SRS RCW Habitat Analysis Using LiDAR
Geospatial layers to accompany "Quantitative analysis of woodpecker habitat using high-resolution airborne LiDAR estimates of forest structure and composition" by James E. Garabedian, Robert J. McGaughey, Stephen E. Reutebuch, Bernard R. Parresol, John C. Kilgo, Christopher E. Moorman, and M. Nils Peterson.

LEGEND
Criteria A-G & Managed stability standard

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Savannah River Site (SRS) boundary
The Savannah River Site (SRS), a 309 square mile (198,000 acres) Department of Energy site, is located in the sand-hills region of South Carolina. It encompasses parts of Aiken, Barnwell and Allendale counties and is bordered on the west by the Savannah River and Georgia.
Through an Interagency Agreement with the United States Department of Energy, the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service manages approximately 170,000 acres of onsite natural resources.

Criteria A
Cells with hardwood canopy cover =30
Computed using direct classification of foliage absent/present condition for 2- by 2-m cells and summarized for 20- by 20-m cells to produce the fraction without foliage metric.
Fraction without foliage includes snags, if present.

Criteria B
Cells where the basal area of pine trees >25.4 cm dbh is =9.2 and =16.1 m^2/ha.
Predicted from regression of LiDAR metrics versus BA of pine trees =25.4 cm dbh.

Criteria C
No hardwood midstory or, if present, hardwood midstorey is sparse and <2.1 m tall.
A surrogate metric was computed by subtracting predicted BA of hardwoods >22.9 cm dbh from predicted BA of hardwoods >7.6 cm dbh.
The Criteria was considered met when the basal area of hardwoods >=7.6 cm and < 22.9 cm in dbh <= 1.2 m^2/ha for the cell.

Criteria D
Basal area of pines >= 35.6 cm dbh is >= 4.6 m^2/ha and the pines are =60 years of age.
Predicted from regression of LiDAR metrics versus plot pine BA of trees =35.6 cm dbh.
For this analysis, the age condition was ignored because most pine stands at SRS are <60 years old.

Criteria E
Density of pines >= 35.6 cm dbh is >= 45 trees/ha and the pines are =60 years of age.
Predicted from regression of LiDAR metrics versus plot pine density of trees =35.6 cm dbh.
For this analysis, the age condition was ignored because most pine stands at SRS are <60 years.

Criteria F
Basal area of pines < 25.4 cm dbh is < 2.3 m^2/ha and there are fewer than 50 stems/ha within this size class.
Predicted from subtraction of predicted values in cells under criteria �D� from total pine BA regression of LiDAR metrics.
Stem density (stems/ha) condition was ignored to simplify analysis and the interpretation of methods.

Criteria G
Total stand basal area, including overstory hardwoods, is =18.4 m2/ha.
Predicted from regression of LiDAR metrics versus plot BA of trees = 7.6 cm.

Managed stability standard
Areas that meet the managed stability standard. For this analysis, this standard was evaluated using Critera A, B, and G. The colored cells are those that meet all three criteria.
The standard for managed stability, recommends each RCW group has access to >30.4 ha of foraging habitat with BA of pines >25.4 cm dbh is >689 m^2 and identifies stands of quality foraging habitat with the following characteristics:
1) >30 years old;
2) BA of pines >25.4 cm dbh is between 9.2 and 16.1 m^2/ha;
3) BA of pines <25.4 cm dbh is <4.6 m^2/ha;
4) sparse hardwood midstory that is <2.1 m in height;
5) total BA, including overstory hardwoods, is <18.4 m^2/ha

Criteria score
Number of individual criteria that are met by the cell.