Scientists & Staff

Jim Westfall

Research Forester

Forest Inventory & Analysis

3460 Industrial Drive

York, PA, 17402

Phone:

Contact Jim Westfall

News Releases

On the Road to Paris: Forest Service Scientists Improve U.S. Forest Carbon AccountingNovember 30, 2015

Current Research

Forest monitoring methods to assist in planning and implementation of scientifically-credible monitoring programs.Improving field work efficiency and data quality via quantitative analyses for forest inventory.

Research Interests

Development of national-scale biomass models to provide consistent volume/carbon/biomass predictions to be applied to the FIA sample. Upon completion, this project will improve consistency, and advance analytical flexibility.
Forest inventory planning and design - with particularly emphasis on tropical forests where inventory designs for temperate forests are not appropriate.

Why This Research is Important

As the demand on forests as a source of bioenergy is expected to increase in the near future obtaining accurate estimates of tree biomass is paramount for making sound forest management, economic, and policy decisions.

Increasing accountability for managing resources in a sustainable manner has resulted in an emergent need for worldwide monitoring of status and trends of forest attributes. These monitoring efforts occur at various scales, from relatively small forest holdings to entire countries. Conducting research on monitoring methods and developing an integrated suite of tools will assist in planning and implementation of scientifically-credible monitoring programs.

Education

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, Ph.D. Forestry, 2001
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, M.S. Statistics, 2001
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, M.S. Forestry, 1998
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, B.S. Natural Resources, 1996
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Ranger School, Wanakena, NY, A.A.S. Forest Technology, 1993

Professional Organizations

Society of American Foresters (SAF) (2001 - Present)
Southern Mensurationists (2005 - Present)
Northeastern Mensurationists Organization (2004 - Present)

Featured Publications & Products

Scott, Charles T.; Bechtold, William A.; Reams, Gregory A.; Smith, William D.; Westfall, James A.; Hansen, Mark H.; Moisen, Gretchen G. 2005. Sample-based estimators used by the forest inventory and analysis national information management system. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-80. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station, p. 53-77.
Westfall, James A.; McWilliams, William H. 2012. Detecting change in advance tree regeneration using forest inventory data: the implications of type II error. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Woodall, C.W.; Westfall, J.A.; Lutes, D.C.; Oswalt, S.N. 2008. End-point diameter and total length coarse woody debris models for the United States. Forest Ecology and Management. 25: 3700-3706.
Westfall, James A. 2009. FIA national assessment of data quality for forest health indicators. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-53. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Service. 80 p.
Westfall, James A.; Patterson, Paul L. 2007. Measurement variability error for estimates of volume change. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 37: 2201-2210.
Westfall, James A. 2010. New Models for Predicting Diameter at Breast Height from Stump Dimensions. Northern Journal of Applied Forestry, Volume 27, Number 1, March 2010 , pp. 21-27(7)
Westfall, James A.; Lister, Andrew J.; Scott, Charles T.; Weber, Thomas A. 2019. Double sampling for post-stratification in forest inventory. European Journal of Forest Research
Westfall, James A.; McRoberts, Ronald E. 2017. An assessment of uncertainty in volume estimates for stands reconstructed from tree stump information. Forestry

Publications & Products

Hillard, Scott C.; Morin, Randall S.; Westfall, James A.; Butler, Brett J.; Crocker, Susan J.; Nelson, Mark D.; Walter, Brian F.; Luppold, William G.; Riemann, Rachel I; Woodall, Christopher W.; Albright, Thomas A.; Hemmer, Bryan J.; Garner, James D. 2022. Minnesota forests 2018: summary report. Resour. Bull. NRS-123. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 22 p. [plus interactive report].
Westfall, James A.; Coulston, John W. 2022. Estimating change in annual timber products output using a stratified sampling with certainty design. Environmental and Ecological Statistics
Westfall, James A.; Schroeder, Todd A.; McCollum, Joseph M.; Patterson, Paul L. 2022. A spatial and temporal assessment of nonresponse in the national forest inventory of the U.S.. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 194: 530.
Zhao, Dehai ; Lynch, Thomas B.; Westfall, James A.; Coulston, John W. 2022. Additional biomass estimation alternatives: nonlinear two- and three-stage least squares and full information maximum likelihood for slash pine. Canadian Journal of Forest Research
Edgar, Christopher ; Nowak, David ; Majewsky, Mark ; Lister, Tonya ; Westfall, James ; Sonti, Nancy F. 2021. Strategic National Urban Forest Inventory for the United States. Journal of Forestry
Goff, Thomas C.; Albright, Thomas A.; Butler, Brett J.; Crocker, Susan J.; Kurtz, Cassandra M.; Lister, Tonya W.; McWilliams, William H.; Morin, Randall S.; Nelson, Mark D.; Piva, Ronald J.; Riemann, Rachel ; Vickers, Lance ; Walters, Brian F.; Westfall, James A.; Woodall, Christopher W. 2021. Missouri forests 2018: summary report. Resourc. Bull. NRS-122. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 13 p. [plus interactive report].
Albright, Thomas A.; Butler, Brett J.; Crocker, Susan J.; Drobnack, Jason M.; Kurtz, Cassandra M.; McWilliams, William H.; Morin, Randall S.; Nelson, Mark D.; Riemann, Rachel ; Vickers, Lance A.; Walters, Brian F.; Westfall, James A.; Woodall, Christopher W. 2020. New York Forests 2017. Resource Bulletin NRS-121. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 118 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-RB-121.
Coulston, John W.; Edgar, Christopher B.; Westfall, Jim; Taylor, Marcus E. 2020. Estimation of Forest Disturbance from Retrospective Observations in a Broad-Scale Inventory. Forests
Lister, Andrew J.; Andersen, Hans ; Frescino, Tracey ; Gatziolis, Demetrios ; Healey, Sean ; Heath, Linda S.; Liknes, Greg C.; McRoberts, Ronald ; Moisen, Gretchen G.; Nelson, Mark ; Riemann, Rachel ; Schleeweis, Karen ; Schroeder, Todd A.; Westfall, James ; Wilson, B. Tyler. 2020. Use of Remote Sensing Data to Improve the Efficiency of National Forest Inventories: A Case Study from the United States National Forest Inventory. Forests
Westfall, James A.; Nowak, David J.; Henning, Jason G.; Lister, Tonya W.; Edgar, Christopher B.; Majewsky, Mark A.; Sonti, Nancy F. 2020. Crown width models for woody plant species growing in urban areas of the U.S.. Urban Ecosystems
Westfall, James A.; Sonti, Nancy F.; Wiemann, Michael C.; Eberhardt, Thomas L.; So, Chi-Leung. 2020. Urban tree specific gravity and ash content: A case study from Baltimore, Maryland USA. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening
Zhao, Dehai ; Bullock, Bronson P.; Montes, Cristian R.; Wang, Mingliang ; Westfall, James ; Coulston, John W. 2020. Long-term dynamics of loblolly pine crown structure and aboveground net primary production as affected by site quality, planting density and cultural intensity. Forest Ecology and Management
Frank, Jereme ; Weiskittel, Aaron ; Walker, David ; Westfall, James A.; Radtke, Philip J.; Affleck, David L.R.; Coulston, John ; MacFarlane, David W. 2019. Gaps in available data for modeling tree biomass in the United States. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-184. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 57 p.
McWilliams, William H.; Westfall, James A.; Morin, Randall S. 2019. What do pervasive ungulate browse impacts mean for forestry in New England and New York. New England Society of American Foresters News Quarterly. 80(1): 6-9.
Zhao, Dehai ; Westfall, James ; Coulston, John W.; Lynch, Thomas B.; Bullock, Bronson P.; Montes, Cristian R. 2019. Additive biomass equations for slash pine trees: comparing three modeling approaches. Canadian Journal of Forest Research
Coulston, John W.; Westfall, James A.; Wear, David N.; Edgar, Christopher B.; Prisley, Steven P.; Treiman, Thomas B.; Abt, Robert C.; Smith, W. Brad. 2018. Annual monitoring of US timber production: rationale and design. Forest Science
Frank, Jereme ; Castle, Mark ; Westfall, James ; Weiskittel, Aaron ; MacFarlane, David ; Baral, Sharad ; Radtke, Philip ; Pelletier, Gaetan. 2018. Variation in occurrence and extent of internal stem decay in standing trees across the eastern US and Canada: evaluation of alternative modelling approaches and influential factors. Forestry
Gormanson, Dale D.; Pugh, Scott A.; Barnett, Charles J.; Miles, Patrick D.; Morin, Randall S.; Sowers, Paul A.; Westfall, James A. 2018. Statistics and quality assurance for the Northern Research Station Forest Inventory and Analysis Program. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-178. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 25 p.
McWilliams, William H.; Westfall, James A.; Brose, Patrick H.; Dey, Daniel C.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Dickinson, Yvette L.; Fajvan, Mary Ann; Kenefic, Laura S.; Kern, Christel C.; Laustsen, Kenneth M.; Lehman, Shawn L.; Morin, Randall S.; Ristau, Todd E.; Royo, Alejandro A.; Stoltman, Andrew M.; Stout, Susan L. 2018. Subcontinental-scale patterns of large-ungulate herbivory and synoptic review of restoration management implications for midwestern and northeastern forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-182. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 24 p.
Westfall, James A.; Patterson, Paul L.; Edgar, Christopher B. 2018. Integrating urban and national forest inventory data in support of rural-urban assessments. Forestry. 91: 641-649.
Woodall, C.W. ; Westfall, J.A. ; D'Amato, A.W. ; Foster, J.R. ; Walters, B.F. 2018. Decadal changes in tree range stability across forests of the eastern U.S.. Forest Ecology and Management
Crocker, Susan J.; Butler, Brett J.; Kurtz, Cassandra M.; McWilliams, William H.; Miles, Patrick D.; Morin, Randall S.; Nelson, Mark D.; Riemann, Rachel I.; Smith, James E.; Westfall, James A.; Woodall, Christopher W. 2017. Illinois Forests 2015. Resour. Bull. NRS-113. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 82 p.
Gormanson, Dale D.; Pugh, Scott A.; Barnett, Charles J.; Miles, Patrick D.; Morin, Randall S.; Sowers, Paul A.; Westfall, Jim. 2017. Statistics and quality assurance for the Northern Research Station Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, 2016. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-166. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 23 p.
Lister, Tonya W.; Butler, Brett J.; Crocker, Susan J.; Kurtz, Cassandra M.; Lister, Andrew J.; Luppold, William G.; McWilliams, William H.; Miles, Patrick D.; Morin, Randall S.; Nelson, Mark D.; Piva, Ronald J.; Riemann, Rachel I.; Smith, James E.; Westfall, James A.; Widmann, Richard H.; Woodall, Christopher W. 2017. Delaware Forests 2013. Resour. Bull. NRS-115. Newtown Square, PA, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 104 p.
McWilliams, William H.; Westfall, James A.; Brose, Patrick H.; Lehman, Shawn L.; Morin, Randall S.; Ristau, Todd E.; Royo, Alejandro A.; Stout, Susan L. 2017. After 25 years, what does the Pennsylvania Regeneration Study tell us about oak/hickory forests under stress?. In: Kabrick, John M.; Dey, Daniel C.; Knapp, Benjamin O.; Larsen, David R.; Shifley, Stephen R.; Stelzer, Henry E., eds. Proceedings of the 20th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; 2016 March 28-April 1; Columbia, MO. General Technical Report NRS-P-167. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 280-290.
Pugh, Scott A.; Heym, Douglas C.; Butler, Brett J.; Haugen, David E.; Kurtz, Cassandra M.; McWilliams, William H.; Miles, Patrick D.; Morin, Randall S.; Nelson, Mark D.; Riemann, Rachel I.; Smith, James E.; Westfall, James A.; Woodall, Christopher W. 2017. Michigan forests 2014. Resour. Bull. NRS-110. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 154 p.
Radtke, Philip; Walker, David; Frank, Jereme; Weiskittel, Aaron; DeYoung, Clara; MacFarlane, David; Domke, Grant; Woodall, Christopher; Coulston, John; Westfall, James. 2017. Improved accuracy of aboveground biomass and carbon estimates for live trees in forests of the eastern United States. Forestry
Russell, Matthew B.; Westfall, James A.; Woodall, Christopher W. 2017. Modeling browse impacts on sapling and tree recruitment across forests in the northern United States. Canadian Journal of Forest Research
Westfall, James A.; Hatfield, Mark A.; Sowers, Paul A.; O'Connell, Barbara M. 2017. Site Index Models for Tree Species in the Northeastern United States. Forest Science
Westfall, James A.; McWilliams, William H. 2017. Predicting tree-seedling height distributions using subcontinental-scale forest inventory data. Forest Ecology and Management
Gormanson, Dale D.; Gallion, Joey; Barnett, Charles J.; Butler, Brett J.; Crocker, Susan J.; Kurtz, Cassandra M.; Lister, Tonya W.; Luppold, William; McWilliams, William; Miles, Patrick D.; Morin, Randall S.; Nelson, Mark D.; O'Connell, Barbara; Perry, Charles H. (Hobie); Riemann, Rachel I.; Piva, Ronald J.; Smith, James E.; Sowers, Paul A.; Westfall, Jim; Woodall, Christopher W. 2016. Indiana Forests 2013. Resour. Bull. NRS-107. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 156 p.
McRoberts, Ronald E.; Chen, Qi ; Domke, Grant M.; Ståhl, Göran ; Saarela, Svetlana ; Westfall, James A. 2016. Hybrid estimators for mean aboveground carbon per unit area. Forest Ecology and Management
McRoberts, Ronald E.; Westfall, James A. 2016. Propagating uncertainty through individual tree volume model predictions to large-area volume estimates. Annals of Forest Science
Miles, Patrick D.; VanderSchaaf, Curtis L.; Barnett, Charles; Butler, Brett J.; Crocker, Susan J.; Gormanson, Dale D.; Kurtz, Cassandra M.; Lister, Tonya W.; McWilliams, William H.; Morin, Randall S.; Nelson, Mark D.; Perry, Charles H. (Hobie); Riemann, Rachel I.; Smith, James E.; Walters, Brian F.; Westfall, Jim; Woodall, Christopher W. 2016. Minnesota Forests 2013. Resource Bulletin NRS-104. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 134 p.
Morin, Randall S.; Cook, Gregory W.; Barnett, Charles J.; Butler, Brett J.; Crocker, Susan J.; Hatfield, Mark A.; Kurtz, Cassandra M.; Lister, Tonya W.; Luppold, William G.; McWilliams, William H.; Miles, Patrick D.; Nelson, Mark D.; Perry, Charles H. (Hobie); Piva, Ronald J.; Smith, James E.; Westfall, Jim; Widmann, Richard H.; Woodall, Christopher W. 2016. West Virginia Forests 2013. Resour. Bull. NRS-105. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 128 p.
Nelson, Mark D.; Barnett, Charles J.; Brewer, Matt; Butler, Brett J.; Crocker, Susan J.; Domke, Grant M.; Gormanson, Dale D.; Kurtz, Cassandra M.; Lister, Tonya W.; Matthews, Stephen; McWilliams, William H.; Meneguzzo, Dacia M.; Miles, Patrick D.; Morin, Randall S.; Piva, Ronald J.; Riemann, Rachel; Smith, James E.; Walters, Brian F.; Westfall, Jim; Woodall, Christopher W. 2016. Iowa Forests, 2013. Resour. Bull. NRS-102. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 124 p.
Westfall, James A. 2016. Strategies for the use of mixed-effects models in continuous forest inventories. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Westfall, James A.; Lister, Andrew J.; Scott, Charles T. 2016. Precision and cost considerations for two-stage sampling in a panelized forest inventory design. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Westfall, James A.; McRoberts, Ronald E.; Radtke, Philip J.; Weiskittel, Aaron R. 2016. Effects of uncertainty in upper-stem diameter information on tree volume estimates. European Journal of Forest Research
Henry, Matieu ; Cifuentes Jara, Miguel ; Réjou-Méchain, Maxime ; Piotto, Daniel ; Michel Fuentes, José María; Wayson, Craig ; Alice Guier, Federico ; Castañeda Lombis, Héctor ; Castellanos López, Edwin ; Cuenca Lara, Ruby ; Cueva Rojas, Kelvin ; Del Águila Pasquel, Jhon ; Duque Montoya, Álvaro ; Fernández Vega, Javier ; Jiménez Galo, Abner ; López, Omar R.; Marklund, Lars Gunnar; Milla, Fabián ; de Jesús Návar Cahidez, José ; Malavassi, Edgar Ortiz; Pérez, Johnny ; Ramírez Zea, Carla ; Rangel García, Luis ; Rubilar Pons, Rafael ; Sanquetta, Carlos ; Scott, Charles ; Westfall, James ; Zapata-Cuartas, Mauricio ; Saint-André, Laurent. 2015. Recommendations for the use of tree models to estimate national forest biomass and assess their uncertainty. Annals of Forest Science
Henry, Matieu ; Réjou-Méchain, Maxime ; Jara, Miguel Cifuentes; Wayson, Craig ; Piotto, Daniel ; Westfall, James ; Fuentes, José María Michel; Guier, Federico Alice; Lombis, Héctor Castañeda; López, Edwin Castellanos; Lara, Ruby Cuenca; Rojas, Kelvin Cueva; Del Águila Pasquel, Jhon ; Montoya, Álvaro Duque; Vega, Javier Fernández; Galo, Abner Jiménez; López, Omar R.; Marklund, Lars Gunnar; Milla, Fabián ; de Jesús Návar Cahidez, José ; Malavassi, Edgar Ortiz; Pérez, Johnny ; Zea, Carla Ramírez; García, Luis Rangel; Pons, Rafael Rubilar; Sanquetta, Carlos ; Scott, Charles ; Zapata-Cuartas, Mauricio ; Saint-André, Laurent. 2015. An overview of existing and promising technologies for national forest monitoring. Annals of Forest Science
McWilliams, William H.; Westfall, James A.; Brose, Patrick H.; Dey, Daniel C.; Hatfield, Mark; Johnson, Katherine; Laustsen, Kenneth M.; Lehman, Shawn L.; Morin, Randall S.; Nelson, Mark D.; Ristau, Todd E.; Royo, Alejandro A.; Stout, Susan L.; Willard, Thomas; Woodall, Christopher W. 2015. A regeneration indicator for Forest Inventory and Analysis: history, sampling, estimation, analytics, and potential use in the midwest and northeast United States. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-148. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 74 p.
Weiskittel, Aaron R.; MacFarlane, David W.; Radtke, Philip J.; Affleck, David L.R.; Temesgen, Hailemariam; Woodall, Christopher W.; Westfall, James A.; Coulston, John W. 2015. A call to improve methods for estimating tree biomass for regional and national assessments. Journal of Forestry. 113(4): 414-424.
Westfall, James. 2015. Spatial-scale considerations for a large-area forest inventory regression model. Forestry
Westfall, James A. 2015. Selection of Forest Inventory Cycle Length Based on Growth Rate and Measurement Variability. Forest Science
McRoberts, Ronald E.; Westfall, James A. 2014. Effects of uncertainty in model predictions of individual tree volume on large area volume estimates. Forest Science. 60(1): 34-42.
McCaskill, George L.; McWilliams, William H.; Alerich, Carol A.; Butler, Brett J.; Crocker, Susan J.; Domke, Grant M.; Griffith, Doug; Kurtz, Cassandra M.; Lehman, Shawn; Lister, Tonya W.; Morin, Randall S.; Moser, W. Keith; Roth, Paul; Riemann, Rachel; Westfall, James A. 2013. Pennsylvania's Forests, 2009. Resour. Bull. NRS-82. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 52 p.
Westfall, James A.; Pugh, Scott A.; Coulston, John W. 2013. Conducting tests for statistically significant differences using forest inventory data. Res. Pap. NRS-22. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 10 p.
Westfall, James A.; Woodall, Christopher W.; Hatfield, Mark A. 2013. A statistical power analysis of woody carbon flux from forest inventory data. Climatic Change. 118: 919-931.
Woodall, C.W.; Westfall, J.A.; Zhu, K.; Johnson, D.J. 2013. Assessing the effect of snow/water obstructions on the measurement of tree seedlings in a large-scale temperate forest inventory. Forestry. 86: 421-427.
Woodall, C.W.; Zhu, K.; Westfall, J.A.; Oswalt, C.M.; D'Amato, A.W.; Walters, B.F.; Lintz, H.E. 2013. Assessing the stability of tree ranges and influence of disturbance in eastern US forests. Forest Ecology and Management. 291: 172-180.
Westfall, James A.; Morin, Randall S. 2013. A cover-based method to assess forest characteristics using inventory data and GIS. Forest Ecology and Management
Brown, John P.; Westfall, James A. 2012. An evaluation of the properties of the variance estimator used by FIA. In: McWilliams, Will; Roesch, Francis A. eds. 2012. Monitoring Across Borders: 2010 Joint Meeting of the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Symposium and the Southern Mensurationists. e-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-157. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 53-58.
Domke, Grant M.; Woodall, Christopher W.; Smith, James E.; Westfall, James A.; McRoberts, Ronald E. 2012. Consequences of alternative tree-level biomass estimation procedures on U.S. forest carbon stock estimates. Forest Ecology and Management. 270(15): 108-116.
McWilliams, Will; Lehman, Shawn; Roth, Paul; Westfall, Jim. 2012. Forest Service's Northern Research Station FIA launches 24-state study of forest regeneration. The ForestrySource. 17(12): 12, 15.
McWilliams, William H.; Canham, Charles D.; Morin, Randall S.; Johnson, Katherine; Roth, Paul; Westfall, James A. 2012. Sampling forest regeneration across northern U.S. forests: filling a void in regeneration model input. In: Morin, Randall S.; Liknes, Greg C., comps. Moving from status to trends: Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) symposium 2012; 2012 December 4-6; Baltimore, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-105. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. [CD-ROM]: 290-294.
McWilliams, William H.; Morin, Randall S.; Johnson, Katherine; Moser, W. Keith; Westfall, James A. 2012. Invasive plant monitoring for northern U.S. forests. In: Morin, Randall S.; Liknes, Greg C., comps. Moving from status to trends: Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) symposium 2012; 2012 December 4-6; Baltimore, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-105. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. [CD-ROM]: 283-287.
Westfall, James A. 2012. A comparison of above-ground dry-biomass estimators for trees in the Northeastern United States. Northern Journal of Applied Forestry
Westfall, James A.; MacFarlane, David W.; Weiskittel, Aaron R. 2012. Biomass measurement and modeling challenges for hardwood species in the northern region. In: Morin, Randall S.; Liknes, Greg C., comps. Moving from status to trends: Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) symposium 2012; 2012 December 4-6; Baltimore, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-105. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. [CD-ROM]: 357-360.
Westfall, James A.; Morin, Randall S. 2012. Canopy cover estimates for individual tree attributes. In: Morin, Randall S.; Liknes, Greg C., comps. Moving from status to trends: Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) symposium 2012; 2012 December 4-6; Baltimore, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-105. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. [CD-ROM]: 248-253.
Woodall, C.W.; Walters, B.F.; Westfall, J.A. 2012. Tracking downed dead wood in forests over time: Development of a piece matching algorithm for line intercept sampling. Forest Ecology and Management. 277: 196-204.
Woodall, Christopher W.; Perry, Charles H.; Westfall, James A. 2012. An empirical assessment of forest floor carbon stock components across the United States. Forest Ecology and Management. 269: 1-9.
Woodall, Christopher W.; Westfall, James A. 2012. Curious or spurious correlations within a national-scale forest inventory?. In: McWilliams, Will; Roesch, Francis A. eds. 2012. Monitoring Across Borders: 2010 Joint Meeting of the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Symposium and the Southern Mensurationists. e-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-157. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 39-43.
Westfall, James A.; Scott, Charles T. 2010. Taper models for commercial tree species in the northeastern United States. Forest Science. 56(6): 515-528.
Woodall, C.J.; Nowak, D.J.; Liknes, G.C.; Westfall, J.A. 2010. Assessing the potential for urban trees to facilitate forest tree migration in the eastern United States. Forest Ecology and Managment. 259: 1447-1454.
Woodall, C.W.; Oswalt, C.M.; Westfall, J.A.; Perry, C.H.; Nelson, M.D.; Finley, A.O. 2010. Selecting tree species for testing climate change migration hypotheses using forest inventory data. Forest Ecology and Management. 259: 778-785.
Martin, Maria E. Blanco; Hoppus, Michael; Lister, Andrew; Westfall, James A. 2009. Is there a better metric than site index to indicate the productivity of forested lands?. In: McRoberts, Ronald E.; Reams, Gregory A.; Van Deusen, Paul C.; McWilliams, William H., eds. Proceedings of the eighth annual forest inventory and analysis symposium; 2006 October 16-19; Monterey, CA. Gen. Tech. Report WO-79. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 355-362.
Westfall, James A. 2009. Effects of plot size on forest-type algorithm accuracy. In: McWilliams, Will; Moisen, Gretchen; Czaplewski, Ray, comps. Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Symposium 2008; October 21-23, 2008; Park City, UT. Proc. RMRS-P-56CD. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 15 p.
Westfall, James A.; Frieswyk, Thomas; Griffith, Douglas M. 2009. Implementing the measurement interval midpoint method for change estimation. In: McRoberts, Ronald E.; Reams, Gregory A.; Van Deusen, Paul C.; McWilliams, William H., eds. Proceedings of the eighth annual forest inventory and analysis symposium; 2006 October 16-19; Monterey, CA. Gen. Tech. Report WO-79. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 231-236.
Westfall, James A.; Scott, Charles T. 2009. Monitoring state forest lands in standardization with a national forest inventory program. In: Extending forest inventory and monitoring over space and time; IUFRO Div. 4 proceedings; 2009 May 19-22; Quebec, Canada. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University. 5 p.
Woodall, C.W.; Oswalt, C.M.; Westfall, J.A.; Perry, C.H.; Nelson, M.D.; Finley, A.O. 2009. An indicator of tree migration in forests of the eastern United States. Forest Ecology and Management. 257: 1434-1444.
Woodall, C.W.; Westfall, J.A. 2009. Relationships between the stocking levels of live trees and dead tree attributes in forests of the United States. Forest Ecology and Management. 258: 2602-2608.
Woodall, Christopher W.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Westfall, James A.; Perry, Charles H.; Nelson, Mark N. 2009. Tree migration detection through comparisons of historic and current forest inventories. In: McWilliams, Will; Moisen, Gretchen; Czaplewski, Ray, comps. Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Symposium 2008; October 21-23, 2008; Park City, UT. Proc. RMRS-P-56CD. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 9 p.
Woodall, Christopher; Westfall, James. 2009. Can live tree size-density relationships provide a mechanism for predicting down and dead tree resources?. In: McWilliams, Will; Moisen, Gretchen; Czaplewski, Ray, comps. Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Symposium 2008; October 21-23, 2008; Park City, UT. Proc. RMRS-P-56CD. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 8 p.
Westfall, James A. 2008. Differences in Computed Individual-Tree Volumes Caused by Differences in Field Measurements . Northern Journal of Applied Forestry, Volume 25, Number 4, December 2008 , pp. 195-201(7)
Woodall, C.W.; Westfall, J.A. 2008. Controlling coarse woody debris inventory quality: taper and relative size methods. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 38: 631-636.
McWilliams, William H.; Cassell, Seth P.; Alerich, Carol L.; Butler, Brett J.; Hoppus, Michael L.; Horsley, Stephen B.; Lister, Andrew J.; Lister, Tonya W.; Morin, Randall S.; Perry, Charles H.; Westfall, James A.; Wharton, Eric H.; Woodall, Christopher W. 2007. Pennsylvania's Forest 2004. Resour. Bull. NRS-20. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 86 p.
Walker, Wayne S.; Kellndorfer, Josef M.; LaPoint, Elizabeth; Hoppus, Michael; Westfall, James. 2007. An empirical InSAR-optical fusion approach to mapping vegetation canopy height. Remote Sensing of Environment 109:482-499
Westfall, J.A.; Woodall, C.W. 2007. Measurement repeatability of a large-scale inventory of forest fuels. Forest Ecology and Management. 253: 171-176.
Woodall, Christopher W.; Westfall, James A. 2007. Improving coarse woody debris measurements: a taper-based technique. In: McRoberts, Ronald E.; Reams, Gregory A.; Van Deusen, Paul C.; McWilliams, William H., eds. Proceedings of the seventh annual forest inventory and analysis symposium; October 3-6, 2005; Portland, ME. Gen. Tech. Rep. WO-77. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: 231-235.
Pollard, James E.; Westfall, James A.; Patterson, Paul L.; Gartner, David L.; Hansen, Mark; Kuegler, Olaf. 2006. Forest Inventory and Analysis National Data Quality Assessment Report for 2000 to 2003. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-181. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 43 p.
Westfall, James A. 2006. Modifying Taper-Derived Merchantable Height Estimates to Account for Tree Characteristics. In: Proceedings of the sixth annual forest inventory and analysis symposium; 2004 September 21-24; Denver, CO. Gen. Tech. Rep. WO-70. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. 126p.
Westfall, James A. 2006. Predicting past and future diameter growth for trees in the northeastern United States. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36:1551-1562
Westfall, James A.; Laustsen, Kenneth M. 2006. A merchantable and total height model for tree species in Maine. Northern Journal of Applied Forestry 23(4):241-249
Lister, Andrew; Riemann, Rachel; Westfall, James; Hoppus, Mike. 2005. Variable Selection Strategies for Small-area Estimation Using FIA Plots and Remotely Sensed Data. In: McRoberts, Ronald E.; Reams, Gregory A.; Van Deusen, Paul C.; McWilliams, William H.; Cieszewski, Chris J., eds. Proceedings of the fourth annual forest inventory and analysis symposium; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-252. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station. 105-109
McWilliams, William H.; Bowersox, Todd W.; Brose, Patrick H.; Devlin, Daniel A.; Finley, James C.; Gottschalk, Kurt W.; Horsley, Steve; King, Susan L.; LaPoint, Brian M.; Lister, Tonya W.; McCormick, Larry H.; Miller, Gary W.; Scott, Charles T.; Steele, Harry; Steiner, Kim C.; Stout, Susan L.; Westfall, James A.; White , Robert L. 2005. Measuring Tree Seedlings and Associated Understory Vegetation in Pennsylvania's Forests. In: McRoberts, Ronald E.; Reams, Gregory A.; Van Deusen, Paul C.; McWilliams, William H.; Cieszewski, Chris J., eds. Proceedings of the fourth annual forest inventory and analysis symposium; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-252. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station. 21-26
McWilliams, William H.; Butler, Brett J.; Caldwell, Laurence E.; Griffith, Douglas M.; Hoppus, Michael L.; Laustsen, Kenneth M.; Lister, Andrew J.; Lister, Tonya W.; Metzler, Jacob W.; Morin, Randall S.; Sader, Steven A.; Stewart, Lucretia B.; Steinman, James R.; Westfall, James, A.; Williams, David A.; Whitman, Andrew; Woodall, Christopher W.; Woodall, Christopher W. 2005. The forests of Maine: 2003. Resour. Bull. NE-164. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station. 188 p.
Pollard, James E.; Westfall, James A.; Patterson, Paul A.; Gartner, David L. 2005. FIA Quality Assurance Program: Evaluation of a Tree Matching Algorithm for Paired Forest Inventory Data. In: Proceedings of the fifth annual forest inventory and analysis symposium; 2003 November 18-20; New Orleans, LA. Gen. Tech. Rep. WO-69. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. 222p.
Westfall, James A.; Hoppus, Michael. 2005. Sensitivity of FIA Volume Estimates to Changes in Stratum Weights and Number of Strata. In: McRoberts, Ronald E.; Reams, Gregory A.; Van Deusen, Paul C.; McWilliams, William H.; Cieszewski, Chris J., eds. Proceedings of the fourth annual forest inventory and analysis symposium; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-252. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station. 193-197
Westfall, James A.; Scott, Charles T. 2005. Northeastern FIA Tree Taper Study: Current Status and Future Work. In: Proceedings of the fifth annual forest inventory and analysis symposium; 2003 November 18-20; New Orleans, LA. Gen. Tech. Rep. WO-69. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. 222p.
Arner, Stanford L.; Westfall, James A.; Scott, Charles T. 2004. Comparison of annual inventory designs using forest inventory and analysis data. Forest Science. 50(2): 188-203.
McWilliams, William H.; Alerich, Carol A.; Devlin, Daniel A.; Lister, Andrew J.; Lister, Tonya W.; Sterner, Stephen L.; Westfall, James A. 2004. Annual inventory report for Pennsylvania's forests: results from the first three years. Resour. Bull. NE-159. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station. 95 p.
McWilliams, William H.; Bowersox, Todd W.; Brose, Patrick H.; Devlin, Daniel A.; Finley, James C.; Horsley, Steve; Gottschalk, Kurt W.; Lister, Tonya W.; McCormick, Larry H.; Miller, Gary W.; Steiner, Kim C.; Stout, Susan L.; Westfall, James A.; White, Robert L. 2004. Indicators of regenerative capacity for eastern hardwood forests. In: Proceedings, Society of American Foresters 2003 national convention; 2003 October 25-29; Buffalo, NY. Bethesda, MD: Society of American Foresters: 136-140.
Westfall, James A.; Burkhart, Harold E.; Allen, H. Lee. 2004. Young stand growth modeling for intensively-managed loblolly pine plantations in Southeastern U.S.. Forest Science. 50(6): 823-835.
McWilliams, William H.; Bowersox, Todd W.; Brose, Patrick H.; Devlin, Daniel A.; Finley, James C.; Horsley, Steve; Gottschalk, Kurt W.; King, Susan L.; Lister, Tonya W.; McCormick, Larry H.; Miller, Gary W.; Scott, Charles T.; Steiner, Kim C.; Stout, Susan L.; Westfall, James A.; White, Robert L. 2003. Indicators of regenerative capacity for native broadleaf forests: a case study of ungulate overpopulation in the Eastern United States. In: Congress proceedings, Xii world forestry congress; 2003 September 21-28; Quebec City, Canada. [Place of publication unknown]: [Publisher unknown]: 342.
McWilliams, William H.; Alerich, Carol A.; Devlin, Daniel A.; Lister, Tonya W.; Sterner, Stephen L.; Westfall, James A. 2002. Annual inventory report for Pennsylvania's forests: results from the first two years.. Resour. Bull. NE-156. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station. 71 p.
Baldwin, V. Clark; Burkhart, Harold E.; Westfall, James A.; Peterson, Kelly D. 2001. Linking growth and yield and process models to estimate impact of environmental changes on growth of loblolly pine. Forest Science. 47(1): 77-82. 2001

National Research Highlights

Golden-winged warbler in young forest habitat. Laura Erickson, Cornell University

Young Forest Habitat Health Studied in Northeast and Midwest

Year: 2015

Young growth is becoming the new old growth! Early succession forests in the U.S. Northeast and Midwest now account for only 8 percent of total forests, becoming rare like old growth is in the West. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis scientists have begun studying many aspects of early-succession forests.

Last modified: Friday, September 20, 2019