Cloquet Forestry Center Continuous Forest Inventory Update for 2014

Abstract

The Cloquet Forestry Center (CFC) is a field research and instructional station administrated by the University of Minnesota. This report compiles CFC Continuous Forest Inventory (CFI) results from the summer 2014 re-measurement of 402 permanent field plots. These plots serve both research and forest management on the CFC. The individual plots are 1/7 acre in size and were installed and first measured in 1959. The plots have been subsequently remeasured in 1964, 1969, 1976, 1982, 1990, 2000 and in 2014. Three more plots were also added in 2014 (totaling 405) on newly acquired acreage. The report also describes changes in the forest since 2000 and longer-term trends. Summaries provided include 2014 number of trees, basal area, volume and biomass per acre by covertype, and acreage by age class distributions. Longer-term trends from 1959 are also described. The report also details the inventory design and associated details for the permanent plots, including measurement technologies. Data collection and analysis procedures were developed using Microsoft Access and the R statistical analysis package. Access to the compiled data and preliminary analysis is also available in the University Digital Conservancy.