Annual inventory report for Pennsylvania's forests: results from the first three years

In 2000, the USDA Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program implemented a new system for inventory and monitoring Pennsylvania?s forest resources. The most salient benefit of the new inventory process will be a nearly threefold improvement in timeliness. This report summarizes the results of the first 2 years of annual inventory measurements. The area of forest land in Pennsylvania has remained stable since a previous inventory in 1989. The Keystone State's forests continue to mature as larger trees and an increase in inventory volume were recorded. A separate study of tree seedlings revealed a general lack of regeneration in one-third to one-half of the stands in which regeneration should be adequate.