The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program is a collaborative effort between the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division and the U.S. Forest Service’s Southern Research Station. The program collects long-term data to assess the health, sustainability, and trends of Arkansas’s forest resources.
FIA crews collect data from permanent forest plots established on a three-mile by three-mile grid across Arkansas matching the national grid used throughout the United States. These plots have been in place since the 1950s and serve as a continuous source of forest condition information.
From the 1950s through 1995, the Southern Research Station surveyed each southern state approximately once every ten years. However, the growing need for more frequent and timely data, especially in response to natural disturbances like tornadoes, led to a major change.
Modern FIA in Arkansas
In 1995, southern states and the Southern Research Station agreed to move to a rotating survey model, collecting data from 20% of plots each year. This approach allows for a complete statewide survey every five years, with the cycle restarting to ensure data stays current.
In 1999, the Forestry Division launched its own FIA survey program. The Division hired a Forest Inventory Coordinator and a team of six forest inventory specialists to carry out year-round data collection across the state. Each specialist completes six months of training before being certified, and annual recertification is required for forest health monitoring data collection.
Field Work and Quality Assurance
Each permanent FIA plot takes four to six hours for a trained two-person crew to complete. All data must meet strict accuracy standards set by the U.S. Forest Service, and quality checks are routinely conducted by Southern Research Station staff.
Arkansas Forest Fact Sheets
- AR Forest Inventory Fact Sheet 2024
- AR Forest Inventory Fact Sheet 2023
- AR Forest Inventory Fact Sheet 2022
- AR Forest Inventory Fact Sheet 2021
- AR Forest Inventory Fact Sheet, 2020
- AR Forest Inventory Fact Sheet, 2019
- AR Forest Inventory Fact Sheet, 2018
- AR Forest Inventory Fact Sheet, 2017
- AR Forest Inventory Fact Sheet, 2016
- AR Forest Inventory Fact Sheet, 2015
Forest Research Reports – U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station
Additional Resources
This research was funded by a grant from the USDA Forest Service.