensis (PLANTS symbol=CHNO) in the summer of 2011. The PLANTS symbol has been updated in the appropriate variants and in the species translator. Alaska cedar, Callitropsis nootkatensis, FIA code: 042, PLANTS symbol: CANO9, FVS alpha code: YC 6) CA, EC, PN, SO, WC, and WS variants: Species nomenclature for giant chinquapin has been updated to be consistent throughout the western variants. giant chinquapin, Chrysolepis chrysophylla, FIA code: 431, PLANTS symbol: CHCHC4, FVS alpha code: GC 7) SN variant: A new location code for the Appalachian District, "08", was added to National Forests in North Carolina (811). 8) All variants: Species codes output to a database were being set to the 2-character alpha code format whenever a 2-character alpha code was used in a keyword. This has been corrected. 9) IE variant: In the Regeneration Establishment output in the main output file there were blank records in the Ingrowth Table. The blank records were between the continued Species List and the continued Trees/Acre list. These blank records have been removed. 10) NE variant: A metric version of the northeast variant is available to users upon request. 11) ALL variants except CS, LS, NE and SN: The new MistHMod keyword controls the height growth impacts of Dwarf Mistletoe infection. The height growth effects are not active by default. Additional details about the new keyword may be found in the Dwarf Mistletoe Model User's Guide available on the Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team website shown at the bottom of this bulletin. 12) ALL variants: The data type for the Groups field in the FVS_GroupAddFilesAndKeywords table of the input database has been changed from Memo to Text. This change is the result of a Microsoft Access 2010 error that occurs when a compact and repair action is performed on the database resulting in the deletion of data within the FVS_GroupAddFilesAndKeywords table. Databases distributed with the updated FVS software have been updated with this change. The FIA2FVS translator was updated in June 2012 to reflect this change. The FSVeg DBLink translator will be updated as of the August 2012 release. Input data from these or other sources obtained prior to this change should be manually updated by the user to reflect this change and avoid potential deletion of data. RESULT/IMPACT: Users of the FuelFoto keyword or who set photo series codes in their input database should obtain new executables. Users with old simulation files where fuels photo references 16, 29, or 30 were used will have to update their files to use the latest codes. Fuels photoseries reference codes and photo codes can be found in the FFE guide, Appendix D, posted here: http://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvs/documents/userguides.shtml Estimates of biomass, surface fuels, canopy fuels, carbon, fire behavior and fire effects may all be different due to this update. Users of most variants should obtain new executables. The new plants symbols for Alaska cedar and giant chinquapin are default symbols, and the old plants symbols will be correctly mapped to these species. Dwarf Mistletoe Model users should obtain new executables. East Cascades variant users of the FVSSTAND and REPUTE postprocessors should get the new postprocessor software. Getting executables: PC download from http://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvs/software/complete.shtml Alternatively, the individual software components may be downloaded from http://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvs/software/components.shtml FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Region Person Phone number Lotus Notes Address 1 Renate Bush 406-329-3107 renatebush@fs.fed.us 2 Sally Zwisler 303-275-5013 szwisler@fs.fed.us 3 Don Vandendriesche 505-842-3429 dvandendriesche@fs.fed.us 4 Julia Richardson 801-625-5220 jhrichardson@fs.fed.us 5 Joe Sherlock 707-562-8686 jsherlock@fs.fed.us 6 Eric Watrud 503-808-2668 ewatrud@fs.fed.us 8 Bob Makowski 404-347-4172 rmakowski@fs.fed.us 9 Charly Studyvin 573-341-7430 cstudyvin@fs.fed.us 10 Sheila Spores 907-228-6333 sspores@fs.fed.us Forest Management Service Center http://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvs/index.php Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/insect_pathogen.shtml