Inventory and monitoring efforts conducted by USDA Forest Service present a systematic compilation of forest statistics of the state. For example, the graph here presents a breakdown of forest cover, or forest type, on all land ownerships. A report titled Arizona's Forest Resources, 1999, presents a summary of the most recent inventory data available for Arizona's forest lands. Beginning in 2001, Annual Inventories began in the state using a new sampling design called the mapped plot design.

Plot Status and Current Activity

You may find standardized summary tables by going to – Annual Tables. Customized data summaries are available through FIA data retrieval systems.

For specific questions related to field procedures, current and past field manuals are available online. These manuals describe the details of plot establishment and description, forest inventory methods, and procedures used for each forest health indicator. Websites for forest health indicators give rationale for the indicator, as well as access to data, analytical procedures, and related publications.

For clients with a general interest in inventory and monitoring work elsewhere, we have compiled a short list of Inventory and Monitoring On the Web. This list comprises agencies and entities with related interests in forest monitoring at various geographic scales, both within the U.S. and internationally, plus some recommended publications for those with a more technical interest in this subject.