Presentations on different initiatives to reduce information gaps in the region were given. (See appendix 4)
A presentation on “Adapting the US Forest Inventory and Analysis program to Puerto
Rico and the US Virgin Islands” was done by Thomas Brandeis. Speaker presented the history, challenges, sampling design, data collection, coordination and logistics, and data processing.
A second presentation made by John Donnegan, regarding forest inventories in the South Pacific, that is combined system using a vegetation cover map with a terrestrial system of systematically distributed sample plots. Information is mainly use for watershed management actions.
Rodrigo Rodas, presented the design and results coming from the National Forestry Inventory of Guatemala. The inventory was designed according to the National Forest Assessment component of FRA programme (see section 2 of this report). Information regarding the national classifications, sampling plots, data collected: biophysical, use and users of forest, personnel, were discussed.
The Forestry Inventory of Jamaica was presented by Owen Evelyn and personnel from the Forestry Department of Jamaica. Mr. Evelyn gave detailed information regarding the planning, mapping, sampling plots, collection of data, personnel, cost and use of the collected data coming from the inventory. The Forestry Department of Jamaica presented its combined system of a Landsat based analysis of the vegetation types combined with a more detailed watershed based analysis using aerial photos to identify more specific vegetation with stratified terrestrial samples. His presentation was later complemented by a field work visit a permanent sampling plots, where more details regarding the collection, and organization of data was provided.
Margaret Austin presented a low cost approach of using mapmaker software to produce a forest cover map for Barbados (forest cover study for a pilot area).
The Caribbean vegetation mapping initiative from IITF and TNC produced landsat based vegetation cover information for Dominica, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico was presented by Ms. Eileen Helmer Draft maps and forest cover data are currently presented to the national forest administrations for validation for:
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Grenada
These maps and the forest cover data are expected to be ready in May-June 2005.
