FOREST VEGETATION SIMULATOR BULLETIN
                                       Issued By:

                                   USDA FOREST SERVICE
                               WASHINGTON OFFICE DETACHED
                                 FORT COLLINS, COLORADO

     BULLETIN NO: 723

            DATE: 10/17/12

      VARIANT(S): ALL

     MAIN TOPICS:
     
     1) ROOT DISEASE MODEL (ALL WESTERN VARIANTS EXCEPT AK, AND CA)
     2) VOLEQNUM KEYWORD IN REGION 6 (BM, CA, EC, IE, NC, NI, PN, SO, and WC)
     3) FIRE AND FUELS EXTENSION (FFE) SNAG SUMMARY REPORT (ALL VARIANTS)
     4) POTENTIAL PROCESSING ERRORS AVOIDED (ALL VARIANTS)
     5) MOUNTAIN HEMLOCK CROWN BIOMASS (AK, BM, CA, CI, CR, EC, IE, NI, PN, SO, WC, WS)
     6) POTENTIAL NUMERICAL ERROR AVOIDED IN COVER MODEL (ALL WESTERN VARIANTS)
     
     DESCRIPTION:

     1) ALL Western variants except AK and CA: The number of tree records that
        the Root Disease model can process has been increased from 500 to 1500.
        This should essentially eliminate the need to use the NoTriple and 
        Compress keywords in order for the RD model to function for simulations
        with large numbers of tree records.

     2) BM, CA, EC, IE, NC, NI, PN, SO, and WC variants: The VOLEQNUM keyword may
        be used to select specific volume equations to calculate volumes for a
        simulation. The set of volume equations available include all equations
        used in the Forest Service region. The entire set of Region 6 volume
        equations have been made available for use in all BLM and BIA forests.
        The BLM volume equations have also been made available for use in
        Region 6 forests.

     3) All variants: Fire and Fuels Extension (FFE), Snag Summary Report has
        additional columns for total trees per acre of hard snags, soft snags
        and all snags. These total values include all diameters (>0 DBH)
        regardless the diameter class boundaries set with the SnagClas keyword.
        The new columns added to the output database FVS_SnagSum table are:
        Hard_snags_total, Soft_snags_total, and Hard_soft_snags_total.

     4) All variants: Added logic to trap potential processing errors in volume
        calculations (CS, LS and NE variants) and when using zero in field 1
        of the ESTAB keyword.

     5) AK, BM, CA, CI, CR, EC, IE, NI, PN, SO, WC, and WS variants: A mistake
        was corrected in the crown biomass estimates for mountain hemlock.
     
     6) All Western variants: A potential numerical error was avoided when there 
        were no trees in the input tree list, the Cover model was being used, and
        a fire was scheduled in the first cycle.



     RESULT/IMPACT: All users should obtain new executables. Users of the
                    Root Disease model should obtain a new executable. Cover model 
         users should obtain new executables. Region 9 users should obtain new
         executables. Users of the VOLEQNUM keyword in Region 6 should should
         obtain a new executable. Users with mountain hemlock in their stands
         should obtain new executables and may see a significant change in
         estimated fire behavior.


     Getting executables:
     PC  download from WWW at http://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvs/software/complete.shtml
         If needed, download Suppose software from the WWW at 
         http://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvs/software/suppose.php

     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