1. Home
  2. Scientists & Staff
  3. Barry T. (Ty) Wilson

Scientists & Staff

Barry Tyler

Barry T. (Ty) Wilson

Research Forester
Forest Inventory & Analysis
1992 Folwell Avenue
St. Paul, MN, 55108-1034
Phone: 651-649-5189

Contact Barry T. (Ty) Wilson


Research Interests

  • Geospatial modeling and mapping using forest inventory data
  • Small area estimation using a model-based mode of inference
  • Nonparametric models, such as the k-nearest neighbors estimator
  • Hierarchical Bayesian models and MCMC methods
  • Use of dense time series of satellite imagery (e.g. MODIS & Landsat) to track land cover change and forest disturbance

Why This Research is Important

My line of research focuses on enhancing the value of the foundational information provided by the FIA program. Rather than requiring our users to become familiar with our complex database of inventory data, we can provide geospatial raster products as outputs from our modeling efforts. These data can be used by scientists, decision makers, and the interested public for multiple purposes, ranging from the preparation of state forest assessments and wildlife habitat models, to maps of current tree species distributions and the projection of future forest conditions. Another focus of my research is on characterizing the uncertainty of these raster products, providing the basis for making statistical inferences about forests from our geospatial models.

Education

  • University of Minnesota, Ph.D. Natural Resources Science and Management,
  • Louisiana State University, B.A. Economics,
  • University of Minnesota, M.S. Forestry,

Professional Organizations

  • American Geophysical Union (2016 - Current)
  • American Society for Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing (2010 - 2016)

Featured Publications & Products

Publications & Products

  • Perry, Charles H.; Finco, Mark V; Wilson, Barry T. 2022. Forest Atlas of the United States. FS-1172
  • Khan, Md Kamrul Hasan; Chakraborty, Avishek; Petris, Giovanni; Wilson, Barry T. 2021. Constrained Functional Regression of National Forest Inventory Data over Time Using Remote Sensing Observations. Journal of the American Statistical Association
  • 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
  • Goerndt, Michael E.; Wilson, Barry T.; Aguilar, Francisco X. 2019. Comparison of small area estimation methods applied to biopower feedstock supply in the Northern U.S. region. Biomass and Bioenergy
  • Nam, Jung Who; McCullough, Krista ; Tveite, Joshua ; Espinosa, Maria Molina; Perry, Charles H.; Wilson, Barry T.; Keefe, Daniel F. 2019. Worlds-in-Wedges: combining worlds-in-miniature and portals to support comparative immersive visualization of forestry data. In: 2019 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces​. New York: IEEE: 747-755.
  • Helmer, Eileen ; Ruzycki, Thomas ; Wilson, Barry ; Sherrill, Kirk ; Lefsky, Michael ; Marcano-Vega, Humfredo ; Brandeis, Thomas ; Erickson, Heather ; Ruefenacht, Bonnie. 2018. Tropical Deforestation and Recolonization by Exotic and Native Trees: Spatial Patterns of Tropical Forest Biomass, Functional Groups, and Species Counts and Links to Stand Age, Geoclimate, and Sustainability Goals. Remote Sensing
  • Riemann, Rachel ; Wilson, Barry T.; Lister, Andrew J.; Cook, Oren ; Crane-Murdoch, Sierra. 2018. Tree species distribution in the United States Part 1. Journal of Maps
  • Tavernia, Brian G.; Nelson, Mark D.; Riemann, Rachel; Dickinson, Brent; Moser, W. Keith; Wilson, Barry T. (Ty); Garner, James D. 2016. Conservation of biological diversity. In: Shifley, Stephen R.; Moser, W. Keith, eds. Future forests of the northern United States. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-151. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 43-76. Chapter 3.
  • Riemann, Rachel I.; Wilson, Barry T.; Lister, Andrew J.; Cook, Oren; Crane-Murdoch, Sierra. 2014. Modeled distributions of 12 tree species in New York. Research Map NRS-5. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. [map; ~ 1:3,900,000].
  • Riemann, Rachel; Wilson, Barry T. 2014. Characterization and visualization of the accuracy of FIA's CONUS-wide tree species datasets. In: Shortridge, A.M.; Messina, J.P.; Kravchenko, S.; Finley, A., eds. Accuracy 2014: [Proceedings] 11th international symposium on spatial accuracy assessment in natural resources and environmental sciences. 2014 July 8-11; East Lansing, MI. [Place of publication unknown]: International Spatial Accuracy Research Association: 100-106.
  • Birdsey, Richard; Angeles-Perez, Gregorio; Kurz, Werner A; Lister, Andrew; Olguin, Marcela; Pan, Yude; Wayson, Craig; Wilson, Barry; Johnson, Kristofer. 2013. Approaches to monitoring changes in carbon stocks for REDD+. Carbon Management. 4(5): 519-537.
  • Crocker, Susan J.; Nelson, Mark D.; Barnett, Charles J.; Butler, Brett J.; Domke, Grant M.; Hansen, Mark H.; Hatfield, Mark A.; Lister, Tonya W.; Meneguzzo, Dacia M.; Piva, Ronald J.; Wilson, Barry T.; Woodall, Christopher W. 2013. Illinois' Forests 2010. Resour. Bull. NRS-86. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 52 p.
  • Haugen, David E.; Harsel, Robert; Bergdahl, Aaron; Claeys, Tom; Woodall, Christopher W.; Wilson, Barry T.; Crocker, Susan J.; Butler, Brett J.; Kurtz, Cassandra M.; Hatfield, Mark A.; Barnett, Charles H.; Domke, Grant; Kaisershot, Dan; Moser, W. Keith; Lister, Andrew J.; Gormanson, Dale D. 2013. North Dakota's Forests 2010. Resour. Bull. NRS-76. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 52 p.
  • Meneguzzo, Dacia M; Crocker, Susan J.; Nelson, Mark D.; Barnett, Charles J.; Butler, Brett J.; Domke, Grant M.; Hansen, Mark H.; Hatfield, Mark A.; Liknes, Greg C.; Lister, Andrew J.; Lister, Tonya W.; Piva, Ronald J.; Wilson, Barry T. (Ty); Woodall, Christopher W. 2012. Nebraska's Forests 2010. Resour. Bull. NRS-68 . Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 47 p. [DVD included]
  • Moisen, Gretchen G.; Coulston, John W.; Wilson, Barry T.; Cohen, Warren B.; Finco, Mark V. 2012. Choosing appropriate subpopulations for modeling tree canopy cover nationwide. 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. 195-200.
  • Perry, Charles H.; Everson, Vern A.; Butler, Brett J.; Crocker, Susan J.; Dahir, Sally E.; Diss-Torrance, Andrea L.; Domke, Grant M; Gormanson, Dale D.; Herrick, Sarah K.; Hubbard, Steven S.; Mace, Terry R.; Miles, Patrick D.; Nelson, Mark D.; Rodeout, Richard B.; Saunders, Luke T.; Stueve, Kirk M.; Wilson, Barry T.; Woodall, Christopher W. 2012. Wisconsin's Forests 2009. Resour. Bull. NRS-67. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 62 p. [Includes DVD].
  • Riemann, Rachel; Wilson, Ty; Lister, Andrew. 2012. Application of an assessment protocol to extensive species and total basal area per acre datasets for the eastern coterminous United States. 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. 161-174.
  • Wilson, B. Tyler; Conner, Ali; Christensen, Glenn; Shaw, John; Meade, Jason; Royer, Larry. 2012. A database strategy for new variables. 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. 175-178.
  • Crocker, Susan J.; Nelson, Mark D.; Barnett, Charles J.; Brand, Gary J.; Butler, Brett J.; Domke, Grant M.; Hansen, Mark H.; Hatfield, Mark A.; Lister, Tonya W.; Meneguzzo, Dacia M.; Perry, Charles H.; Piva, Ronald J.; Wilson, Barry T.; Woodall, Christopher W.; Zipse, Bill. 2011. New Jersey's forests, 2008. Resour. Bull. NRS-59. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 52 p. [DVD included].
  • Woodall, Christopher W.; Webb, Mark N.; Wilson, Barry T.; Settle, Jeff; Piva, Ron J.; Perry, Charles H.; Meneguzzo, Dacia M.; Crocker, Susan J.; Butler, Brett J.; Hansen, Mark; Hatfield, Mark; Brand, Gary; Barnett, Charles. 2011. Indiana's Forests 2008. Resour. Bull. NRS-45. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 56 p. [CD included].
  • Crocker, Susan J.; Brand, Gary J.; Butler, Brett J.; Haugen, David E.; Little, Dick C.; Meneguzzo, Dacia M.; Perry, Charles H.; Piva, Ronald J.; Wilson, Barry T.; Woodall, Christopher W. 2009. Illinois' Forests 2005. Resour. Bull. NRS-29. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 114 p.
  • Haugen, David E.; Kangas, Michael; Crocker, Susan J.; Perry, Charles H.; Woodall, Christopher W.; Butler, Brett J.; Wilson, Barry T.; Kaisershot, Dan J. 2009. North Dakota's forests 2005. Resour. Bull. NRS-31. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 82 p.
  • Meneguzzo, Dacia M.; Butler, Brett J.; Crocker, Susan J.; Haugen, David E.; Moser, W. Keith; Perry, Charles H.; Wilson, Barry T.; Woodall, Christopher W. 2008. Nebraska's forests, 2005. Resour. Bull. NRS-27. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 94 p.
  • Moser, W. Keith; Hansen, Mark H.; Atchison, Robert L.; Brand, Gary J.; Butler, Brett J.; Crocker, Susan J.; Meneguzzo, Dacia M.; Nelson, Mark D.; Perry, Charles H.; Reading, William H. IV; Wilson, Barry T.; Woodall, Christopher W. 2008. Kansas forests 2005. Resour. Bull. NRS-26. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 125 p.
  • Perry, Charles H. (Hobie); Everson, Vern A.; Brown, Ian K.; Cummings-Carlson, Jane; Dahir, Sally E.; Jepsen, Edward A.; Kovach, Joe; Labissoniere, Michael D.; Mace, Terry R.; Padley, Eunice A.; Rideout, Richard B.; Butler, Brett J.; Crocker, Susan J.; Liknes, Greg C.; Morin, Randall S.; Nelson, Mark D.; Wilson, Barry T. (Ty); Woodall, Christopher W. 2008. Wisconsin's forests, 2004. Resour. Bull. NRS-23. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 104 p.
  • Miles, Patrick D.; Jacobson, Keith; Brand , Gary J.; Jepsen, Ed; Meneguzzo, Dacia; Mielke, Manfred E.; Olson, Cassandra; Perry, Charles H. (Hobie); Piva, Ronald J.; Wilson, Barry Tyler; Woodall, Christopher. 2007. Minnesota's forests 1999-2003 (Part A). Resour. Bull. NRS-12A. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 92 p.
  • Riley, Cecilia M.; Esslinger, Greg; Wilson, Barry. 2005. Partnerships to Deliver Bird Conservation along the Gulf Coast. In: Ralph, C. John; Rich, Terrell D., editors 2005. Bird Conservation Implementation and Integration in the Americas: Proceedings of the Third International Partners in Flight Conference. 2002 March 20-24; Asilomar, California, Volume 1 Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-191. Albany, CA: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: p. 438-442

Research Datasets

  • Wilson, Barry T.; Lister, Andrew J.; Riemann, Rachel I.; Griffith, Douglas M. 2013. Live tree species basal area of the contiguous United States (2000-2009). Newtown Square, PA: USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0013.
  • Wilson, Barry Tyler; Woodall, Christopher W.; Griffith, Douglas M. 2013. Forest carbon stocks of the contiguous United States (2000-2009). Newtown Square, PA: USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0004.

National Research Highlights

These maps depict the distribution of 12 tree species across the state of New York. The maps show where these trees do not occur (gray), occasionally occur (pale green), are a minor component (medium green), are a major component (dark green), or are the dominant species (black) in the forest, as determined by that species' total basal area. Rachel Riemann, USDA Forest Service

Nationwide Datasets of Tree Species Distributions Created

Year: 2014

Geospatial datasets of the relative abundance and distribution of individual tree species have been created by Forest Service scientists for 323 species across the lower 48 United States using an efficient modeling approach that maintains realistic relationships between species at each location. These datasets have been fully documented, assessed for accuracy using a variety of metrics at a range of scales, and officially archived with their accuracy results to make them publicly available for download. Finally, attractive state-level tree species distribution posters have been created that provide both visual and numerical information at an appropriate technical level for both adults and students.

Last modified: Tuesday, March 5, 2019