United States

Department of

Agriculture

Forest

Service

Northern

Research Station

General Technical

Report NRS-85

NED-2 User’s Guide

Mark J. Twery

Peter D. Knopp

Scott A. Thomasma

Donald E. Nute
Abstract

This is the user’s guide for NED-2, which is the latest version of NED, a forest ecosystem 

management decision support system. This software is part of a family of software products 

intended to help resource managers develop goals, assess current and future conditions, 

and produce sustainable management plans for forest properties. Designed for stand-alone 

Windows-based personal computers, NED-2 integrates a variety of forest management tools into 

a single environment. These tools include databases, growth and yield models, wildlife models, 

geographic information systems (GIS), visualization tools, and others. The software is distributed 

with an online help system and a printed user’s guide. This user’s guide provides guidance for 

use of the software and a basic introduction to the principles and calculations used in NED-2. A 

reference guide with more detailed explanations of the models, equations, and rules that underlie 

the software is available separately. The NED-2 software and related documentation is included 

on the CD-ROM and also may be downloaded from http://nrs.fs.fed.us/tools/ned/products/ned2/.

Visit our homepage at: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/

Published by: For additional copies, contact:

USDA FOREST SERVICE USDA Forest Service

11 CAMPUS BLVD., SUITE 200 Publications Distribution

NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA 19073-3294 359 Main Road

Delaware, OH 43015-8640

October 2011 Fax: 740-368-0152

Manuscript received for publication February 2011

The Authors

Mark J. Twery is a research forester and Project Leader with the Northern Research Station in 

Burlington, Vermont.

Peter D. Knopp is an information technology specialist affiliated with two research units of the 

Northern Research Station, and is located in Delaware, Ohio.

Scott A. Thomasma is an information technology specialist with the Northern Research Station, 

and is located in Shingleton, Michigan.

Donald A. Nute is professor emeritus, Department of Philosophy, at the University of Georgia, 

Athens, Georgia.

Cover photo: Loon on Arbutus Pond, Essex County, New York. Photo by Mark J. Twery, 

 U.S. Forest Service.
i

Contents

Chapter 1 - Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

 About NED Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

 General Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Chapter 2 - Forest Management Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

 About Goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

 Goal Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

 Goal Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

 Goal Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Chapter 3 - Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

 Interacting with Data Grids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

 Establishing Defaults. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

 Data Entry and Manipulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

 Plot Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

 Inventory Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

 Height Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

 Inventory Field Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

 Management Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

 Stands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

 Clusters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

 Custom Data Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

 Tips for Editing Inventory Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

 Overstory Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

 Logs . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

 Understory Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

 Ground-cover Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

 Woody Debris Transects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

 Buildings in the Wildland Urban Interface (Fire Risk) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

 Plant Species Attributes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

 The Plant Species Short-list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

 Defi ning Your Own Species Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

 Entering Timber Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

 Importing Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

 Importing Data from Other Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
ii

Chapter 4 - Calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94

 Calculation Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94

 Timber Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

 Plant Species Diversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108

 Forest Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Chapter 5 - Management Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126

 Defi ning Management Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126

 Defi ning Treatments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128

 Choosing Simulation Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133

 Establishing a Common Baseline of Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134

 Building Treatment Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137

 Scheduling Treatments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139

 Simulating Management Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141

 Examining Simulated Plans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142

Chapter 6 - Examining the Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144

 Vegetation Tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144

 Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156

 Generating GIS Displays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162

 Stand Visualization System (SVS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167

 Viewing Stand Snapshots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191
iii

List of Figures

Figure 1. Typical appearance of NED-2 interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Figure 2. User Default Values Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Figure 3. Example Inventory Plot Layout for NED-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Figure 4. Establishing Height Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Figure 5. Editing an overstory observation using a dialog instead of the spreadsheet view . . . .50

Figure 6. Viewing the Logs Table for an Overstory Observation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Figure 7. NED-1 species matches in NED-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Figure 8. Viewing your data in txt2mdbSetup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Figure 9. Mapping a variable in txt2mdbSetup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

Figure 10. The NED-2 Diversity Measures Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Figure 11. Selecting the data source on the fi rst wizard page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146

Figure 12. Choosing a variable for the cells of the table on the second wizard page . . . . . . . .147

Figure 13. Choosing a column variable on the third wizard page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148

Figure 14. Choosing a row variable on the fourth wizard page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149

Figure 15. The last page of the vegetation table wizard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150

Figure 16. Choosing the years in which to generate a report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159

Figure 17. NED-2 GIS Selection Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163

Figure 18. NED-2 GIS Variable Selection Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

Figure 19. Viewing a stand in SVS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168

List of Tables

Table 1. Oak regeneration height classes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Table 2. Woody interference height classes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Table 3. Values of coeffi cients (F1 through F9) used for the 

 board-foot volume calculation (Wiant and Castaneda 1977). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

Table 4. Taper values used in determining the top diameter 

 of upper log sections (Scrivani 1989). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105

Table 5. Prescription and wildlife forest types in NED-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
iv

Acknowledgments

The NED software tools are being developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

Forest Service, Northern Research Station. Other Forest Service units collaborating in the 

development include the Southern Research Station and the Eastern Region of the National Forest 

System. Many state and educational institutions also are collaborating with the Forest Service on 

this project.

NED Contributors

The list of contributors for NED-2 is large and includes members from state and federal agencies, 

universities, and private industry. The list includes practicing foresters, wildlife biologists, 

landscape architects, hydrologists, and more. Development of NED-2 began with the formation 

of the following core team that consisted of representatives from each of several resource 

committees, as well as, several software developers. The original core team met two to three 

times annually to work out the details of NED-2. 

Original NED core team members included the following:

Deborah Bennett, Biologist, Northeastern Research Station

Robert Bridges, Assistant Director, Northern Research Station, Retired

Helene Cleveland, Forester, Allegheny National Forest

David DeCalesta, Research Wildlife Biologist, Northeastern Research Station, Retired

Morgan Grove, Research Forester, Northern Research Station

Eric Gustafson, Research Landscape Ecologist, Northern Research Station

Robin Hoffman, Landscape Architect, State University of New York (SUNY) 

 College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry

Jim Hornbeck, Research Hydrologist, Northeastern Research Station, Retired

R. Peter Kollasch, Computer Specialist, Northeastern Research Station

Neil Lamson, Research Forester, Northeastern Research Station, Retired

Donald Nute, Professor of Philosophy, University of Georgia, Retired

James F. Palmer, Landscape Architect, Retired, SUNY College of Environmental Sciences 

 and Forestry

H. Michael Rauscher, Research Forester, Southern Research Station, Retired

Susan Stout, Research Forester, Northern Research Station

Early contributors to the NED development project included the following:

David A. Marquis, Research Silviculturist, Northeastern Research Station, Retired. We are 

 most indebted for his vision and energy that conceived the project and sustained its 

 early development. 

Clay Smith, Research Silviculturist, Northeastern Research Station, Deceased

Laura Alban, Forester, SUNY College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry

Tom Schuler, Research Forester, Northern Research Station

Brian Simpson, Forester, Northern Research Station

Max McFadden, Assistant Director, Northeastern Research Station, Retired
v

Programming Support

NED-2 was programmed by Scott Thomasma and Pete Kollasch, along with support from the 

University of Georgia in Athens, GA under the direction of Donald Nute and Donald Potter. 

Additional programming support was provided by Julian Bishop, David Boucugnani, Yousong 

Chang, Ningyu Chen, Zhiyuan Cheng, Deepak Chinthamalla, Mayukh Dass, John Dewey, Astrid 

Glende, Christopher Henderson, Geneho Kim, Rajesh Kommineni, Shanyin Liu, Arlo Lyle, Fred 

Maier, Joe Procopio, Xia Qu, Cy Routh, Karan Sharma, Shulei Sun, Hajime Uchiyama, Jin Wang, 

Yong Wei, Sarah Witzig, Mingguang Xu, Huasong Yin, Xin Zhang, Guo-jun Zhu, and others.

NED-2 Resource Committees

Early in the development of NED-2, many scientifi c and managerial concepts were incorporated 

into NED-2 as a result of input from several resource committees. Prior to 1998, committees 

provided guidance on desired resource conditions, rules and regulations, operational procedures, 

defi nitions, and other concepts based on scientifi c research and professional practice.

Ecology

Committee chair: Susan Stout

Committee members: Daniel Brauning, Daniel Devlin, Donald Gibbon, Emily Grafton, 

Katharine Hakala, Tina Hall, James Kotcon, Larry Master, James McGraw, John McKown, 

Rose Marie Muzika, Charles Smith, Steve Sutherland, Gary Wade, Paul Weigman, 

Mary Hoffman, Jeff Knoop, Craig Martin, and Nancy Putnam

Economics

Committee chairs: Mike Rauscher, Gary Miller

Committee members: Bill Gardner, Karen Lee, Laura Lombardo, Mark Twery, David Wear, 

and Charlie Webb

Forest health

Committee chair: Jim Steinman

Committee members: Larry Abrahamson, Doug Allen, Barbara Burns, Mike Connor, 

Kurt Gottschalk, Robert Haack, David Houston, Steven Katovich, Paul Manion, 

Deborah McCullough, Max McFadden, Martin MacKenzie, Margaret Miller-Weeks, 

William Ostrofsky, John Quimby, Dennis Souto, James Stewart, David Struble, 

H. Brent Teillon, and Philip Wargo

Landscape ecology

Committee chairs: Eric Gustafson, Swee May Tang

Social ecology

Committee chair: Morgan Grove

Committee members: William R. Burch, Jr., Kenneth Cordell, Thomas Duffus, Shawn Dalton, 

Marla Emery, Tim Foresman, Marilyn Hoskins, Lloyd Irland, Pamela Jakes, Jerilyn Levi, 

Bernie Lewis, Gary E. Machlis, Max McFadden, Jean McKendry, Rob Northrop, 

Elinor Ostrom, James Palmer, J. Kathy Parker, Brian Payne, Steward Pickett, Mike Rechlin, 

Dianne Rocheleau, and James Thorne
vi

Timber

Committee chair: Mark Twery

Committee members: John Brissette, Martin Dale, Robert Frank, Kurt Gottschalk, Matthew Kelty, 

Neil Lamson, William Leak, Monty Maldonado, Gary Miller, Ralph Nyland, Arlyn Perkey, 

Mike Rauscher, Chip Scott, Dale Solomon, Susan Stout, Robert White, and Dan Yaussy

Previous committee members: Bob Bloomquist, Joel Hockinson, David Marquis, William Shirley, 

and Clay Smith

Visual

Committee chairs: Jim Palmer, Robin Hoffman

Present committee members: Skip Echelberger, Paul Gobster, Steve Hollenhorst, Gary Kell, 

William Kerr, Tom Kokx, Tom More, Peggy Pings, and Bruce Reid

Previous committee members: Mary Anna Harrilchak and John Kuhr

Water

Committee chair: Jim Hornbeck

Committee members: Mary Beth Adams, Edward Corbett, Tony Federer, Donald Hair, 

James Kochenderfer, Harry Parrott, Doug Ryan, Robert Smith, and James Vose

Wildlife

Committee chair: Dave deCalesta (Linda Thomasma 1992 to 1995)

Committee members: Doug Blodgett, Robert Brooks, Alan Boss, Richard DeGraaf, 

Clayton Grove, William Healy, John Lanier, Brad Nelson, Ralph Nyland, Steve Pelletier, 

William Porter, Robert Szaro, and Mariko Yamasaki 
Chapter 1 - Introduction

ABOUT NED SOFTWARE

NED-2 is the latest version of NED, a forest ecosystem management decision support system. 

This software is part of a family of software products intended to help resource managers develop 

goals, assess current and future conditions, and produce sustainable management plans for 

forest properties. NED originally was an acronym for the Northeast Decision Model, but as the 

geographical scope of the project expanded, the software lost the regional reference in its name 

and became known as NED.

The NED concept uses an original prescription design system to incorporate management goals 

for multiple objectives, analyze current forest conditions, recommend management alternatives, 

and predict future conditions under different alternatives. NED is designed to include a longterm, landscape-level view of the forest as an interconnected ecosystem that is too complex 

to understand at every level but which still must be managed. Recommendations for potential 

treatments involve information on all resources affected and provide options from which a 

manager may choose. The technique involves defi ning a management area of interest, defi ning 

goals for the area, identifying conditions necessary to meet each goal, and identifying conditions 

that may be met in conjunction with other conditions, from most restrictive to least restrictive 

(Twery et al. 2005).

The process begins with the selection of management objectives, or goals, for any or all of the 

following fi ve resources: visual quality, wildlife, water, wood production, and general ecological 

objectives. These goals are defi ned for a management unit at a scale from one to many stands, 

generally within the range of 10 to 10,000 acres. Committees of experts in each of the specifi c 

resources defi ned the conditions necessary to meet the specifi ed goals and determined common 

variables to allow consistent evaluation of the conditions across goals. This integrated evaluation 

is a key element to the process of determining acceptable prescriptions and evaluating whether 

different alternative actions across the entire area will meet the desired conditions.

Previously, a number of products were developed and distributed to meet different aspects of the 

project’s original goals. The previous products are as follows:

NED/SIPS - This was the initial NED product, released in 1995 as a disk operating system 

(DOS) program and subtitled Stand Inventory Processor and Simulator (SIPS). NED/SIPS 

provided an effective means of creating, managing, and analyzing forest inventory records 

at the stand level. The user-friendly interface relieved the pain of entering and editing 

stand inventory data, and once data was entered, a host of analytical tools were available to 

help understand the data. A variety of reports could be generated describing the vegetation 

structure, timber value, and economics of the stand. You could apply a set of standard 

treatments to the stand or design a customized cutting scheme, and utilize one of the four 

incorporated stand growth simulators to show what the stand may look like in the future.
2 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 1 - Introduction

Forest Stewardship Planning Guide (FSPG) - Published in 1995, this program provides 

users with exposure to and explanations of a wide range of forest practices that produce a 

variety of benefi ts from forests. This Windows program guides you through a process of 

selecting forest stewardship goals. The program offers a great deal of basic information about 

forests and their management, along with menus of possible stewardship goals. FSPG makes 

limited recommendations on how to manage a forest for specifi c goals and describes the 

conditions that must be created or enhanced to accomplish them. 

NEWILD - Published in 1998, NEWILD presents expert knowledge about wildlife habitat 

requirements in the northeastern United States. NEWILD is based on information presented 

in the Species/Habitat matrices developed by DeGraaf and Rudis (1986) and DeGraaf et al. 

(1992).

NED-1 - Completed in 1999, NED-1 partially extended the functionality of NED/SIPS. 

In NED-1, the forest simulation functionality included in NED/SIPS was dropped, but a 

migration into the Windows programming environment was accomplished. NED-1 emphasized 

the analysis of forest inventory data from the perspective of the various forest resources. The 

resources addressed included aesthetics, ecology, forest health, timber, water, and wildlife. 

NED-1 evaluated to what degree individual stands, or the management unit as a whole, would 

provide the conditions required to accomplish specifi c goals. An extensive hypertext system 

provided information about the resource goals, the desired conditions that support achieving 

those goals, and the related data used to analyze the actual condition of the forest. 

Stewplan - Published in 2003, Stewplan helps create standard forest management plans 

(stewardship plans) to facilitate participation in the Forest Stewardship Program. The software, 

which has been approved by a number of states, is currently used by a number of consulting 

and service foresters to organize and present information on forest ownership and boundaries, 

stand inventory characteristics, landowner goals, harvest schedules, and other features 

necessary for stewardship plans. Stewplan produces a written plan that may be submitted to 

the Forest Stewardship Program, or a hypertext fi le that may be modifi ed in a separate word 

processor. 

The NED Decision Process

Decision support systems (DSSs), such as NED-2, are combinations of tools designed to facilitate 

operation of the decision process (Oliver and Twery 1999). In the context of forest management, 

a DSS helps to organize information and analyses to enable a decision maker to make a betterinformed decision. (Rauscher 1999; Reynolds 2005) Recommendations from computer systems, 

such as a DSS, are likely to be better than those of a novice, but are not always able to account 

for as many specifi c conditions as a live expert. The software’s purpose is to support decision 

making; a DSS is not meant to replace the decision maker.

Typically in natural resource management, choosing the appropriate detail of analyses is a 

compromise between the complexity of ecological systems on one hand, and the need to solve 

a problem with limited data and in a reasonable amount of time on the other. A user may make 

good decisions, but good outcomes are never guaranteed. In many instances, further research or 

information is required.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 1 - Introduction 3

NED-2 integrates a variety of forest management tools into a single environment. These tools 

include databases, growth and yield models, wildlife models, geographic information systems 

(GIS), visualization tools, and others. More than a collection of components, NED-2 is designed 

around the NED Decision Process – a goal-driven process that helps improve project-level 

planning and decision-making processes by providing useful and scientifi cally sound information 

to natural resource managers.

The NED Decision Process involves the following steps:

1. Establish goals and ways to measure them (measurement criteria).

2. Analyze inventory and current conditions.

3. Design alternative management strategies.

4. Simulate management strategies into the future.

5. Assign values to the simulated results.

6. Determine goal satisfaction levels.

7. If not satisfactory, go back and repeat the process.

What’s New in NED-2

The following features were added in NED-2 under the respective categories as follows:

Goals

• Creation and maintenance of goal sets that may be repeatedly reused.

Inventory

• Introduction of height classes as an alternative to measuring stem height.

• New plot type – the ground plot, used for herbaceous plants and small woody stems.

• Customizable plot cluster design that permits a variable number of plots per cluster.

• Expanded user-defi ned fi eld variables that are now available for understory and ground cover, 

with user-defi ned labels.

• Buildings and structures as new inventory items for stands.

• Total (actual) tree height for overstory observations.

• Ability to inventory and grade multiple logs in the merchantable portion of each tree.

Timber pricing

• Enhanced ability to specify timber pricing.

• Creation and maintenance of pricing sets that may be reused and shared among several 

NED-2 fi les.

Plant species

• Expanded capability for modifying, storing, and retrieving custom plant species lists and 

plant species info.

• Enhanced interface allows sorting display by any plant attribute.

Treatment plans

• Ability to defi ne treatment plans.

• Ability to simulate prescribed treatments using the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS).
4 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 1 - Introduction

Growth and yield

• Under treatment plans, the ability to simulate growth and yield using FVS.

Analysis

• Ability to import stand data into Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) 

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) ArcMap software.

• Improved and expanded reports.

• Creation and maintenance of report sets that may be repeatedly reused.

• Expanded ability to display data in customizable tables.

• Generation of realistic stand images using the Stand Visualization System (SVS).

The NED-2 Look

NED-2 uses a Windows graphical interface with a top-level menu, toolbar, and a status bar. The 

application is displayed in a fi xed, full-screen window, with a working area divided into three 

panes. Two left panes provide navigation and control through each of the NED-2 activities. The 

large pane on the right is used for displaying and editing information. 

Figure 1 illustrates the typical appearance of NED-2. Specifi cally, the top pane in the upper-left 

corner is named the “Navigation Pane” which represents an outline of the NED decision process. 

From this pane, you select an activity to run in NED-2. The pane in the lower-left corner that 

often contains additional options and items based on the current selection in the Navigation Pane 

is named the “Options Pane”. The large pane on the right is named the “Work Pane”. You interact 

with items on each of the panes while working in NED-2. 

Each of the items mentioned above is used throughout NED-2. These items are described as 

follows:

Top-level menu - In NED-2, the menu provides additional options not necessarily shown in 

the main work area. Items in the main work area—in each of the three panes—are not typically 

repeated as items on the menu.

Tool Bar - Click the icons shown in the tool bar. Tool bar items typically have a counterpart on 

the top-level menu, and exist solely for convenience by providing quick access to common menu 

items.

Status Bar - The status bar normally contains text describing your location within NED-2, what 

action is currently running, and other status information.

Navigation Pane - The Navigation Pane items represent all activities that are performed in 

NED-2. The items occur approximately in the order that a user would commonly proceed through 

the NED decision process. It is important to realize that these items may appear to be independent 

of each other. In some cases they are, while in other cases they are not. For example, because 

goals act as a major organizing framework for inventory design and analysis and treatment plan 

development and evaluation, it is impossible to determine what actions to take or how to evaluate 

the success of an activity without fi rst identifying goals. Therefore, the fi rst activity listed is goal 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 1 - Introduction 5

selection. On the other hand, you might already have a completed inventory when you launch 

NED-2, and you may wish to enter your data and then specify goals. This action order may be 

acceptable if the inventory already contains suffi cient information required by the goals selected. 

In this way, you may jump between the activities to suit your needs.

Some items in the Navigation Pane are not independent of each other. These items cannot be 

performed until other steps have been completed. For example, a treatment plan cannot be 

simulated if a baseline was not established fi rst, and so on. NED-2 informs you of missing data, 

and if necessary, does not proceed until all the necessary steps are completed satisfactorily.

Options Pane - The Options Pane displays additional options and choices based on the current 

activity selected in the Navigation Pane. Whenever you switch to another activity, the appearance 

of the Options Pane also changes. Occasionally, when performing actions in the Work Pane, those 

actions are identifi ed and made available for modifi cation in the Options Pane. 

Work Pane - The Work Pane is used to display, create, delete, or modify various components 

of the forest ecosystem analysis. You interact with the Work Pane for inventory data, simulated 

data, treatment plans, and various analysis tables. Often the appearance of the Work Pane may be 

modifi ed by confi guring which items to display. This pane occasionally is referred to as the Edit 

Pane, as this is where you edit data.

Figure 1. Typical appearance of NED-2 interface.
 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 1 - Introduction

System Requirements

NED-2 installs on any version of Windows XP, as well as Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 or 

later. Some users have installed and run NED-2 on Windows Vista and Windows 7 with success, 

though extensive testing on these operating systems has not been performed. 

The installation and setup of NED-2 requires the Microsoft Windows Installer engine, version 3.1 

or later. Installer 3.1 is included with Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later.

Administrative privileges are required because of increased security restrictions on Windows 

Vista as well as on earlier Windows versions. 

It is strongly recommended that NED-2 be installed on a local hard drive, and not installed on a 

network drive.

Once NED-2 is installed, more than one session of NED-2 cannot run on a single computer at one 

time. In other words, NED-2 cannot be launched multiple times, resulting in concurrent NED-2 

applications running at the same time.

Hardware requirements

• Computer running Windows 2000 or later.

• A minimum hard disk space of 40 MB.

• A minimum screen resolution setting of 800x600 or higher (recommended).

• A minimum amount of random access memory (RAM) of 128 MB (recommended).

Installing NED-2

Administrative access is required to perform the NED-2 installation. 

Follow the prompts to complete the installation.

Installing from the web— The NED-2 software and related documentation may be downloaded 

from http://nrs.fs.fed.us/tools/ned/products/ned2/. Do not choose Run from the pop-up window. 

Instead, click Save to download the NED-2 setup file, then run it manually after it has finished 

downloading. The NED-2 setup file name is ned2install.exe. 

Installing from a CD—To begin the installation, insert the NED-2 CD into the computer’s 

CD-ROM drive. If auto-play is enabled on the computer, the installation program launches 

automatically. If the CD does not start within 5 to 10 seconds, click Run in the Start menu to 

begin setup. In the Run dialog box that appears, type in: d:\ned2install.exe, where “d:” is the 

name of the computer’s CD-ROM drive. Click OK to launch the installation. Alternatively, you 

may browse the contents of the CD and double-click on the ned2install.exe file to proceed. Please 

check the web site, http://nrs.fs.fed.us/tools/ned/products/ned2/, for the latest software updates.

Installing on Windows Vista and Windows 7—A limited amount of testing of NED-2 has been 

performed on Windows Vista and Windows 7. At the time of publication, NED-2 runs on both 

32- and 64-bit editions of Windows 7. Beta versions of NED-2 were reported to have problems 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 1 - Introduction 7

running on these operating systems if the default installation folder was chosen while running the 

setup. If this problem occurs, uninstall NED-2 and rerun the installation, but do NOT accept the 

default Program Files installation folder. Install NED-2 to the root-level folder (for example, C:\). 

Thus, when fi nished with the installation, NED-2 is located at C:\NED-2. This step should only 

be necessary if NED-2 did not run properly after the fi rst installation into the default Program 

Files folder location.

Installing on Windows 2000 and early XP versions—On older computers running Windows 

2000, or Windows XP Service Pack 1 (or older versions of XP), the NED-2 installation may need 

to upgrade the Microsoft Windows Installer to version 3.1 before proceeding with the installation. 

The NED-2 installation will not commence until the Windows Installer upgrade is completed. 

Once the Windows Installer upgrade is fi nished, the computer may need to reboot. After 

rebooting, the installation continues.

Installing the Stand Visualization System (SVS)—In addition to NED-2, the installation 

includes SVS software that allows for viewing images of stands. As a default, the complete 

installation includes NED-2 and SVS. You may choose not to install the SVS setup fi les, and 

may rerun the NED-2 installation to install the SVS setup fi les at a later time, if desired. If 

NED-2 installs the SVS setup fi les, select the option to run the SVS installation on the last page 

of the NED-2 installation wizard. The SVS installation commences immediately after the NED-2 

installation is completed. If the SVS installation is not selected to run, it can be run manually. The 

setup fi les for SVS are located in the NED-2 folder, SVSSetupFiles folder. To run the SVS setup 

manually, double-click the setup.exe fi le in the SVSSetupFiles folder.

Getting Help with NED-2

Online help is available for many NED-2 features. 

To obtain quick access to help within NED-2, choose from the following actions:

• On the keyboard, press the F1 key for information on the active NED-2 window or dialog 

box. 

• Double-click a column or row header for help with a particular variable. 

• In the Work Pane, double-click a goal or report name for a description.

To open the help system within NED-2, in the Help menu, click Help with NED-2. To open the 

help system outside of NED, in the Start menu, select Programs > NED Programs > NED-2 

Tools > Help.

In the help system, click the Index tab and scroll through the list to fi nd topics of interest. Click 

the Search tab and enter a keyword in the search fi eld to fi nd all topics that reference a word or 

phrase. When a topic is displayed in the help system, click the Contents tab to see where the 

given topic fi ts within the help system organization.
8 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 1 - Introduction

User’s Guide Organization

NED-2 provides many features. How you interact with NED-2, and what features you use, 

depends on your needs and objectives.

Goals and objectives—Prior to inventory data collection, during your assessment of objectives 

it may be worthwhile to review the applicable resource goals that are evaluated in NED-2. The 

NED-2 Reference Guide, Appendix A (Twery et al. 2011), lists the desired future conditions for 

each goal. These descriptions ultimately point to specifi c NED-2 variables, and thus may be 

helpful in determining what data to collect. 

Inventory data—For information on how NED-2 variables are tallied in the fi eld, see the “Data 

Entry and Manipulation” section in the Inventory chapter for inventory fi eld procedures.

If data are already collected and ready to enter into NED-2, see the “Data Entry and 

Manipulation” section in the Inventory chapter for tips on getting started.

See the “Plant Species Attributes” section in the Inventory chapter for information about plant 

species identifi cation codes, biological characteristics, and timber values.

Analysis—Adjustments may be made to specifi c calculations. For additional details, see the 

“Calculation Settings” section of the Calculations chapter.

To learn about analyzing data, see the “Vegetation Tables” and “Reports” sections in the 

Examining the Data chapter.

To explore the options for graphically displaying data, see the Examining the Data chapter which 

includes topics on “Generating GIS Displays” and the “Stand Visualization System.”

Forest simulation—For information on simulation of stand growth and mortality, as well as 

designing and simulating treatments, see the Management Planning chapter.

GENERAL SETTINGS

Choosing English or Metric Units

In NED-2, either English or metric units are accepted. However, NED-2 stores data in English 

units only. When using metric units, NED-2 converts from English to metric and displays metric 

values where appropriate. 

To switch between English and metric units:

1. From the Tools menu, click User Settings.

2. Click Display Settings.

3. Under Units, choose English or metric.

4. Click OK.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 1 - Introduction 9

Using Color to Denote Data Sources

NED-2 uses colors to refl ect how data was entered (i.e., by you, calculated from other variables, 

or imported). 

The following colors defi ne the origin of the data:

Green - Default value

Blue - Calculated value

Cyan - Imported value

Black - Value you entered

Brown - Generated by another program external to NED

The following instructions turn the color feature on or off:

1. From the Tools menu, click User Settings.

2. Click Display Settings.

3. Check or uncheck the box for Use color to indicate value sources in entry/edit tables.

4. Click OK.

Displaying Plant Species Names

The following instructions show how to display species throughout NED-2. Each plant species 

has fi ve codes or identifi ers associated with it, and all species may be viewed throughout NED-2 

by using any of the codes. Tree species have a sixth identifi er, the Forest Inventory and Analysis 

(FIA) code, but these codes are not available for all species and therefore cannot be selected 

here. FIA codes may be viewed when entered as user codes. Whenever viewing inventory data 

or simulated forest data, as well as non-customizable reports, this setting affects how NED-2 

displays the species. Regardless of this setting, any valid code or identifi er may be entered for a 

species, but NED-2 displays the species according to the setting described here.

This setting does not apply to vegetation tables and reports in which the option exists for 

choosing how to display species.

Using sugar maple (Acer saccharum) as an example, the possible displays of the species include 

the following:

USDA Plants Symbol: ACSA3

Latin name: Acer saccharum

Common name: sugar maple

User code: sm (the default is the old FIA survey code of 318)

User label: hard maple

The following instructions specify how to display the species throughout NED-2:

1. From the Tools menu, click User Settings.

2. Click Display Settings.

3. In the Species Display pick list, click the identifi er you want NED-2 to use to display 

 species.

4. Click OK.
10 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 1 - Introduction

Browsed Folder History

For convenience, NED-2 remembers your browsed folder history for certain input/output 

operations such as importing stands and opening data fi les. These settings are stored on the 

computer and not within the NED-2 fi le. 

The following list describes the history of browsed folders (or paths) that NED-2 retains on your 

computer:

Last I/O Path - The last folder used when a fi le was opened or saved. Essentially this folder is 

used for any of the “fi le” dialogs, unless otherwise listed below. 

Last Stand Import Path - Used when importing a stand. 

Last Stand Import Ext - Used when importing a stand. The extension is saved because NED-2 

imports several data types.

Last Report Export I/O Path - Used when storing or retrieving reports from another data 

fi le. The fi les are always stored as *.NEDreports fi les. Reports can be retrieved from a 

*.NEDreports fi le or another *.mdb NED-2 database.

Last Report I/O Path - Used when the Generate All button is selected to generate a series of 

reports all at the same time. 

Last Species I/O Path - Used when storing or retrieving species from another data fi le. 

Last Species I/O Ext - Used when storing or retrieving species from another data fi le. The 

extension is saved only when retrieving species because NED-2 imports several data types. 

When storing species, they are saved to a *.spp2 fi le.

Normally, you will not need to worry about these settings. However, if the need arises, the 

settings may be cleared and NED-2 refi lls them the next time they are used.

Clearing out the browsed folder history

1. From the Tools menu, click NEDcheckup to run an external program that examines the 

NED-2 setup. If NED-2 is not active, access this program from the Start menu, under 

NED-2 Programs > NED2 Tools. Click Check NED Setup. A series of wizard-style dialogs 

appears.

2. Click Next until the User Registry Settings page opens. 

3. Double-click the row that displays Settings in the header column.

4. Click the Clear all registry entries button in the top right corner. NOTE: All entries will be 

cleared at once—specifi c entries cannot be cleared separately.

5. Click Yes to clear all entries.

6. Click OK when fi nished.

7. If you want to clear out the species paths as described above, double-click the row entitled 

Screen in the header column, then repeat steps 4-6.

8. Click Quit to end the NEDcheckup program.
Chapter 2 - Forest Management Goals

ABOUT GOALS

A critical step in any management endeavor is identifying goals and objectives and clearly 

articulating them into a cohesive management strategy. Therefore, it is important to establish 

goals with well-designed, measurable criteria so that current conditions may be assessed, 

and appropriate management actions identifi ed that help create conditions that can satisfy the 

objectives. 

NED-2 aims to improve decision making by providing useful and scientifi cally sound information 

regarding the management of natural resources. The resources to address in NED-2 were 

determined through a process using focus groups and interviews of potential users. The scientifi c 

information on which the goal analyses are based was derived from the use of committees of 

experts in each of the disciplines, who provided suggestions for goals that might be affected 

through silvicultural treatments. The experts then also delineated conditions (desired future 

conditions [DFCs]) that could be evaluated from forest inventories to indicate whether the 

selected goals were likely to be met. Resources currently addressed include visual quality, 

ecology, forest health, timber, water, and wildlife. The appropriate DFCs were chosen by 

experts in their respective natural resource disciplines and are based on empirical evidence, 

fi eld experience, or both.

The goals evaluated by NED-2 are predefi ned. If you have other goals that are not listed, NED-2 

cannot analyze them directly. The process of analyzing goals in NED-2 follows three major steps:

1. Select goals – Goal selection is the process of selecting goals that match the identifi ed 

objectives. 

2. Establish a common baseline of data – Goal analysis in NED-2 evaluates conditions 

across space (stands) at a given time (year). Because inventories may be taken on different 

stands in different years, NED-2 requires that a common baseline be identifi ed before it 

evaluates DFCs. Nevertheless, NED-2 requires data in a special format for goal analysis, 

and even if stands were inventoried in the same year, generation of a baseline is required.

3. Analyze your goals – At your request, NED-2 analyzes one or more goals and presents 

a full explanation of the results. You may obtain a goal analysis report, and can view the 

results of the goal analysis in ArcMap GIS if an associated GIS shapefi le exists of the 

management unit.

Management Unit and Stand-Level Goals

NED-2 defi nes a management unit as a group of forest stands to be managed under one set 

of resource goals. Many ecological phenomena are the result of broader, landscape-level 

processes. Thus, properties in any given stand may depend on or act on other stands in the area. 

Many additional goals exist to pick from at the management unit level—compared to the stand 

level—because at this level it is generally more feasible to establish and maintain a desired set of 

physical conditions over a group of stands than for a single stand. 
12 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 2 - Forest Management Goals

When working with multiple goals, it is diffi cult, if not impossible, to consistently satisfy all 

goals in a single stand at all times. However, it may be possible on a management unit to meet 

several goals over several stands over time.

Resource Goals Available in NED-2

Timber goals—Forest users and landowners differ greatly in their view of timber production. For 

some, the land may be owned primarily as an investment, with the fi nancial returns from timber 

production being the dominant management objective. In other cases, the land may be owned for 

a variety of reasons, of which income from timber production is but one. Still other landowners 

and forest users may prefer not to have any commercial timber cutting of any kind on their 

property or on particular portions of public forest lands in their region.

Considering the variety of attitudes on timber production, four timber management goals are 

available, described in the NED-2 Reference Guide (Twery et al. 2011), Appendix A, as follows: 

• Focus on Cubic-Foot Production

• Focus on Board-Foot Production

• Focus on Periodic Income

• Focus on Net Present Value

You must specify which of these four approaches to use to evaluate timber returns. If you prefer 

not to harvest timber at all, not selecting any timber goal is appropriate.

Timber production is often important for reasons other than the fi nancial returns themselves. For 

example, providing a stable supply of timber products to support local economies and meeting 

the public’s wood product needs may be important on public lands. On industry lands, ensuring 

a supply of raw material for company mills may likewise share importance with timber income. 

And on private tracts where the landowner does not care about maximum fi nancial returns, timber 

income may still be desired to cover the costs of managing or holding the land for other purposes.

Sustainable timber production depends on a balance of size classes maintained throughout the 

stands of the management unit. Each timber goal requires balanced size classes, as defi ned below.

Balanced size classes are defi ned according to the percentage of the total management unit area 

represented by each size class as follows:

5-10 percent in regeneration (< 1 inch diameter at breast height [dbh])

35-45 percent in sapling and pole combined (1 ≤ dbh ≤ 10.5 inches )

25-35 percent in small sawtimber (10.5 < dbh ≤ 16.5 inches)

10-15 percent in large sawtimber (> 16.5 inches dbh)

NOTE: The above size classes refl ect stand and plot size classes in NED-2, which are different 

from tree size classes. See the “Stand, Plot, and Tree Size Classes” topic in the Inventory chapter 

for further information.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 2 - Forest Management Goals 13

Visual goals—Most landowners and forest visitors like to see and experience a natural-appearing 

forest. Within this general goal, people differ in their specifi c aesthetic objectives and tastes. 

Some may want to experience an unbroken “wilderness” of mature trees that shows little sign of 

disturbance or deviation from the mature forest appearance. Others want to see a greater variety 

or diversity of views, with natural-appearing openings containing trees and shrubs of differing 

heights, species, and colors interspersed among areas of mature trees. This desire for variety 

might occur at a “micro” level, maximizing the visual variety that is seen from a fi xed point or 

points within a stand, or it might occur at more “macro” levels, where one experiences a sequence 

of changes over time, or as he or she passes through the landscape or views the landscape from a 

distance. In addition, landowners may wish to enhance the visual appearance of particular stands, 

to accomplish such objectives as creating a large tree appearance, screening out undesirable 

views or sounds, or featuring certain plant species that have attractive foliage, bark, or shape. 

Considering the variation in people’s tastes and how they view or experience the forest, aesthetic 

goals that affect both the general forest canopy and specifi c visual elements are available, 

described in the NED-2 Reference Guide (Twery et al. 2011), Appendix A, as follows:

• Create or Enhance Continuous Overhead Canopy

• Large Scale Canopy Variety

• Small Scale Canopy Variety

• Large and Small Scale Canopy Variety

• Open Understory under a Closed Canopy

• Open Understory under an Open Canopy

• Dense Understory under a Closed Canopy

• Dense Understory under an Open Canopy

• Allow Visual Access to Specifi ed Features

• Screen Specifi ed Features from Sight

• Create or Preserve a Permanent Visual Upland Opening

• Enhance Big Tree Appearance

• Minimize Visual Disturbance and Slash

• Feature Fall Color of Trees, Shrubs, and Ground Covers

• Feature Flowers on Trees, Shrubs, and Ground Covers

• Feature Nuts, Fruits, and Berries on Trees, Shrubs, and Ground Covers

• Feature Contrasting Foliage on Trees

• Feature Contrasting Forms of Trees

Water goals—Forests play an important role in the quantity and quality of streams, lakes, 

wetlands, and groundwater. The Clean Water Act of 1987 and its amendments require that all 

forest management activities comply with regulations developed at state levels to protect the 

high quality of forest streams, lakes, and wetlands. Beyond the legal mandate to protect quality 

and biological integrity of surface waters, some landowners may have more specifi c objectives 

for water resources. For example, managers of municipal watersheds may want to increase low 

fl ow volumes by reducing vegetative cover, or forest managers in fl ood prone areas may want to 

minimize peak fl ows. Others may want to give special consideration to managing wetlands and 

riparian areas or enhancing fi sh habitat. NED-2 provides several water quantity and water quality 

objectives to address these and other water goals, described in the NED-2 Reference Guide

(Twery et al. 2011), Appendix A, as follows:
14 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 2 - Forest Management Goals

Water Quality Goals

• Meet Best Management Practices

• Provide Intensive Protection of Water Resources

• Provide Intensive Protection of Wetlands

• Provide Protection of Riparian Areas

• Enhance Habitat for Warm Water Fish

• Enhance Habitat for Cold Water Fish

Water Quantity Goals

• Limit Peak Flows

• Maintain or Exceed Existing Flows

• Increase Water Yields

NOTE: NED-2 assesses goal conditions based on existing aquatic features. However, lacking 

aquatic features, NED-2 assumes that a given water goal would be satisfi ed because there are 

no “negative conditions” due to the absence of aquatic features. Therefore, use caution when 

interpreting the results of water goals in situations where aquatic features are absent in one or 

more stands or absent from the management unit.

Wildlife goals—Forest users and landowners enjoy seeing wildlife in their visits to the woods. 

Some pursue hobbies that involve observation of wildlife (such as bird watching) while some 

are interested in wildlife for hunting. Most people feel that preservation of habitat for a variety 

of wildlife species is an important goal to be sought in all forested areas, and especially in public 

forests. Specifi c wildlife goals, described in the NED-2 Reference Guide, Appendix A, are as 

follows:

• Increase Wildlife Species Richness 

• Enhance Habitat for Specifi c Species:

▪ Amphibians

▪ Reptiles

▪ Birds

▪ Mammals

Ecology goals—NED-2 recommends that all forest operations conform to best management 

practices (BMPs). These management practices incorporate protection of surface streams and 

ground water and control of erosion and sedimentation by complying with the Federal Water 

Pollution Control Act of 1972 (section 208) and the Clean Water Act (section 313). Most states 

have regulations that prescribe compliance with BMPs. In addition to these water quality BMPs, 

some states have adopted voluntary silvicultural BMPs.

Experts built the NED-2 program’s internal rule and prescription bases to ensure the practice of 

sustainable forestry, given the current state of knowledge. That is, timber products are harvested 

at a rate equal to or less than their natural growth rate or replacement rate. Harvests are scheduled 

and regulated under a framework of silvicultural systems designed to achieve this objective, and 

to ensure successful renewal of forests managed using NED-2 prescriptions. All silvicultural 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 2 - Forest Management Goals 15

practices are designed to comply with the National Forest Management Act of 1976. All 

silvicultural systems incorporate protection of riparian zones, provide for special care on wet or 

otherwise sensitive sites, and ensure regeneration after harvest.

The NED-2 program does not provide management prescriptions for sensitive, endangered, or 

threatened species, because such prescriptions (or constraints) are so specialized. Where sensitive, 

threatened, or endangered species occur, the guidelines for these species should take precedence 

over the model recommendations in all areas of confl ict. In addition to baseline environmental 

protection, you may incorporate a variety of specifi c ecological goals. Several of these encourage 

you to manage forest properties in the context of regional and local biological diversity. Others 

allow you to specify your desires relative to the existing forest types in the management unit. You 

may select from a few other specifi c ecological goals, described in the NED-2 Reference Guide, 

Appendix A, as follows:

• Enhance Regional Biological Diversity

• Enhance Local Biological Diversity

• Promote a Variety of Forest Types in This Management Unit

• Discourage Exotic Elements

• Protect Riparian and Wetland Habitats

Forest health—A number of factors contribute to the general health and productivity of plants 

and ecosystems. The general appearance of a plant may be the result of a complex history of 

multiple events and processes. Nevertheless, individual factors often are cited as the main cause 

of stress that results in decline or mortality. Currently, the NED-2 program evaluates potential fi re 

risk. In particular, the potential risk of wildland fi re in individual stands, and risk to buildings and 

structures at the wildland-urban interface (WUI). 

GOAL SELECTION

Selecting Management Unit Goals

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Select Goals.

3. In the Work Pane, open up or expand (click the plus [+] symbol) one of the resource 

categories (i.e., timber, wildlife).

4. Open up or expand the Management Unit goals item underneath the desired resource 

category.

5. After locating a goal of interest, single-click to select (double-click to display a detailed 

description).

6. In the top-left corner of the Work Pane, click the left-pointing arrow to select the goal for 

your management unit.

Goals must be selected one at a time, using the steps outlined above. Each selected management 

unit goal appears in the Options Pane in the lower-left corner of the screen, under the 

Management Unit Goals heading.
16 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 2 - Forest Management Goals

Removing Management Unit Goals

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Select Goals.

3. In the Options Pane, open up or expand (click the plus [+] symbol) the Management Unit 

Goals heading to locate the current management unit goals.

4. Single-click to select the goal to remove.

5. In the top-left corner of the Work Pane, click the right-pointing arrow to remove the 

goal.

Selecting Stand Goals

A stand goal applies to a specifi c stand, rather than an entire management unit. Currently, only 

visual goals may be applied to specifi c stands. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Select Goals.

3. In the Work Pane, open up or expand (click the plus [+] symbol) one of the resource 

categories (i.e., timber, wildlife).

4. Open up or expand the Stand goals item underneath the desired resource category.

5. After locating a goal of interest, single-click to select (double-click to display a detailed 

description).

6. In the top-left corner of the Work Pane, click the left-pointing arrow to select the specifi c 

stand to apply the goal. 

7. From the Add Stand Goal dialog, select the stand(s). One or more stands may be selected 

at a time.

8. Click OK.

Goals must be selected one at a time, using the steps outlined above. Each selected stand goal 

appears in the Options Pane in the lower-left corner of the screen, under the name of the selected 

stands where the goal was added.

Removing Stand Goals:

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Select Goals.

3. In the Options Pane, locate the goal to remove under the listed stands.

4. Click on the goal to remove.

5. In the top-left corner of the Work Pane, click the right-pointing arrow to remove the 

goal.

6. From the Delete Stand Goal dialog, select one or more stands from which the goal should 

be deleted.

7. Click OK.

Storing Goals in an External File

To facilitate sharing or reapplying the same goals among several ownerships or properties, goals 

may be exported to external fi les. This task saves time later by allowing a set of goals to be 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 2 - Forest Management Goals 17

imported into new NED-2 data fi les instead of selecting the same goals repeatedly.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Select Goals.

3. In the Options Pane of the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, click Store. 

4. In the pop-up dialog that appears, select the goals to store. Only the goals in the current 

(active) goal set are available.

5. From the box on the left, select the management goals to store.

6. From the box on the right, select the stand-level goals to store.

7. At the upper-left corner of the dialog, click Pick File to specify a fi le name and location. 

If an existing fi le is chosen, it cannot be appended, and a prompt will ask to overwrite the 

fi le. 

External NED-2 goal fi les have a name ending with the following extension: NEDgoals.

Importing Goals

Rather than selecting goals repeatedly, goals may be imported from existing NED-2 data fi les and 

from external NED-2 goal fi les. Through the process of importing goals, goals may be combined 

from multiple goal sets.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Select Goals.

3. In the Options Pane of the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, click Retrieve. 

4. From the Pick Goals dialog that appears, click the Open fi le button.

5. Select the appropriate fi le from which to import goals. To import goals from an existing 

NED-2 data fi le, select NED-2 data fi le (*.mdb) using the Files of type pick list at the 

bottom of the Open fi le dialog. Available goals appear in the fi rst column of the dialog, 

with management unit goals appearing before stand-level goals.

6. Select management unit goals to import in the second column—grayed out cells in the 

second column indicate stand-level goals. Remaining columns contain the names of the 

stands into which stand-level goals may be imported.

7. Double-click a cell to toggle the selection of a goal on or off.

8. To import all management unit goals and all stand-level goals for each of the stands, click 

the Pick all button.

9. Click OK.

All goals are imported into the current (active) goal set.

Searching for Goals

NED-2 provides a search capability to help determine whether a goal exists, as well as under what 

natural resource discipline category a particular goal has been placed in NED-2. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Select Goals.

3. In the upper-right corner of the Work Pane, click the Search for a goal button.

4. Enter a search string in the box provided, and click the Search button.
18 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 2 - Forest Management Goals

GOAL ANALYSIS

Goal analysis is the process of evaluating each of your stands individually and collectively as a 

management unit according to the goal’s DFCs. Once the evaluation has been performed, NED-2 

produces a report indicating whether or not a goal has succeeded or failed, including details on 

each of the conditions in the analysis. 

How To Analyze Goals

You may analyze selected goals at any time after a baseline is generated (refer to the Management 

Planning chapter for a description of the baseline). Data beginning with the baseline year or any 

other succeeding year on the planning grid for any management plan may be analyzed. 

The following steps explain how to analyze one goal at a time:

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Analysis.

2. From the list of choices under Analysis, click Analyze goals.

3. In the Goal Analysis dialog, review the following choices:

• If using goals defi ned within a previously stored goal set, select the goal set at the top of 

the dialog. Otherwise, First Goal Set can be left alone.

• Select ONE of the goals from the list of available goals. These are the goals selected 

previously.

• From the list of possible “views” of your data, select the plan and year in which to 

evaluate your goal. 

4. At the bottom of the dialog, click the Analyze Goal button. NED-2 sends an alert saying 

that a report will be generated, and displays the folder where the report is stored for offline viewing and manipulation, if desired.

5. Click OK when ready to continue.

6. After the Goal Analysis is complete, NED-2 launches the Internet Explorer web browser 

and displays the report.

NOTE: Goal analysis and its subsequent generation of goal analysis reports are handled 

separately from other types of reports in NED. Thus, the Analysis option called Generate Reports 

is used for other reports and is not used for goal analysis.

Goal Analysis Results

Goal analysis can be a complex process resulting in somewhat complex reports, depending on 

the requirements of the goal. NED-2 produces separate reports for each goal. The reports are 

written in HTML and are opened in the Internet Explorer web browser. Active links may appear 

in a report, indicating subsections exist that make up a complete report. Generally, the reports 

present the results of the goal analysis according to the DFCs to illustrate how the goals are being 

evaluated and to help you understand why a goal passed or failed, according to the DFCs.

In addition, the goal analysis reports are intended to be instructive, providing as much information 

on the results of goal analysis as possible, indicating the degree of success, such as whether a 

goal barely passed or failed. That is, they present how well the management unit (or individual 

stand) satisfi ed the goal as well as each of the conditions underlying the goal. This information is 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 2 - Forest Management Goals 19

intended to help you understand the important ecological and practical aspects of the goal that are 

likely to be affected by management actions.

The goal analysis reports do not offer treatment recommendations, as such. However, many of the 

goal descriptions list possible treatment implications associated with meeting the objectives of the 

goal.

Viewing goal analysis reports outside of NED-2—Goal analysis reports are generated and 

stored as separate fi les to be viewed and/or modifi ed later, even if NED-2 is not running. The 

reports are stored under the “My Documents” folder on the computer’s local hard drive. For 

instance, if the NED-2 fi le had a management unit name such as “Eastern Game Lands,” and the 

goal analysis requested was for a baseline year of 2004 using goals selected in the “fi rst goal set,” 

then all reports may be found under these circumstances stored under the following location on 

the hard drive: “C:\Documents and Settings\UserID\My Documents\My NED-2 Files\Reports\

Eastern Game Lands\Baseline - 2004 - fi rst goal set.” 

If you have not specifi ed a management unit name, the reports are fi led under “...\My NED-2 

Files\Reports\Unknown Management Unit\Baseline - 2004 - fi rst goal set.” Reports are given a 

name that matches the name of the goal, such as “timber_1.htm,” “redback_salamander.htm,” etc. 

GOAL SETS

Goals are stored in one or more goal sets within a NED-2 data fi le to allow goals to be organized 

according to a variety of purposes. NED-2 uses only one goal set a time, which allows for 

separating complex analyses from one another. 

By default, NED-2 starts with a “fi rst goal set.” Goal sets are not required, but even if not used, 

the goals will be stored this way. If goal sets are not used, no further steps are required in defi ning 

management unit or individual stand-level goals because the default (i.e., “fi rst”) goal set is 

always used.

A primary purpose for having goal sets is to enable dialogue among a variety of stakeholders in 

determining management approaches. Using multiple goal sets, a forest manager can design one 

or more management plan(s) (alternative scenarios) and evaluate them individually against the 

management priorities (goal sets) of different interested parties without needing to repeat the plan 

development process.

Creating New Goal Sets

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Select Goals.

3. From the Options Pane in the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, click the Manage 

Goal Sets button.

4. On the Goal sets dialog, click Add.

5. Enter the name of the goal set, along with a description if desired.
20 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 2 - Forest Management Goals

6. Specify whether to create an empty goal set or to copy the goals from an existing goal set. 

If copy is selected, choose the goal set from the list of goal sets in the current NED-2 

data fi le. 

7. Click OK.

8. Click Done.

Each time a management unit or stand-level goal is specifi ed, it will be added to the current 

(active) goal set. Once a goal set is created, goals may be retrieved from external goal sets that are 

stored in other NED-2 data fi les (*.mdb) or NED-2 goals fi les (*.NEDgoals) by using the Import 

Goals feature. 

Deleting Goal Sets

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Select Goals.

3. In the Options Pane in the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, click the Manage Goal 

Sets button.

4. From the Goal sets dialog, select a goal set.

5. Click Delete. 

6. Click Yes to confi rm the deletion.

7. Click Done.

When a goal set is deleted, all management unit and stand-level goal selections associated with 

that goal set are removed from the NED-2 data fi le. 

Modifying Goal Set Properties

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Select Goals.

3. In the Options Pane in the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, click the Manage Goal 

Sets button.

4. From the Goal sets dialog, select a goal set.

5. Click Edit. 

6. Modify the name of the goal set and/or the description of the goal set as desired.

7. Click OK.

8. Click Done.
Chapter 3 - Inventory

INTERACTING WITH DATA GRIDS

Tabular data, such as overstory and understory data, as well as plant species characteristics, 

are entered or modifi ed on a grid table, sometimes called a data table, grid table, and hereafter 

referred to as a data grid. It resembles other spreadsheet software and has some similarities. A 

series of rows and columns appears in the Work Pane, each with appropriate labels for guidance. 

Any cell that appears with a gray background color cannot be edited.

Typically, data is entered in rows, with each column representing a particular fi eld or variable 

such as species or diameter. Each row is a separate observation.

A grid is also used in setting plant species codes and default parameters.

Data cannot be copied into the grid. However, data may be copied from the grid and pasted into 

another application for other purposes.

When viewing inventory data, simulated forest growth data, and plant species information, often 

more variables exist than you may want to view in each row or column. To show only specifi c 

variables and rearrange their order, click the Confi gure button when it appears in the upper-right 

corner of the Work Pane. 

For some tables, the variables appear in rows and are listed along the left side of the table. In 

other tables, the variables are displayed in columns and are listed along the top of the table.

Adding Variables to the Data Grid

1. In the Work Pane, click the Confi gure button to modify the display of variables.

2. From the left box that lists non-displayed variables, select the desired variable to display.

3. Click the single right-pointing arrow to move a variable to the box of displayed variables 

on the right.

4. To view ALL variables, click the double right-pointing arrows to move all variables to 

the box of displayed variables on the right.

5. Variables in the box on the right are displayed in the order they are listed.

6. Click OK when fi nished.

To add more than one variable at a time from the box of non-displayed variables on the left, click 

consecutive variables by selecting one variable and then pressing and holding down the Shift key 

while selecting the next desired variable. To skip around and select non-consecutive variables, 

press and hold down the Ctrl key while selecting additional variables. Use the single rightpointing arrow to move multiple variables to the box on the right. 
22 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Searching for a Variable to Add to the Data Grid

You may search for variables. The search only pertains to variables associated with the current 

data level. For instance, if entering data on overstory observations, only those variables are 

searchable, and variables from other levels (i.e., stands, plots) are excluded.

1. In the Work Pane, click the Confi gure button to modify the display of variables.

2. At the top of the Select variables dialog, click the Search for a variable button. A second 

pop-up dialog opens to perform a search.

3. In the box provided (next to the Search button), enter any part of the variable name to 

search. For instance, if looking for merchantable height, enter both words, “merchantable 

height” or a substring such as “merch.” 

4. Click the Search button.

5. From the list of matches found, select the desired variable and click OK.

6. If the variable was selected from the list of matches, it will be highlighted on the left side 

if it is not currently displayed, or on the right side if it is already displayed in the data grid. 

Modifying the Order of Data Grid Variables

1. In the Work Pane, click the Confi gure button to modify the display of variables.

2. Select a variable in the box on the right (the list of displayed variables). One variable at a 

time can be moved.

3. Hold down the left button on the mouse and drag the variable up or down to the desired 

position.

4. Click OK when fi nished.

To move a variable to the end of the list, drag it to the next-to-last position, then move the very 

last variable above it.

Removing Variables from the Data Grid

1. In the Work Pane, click the Confi gure button to modify the display of variables.

2. Select the variable in the box on the right. 

3. Click the single left-pointing arrow button.

4. To remove additional variables, repeat steps 2 and 3 as needed.

5. Click OK when fi nished.

Copying Data from the Grid

Data may be copied from most of the grid tables displayed throughout the data entry program. 

Copying the information in the grid may be useful when obtaining a printout of the data for 

proofreading or to perform additional analyses outside of NED-2. Remember that data cannot

be pasted into any of the grids.

1. Click anywhere in the data entry grid.

2. Select cells by clicking and dragging the mouse across the desired range of cells or by 

holding down the Ctrl key while clicking in multiple cells. 

3. Press Ctrl+C to copy to the clipboard, or select Copy from the Edit menu. Then paste 

contents of the clipboard into other software (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel) as desired. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 23

Two settings may affect how data is copied from the grid. You may control whether NED-2 

includes column and row headers, and whether NED-2 copies rounded values (carried to 

1-2 digits) versus actual, non-rounded values carried out to several digits. 

To include (or not) the column and row headings that appear in the grid:

1. From the Tools menu, select User Settings.

2. Select Display settings.

3. Check or uncheck the Include column and row headings when copying to clipboard

box.

4. Click OK.

To use rounded values (or not) when copying data from the grid—Recommendation: 

For research and/or statistical analyses outside of NED-2, be sure to uncheck the setting for using 

rounded values, otherwise the values may not be what are expected. For general reports or other 

purposes, rounded numbers may be appropriate.

1. From the Tools menu, click User Settings.

2. Click Display settings.

3. Check/uncheck the Use rounded values when copying data to clipboard box.

4. Click OK.

ESTABLISHING DEFAULTS

A default is a pre-defi ned value that is automatically assigned to a given variable. You may 

establish defaults that are applied whenever new records are created that include the specifi ed 

settings. Default values appear in green during data entry. Existing records are not affected by 

changes to default settings. Establishing defaults may save some effort by eliminating the need to 

enter repetitive values. Defaults exist for each of the primary data levels including stands, plots, 

observations, and inventory settings. 

Default settings are stored with the NED-2 program on the computer, and not in the NED-2 data. 

This allows the defaults to be applied to any active NED-2 data fi le.

Establishing Default Values

A “user-set default” is possible for many variables, which allows for the establishment of personal 

default values that replace or supersede NED-2 defaults.

1. From the Tools menu, click User Settings.

2. Select User-set default values. The User default values dialog launches as shown in 

Figure 2. 

3. Double-click a row to change the default value and click OK when fi nished.

4. Click OK when fi nished modifying default values.
24 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Figure 2. User default values dialog.

Default values supplied by NED-2 appear in green. If a value is modifi ed, values appear in black. 

If desired, values can be sorted by any of the column headings. Click once in the column header 

to sort in ascending order, and again to sort in descending order.

DATA ENTRY AND MANIPULATION

Getting Started With an Inventory

Every time the NED-2 program starts, NED-2 is ready for data entry. If an existing NED-2 fi le 

was opened and you want to start with an empty or new fi le, establish a new fi le by selecting New 

from the File menu. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 25

To get started with data entry, the following steps should occur in the order listed as follows:

1. Choose units - NED-2 allows you to record and display data in English or metric units. 

Nearly everything entered for stands, plots, and observations is affected by this setting.

2. Defi ne plant species - Each new, empty NED-2 fi le includes an empty list of known 

plant species. NED-2 must “learn” species before it recognizes them. Known species are 

referred to as the “short list” of species. It is recommended that all of the specifi c woody 

and herbaceous plants are defi ned ahead of time in order to speed up data entry. Use the 

Plant Species Module for this purpose. This module is where all of the plant characteristics 

are defi ned, such as pricing, form class, and custom user species codes. It is possible 

to defi ne plant species as needed during data entry, but this method causes numerous 

interruptions and is generally slower than defi ning species ahead of time. Once species 

and characteristics are defi ned, they can be saved and reused in other NED-2 fi les.

3. Establish forest stands - Analysis in NED-2 is based on inventories of forest stands. 

Therefore, establishment of one or more stands must occur before entering any data. 

4. Defi ne your inventory procedure - When a stand is created, it will inherit default 

inventory settings. It is important to establish appropriate inventory settings or the data 

may be analyzed incorrectly. If most or all of the stands follow the same inventory 

settings, default inventory settings may be established so that each new stand inherits 

the proper settings. Plot sizes and other inventory criteria are established in the default 

settings. This is also an appropriate time to defi ne custom data variables, if the collected 

data was not predefi ned in NED. If using height classes to approximate total stem height, 

these must be established under inventory settings.

5. Add plots - Once a stand is established, plots may be added. Plots are associated with 

clusters, and are typically included when clusters are added. Clusters represent each point 

in the inventory. All of the clusters may be established at one time, or they may be added 

as needed. Each time a new cluster is established, the associated plots are automatically 

created according to the number of plots per cluster under the inventory settings for the 

stand. Another way to begin adding plot data is to try adding a plot instead of adding a 

cluster. By convention NED-2 will fi rst create a new cluster and then add the associated 

plots. NED-2 allows for the choice of adding the plot to a new cluster, or adding the plot 

to an existing cluster. Typically the cluster/plot layout will be followed throughout an 

inventory of a stand.

6. Add observations - Individual observations are added to plots—not clusters. 

7. Confi gure tables - NED-2 may be confi gured to display only the variables that are 

collected in the fi eld, along with values calculated by NED, such as volume and basal 

area if desired. This helps eliminate clutter as data is entered. However, tables may be 

confi gured at any time—even before data entry. 
26 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

PLOT TYPES

About Clusters and Plots

A number of plot types exist in which data may be entered in NED-2. Depending on the 

objectives, an inventory may require data on the overstory, understory, ground cover, and coarse 

woody debris components of the forest. Inventory data in NED-2 may be collected or summarized 

at the levels of forest stands, clusters, plots, observations, and log products for tree observations.

For each stand, data are stored as a collection of clusters. Plot-clusters maintain an association 

among plot types at respective data collection locations from the inventory. For example, a 

standard inventory may include sampling with all the types of plots NED-2 recognizes: overstory, 

understory, ground, and coarse woody debris, which is collected in associated groups such that at 

each overstory plot location two of each of the other plots may be taken. The NED-2 terminology 

of clusters and plots is analogous to plots and sub-plots. The terms “cluster” and “plot-cluster” are 

synonymous throughout NED.

NED maintains clusters and plots because for some analyses it is important to know which plots 

belong together. Each plot-cluster maintains a list of its plots, and each plot maintains a collection 

of observations. Each overstory observation can maintain a collection of log products. 

NED-2 generally allows you to establish clusters and plots according to your own sampling 

scheme. For most statistical analyses, NED-2 analyzes variability between clusters and not within 

clusters. Plot data is averaged together in a given cluster.

NED-2 Plot Types

Several plot types are available in NED-2. Collectively, these plot types approximate the vertical 

layering that develops in forest ecosystems. NED-2 stores its data in plot-clusters which are 

collections of these plot types.

Overstory plot - The overstory plot should be comprised of woody stems of a minimum diameter 

at breast height (dbh)—stems that have reached or are likely to reach the upper canopy layer. 

In some situations, the overstory plot has traditionally been used for all stems one inch and 

larger, but this need not be the case in NED-2. To exclude stems larger than one inch, check 

the understory dbh threshold under calculation settings. NED-2 requires one overstory plot per 

cluster.

Understory plot - The understory plot should contain intermediate woody stems found above the 

ground layer and below the overstory canopy as established by a dbh range. The maximum dbh 

threshold for understory marks the difference between overstory and understory stems. NED-2 

requires a minimum height of 4.5 feet for all understory observations, and a minimum dbh of 0.1 

inches.

Ground plot - Regardless of condition, all forests have something going on at the ground layer—

organic matter accumulation/decomposition, regeneration processes, and so on. For NED-2, the 

ground plot is used to record cover of rocks, mosses, and litter. The ground plot will contain all 

herbaceous fl ora (regardless of height) and smaller woody stems (trees and shrubs) that generally 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 27

are under a minimum dbh or are less than 4.5 feet tall. Ground plot observations may be recorded 

as a count of the number of stems, percent cover, or both.

Woody debris transects—Coarse woody debris (CWD) data is collected along a linear 

transect—typically between successive plots along a line plot cruise.

Plot Characteristics

Plots are generally characterized according the observations they contain. However, NED-2 

offers additional plot details that can be recorded, such as global positioning system (GPS) 

location, riparian status, and other information. Many of the NED-2 goals can be addressed 

using information recorded at the plot level (about the plot itself) in the absence of detailed 

observations.

Before heading into the fi eld, review the list of NED-2 plot variables to determine which ones 

may be calculated versus those that must be observed directly.

Plot Layout

The diagram in Figure 3 is one example of how plots may be established for the NED-2 

inventory.

Figure 3. Example inventory plot layout for NED-2.
28 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

INVENTORY SETTINGS

Inventory settings describe portions of your fi eld inventory, including tally date, plot sizes, 

overstory sampling method (fi xed area vs. variable radius or prism), number of plots per cluster, 

and stem height classes.

Each stand maintains its own set of inventory settings. Adjustments made to one stand will not 

affect other stands. Plot sizes established for each plot type must remain the same within a stand. 

However, plot sizes can differ between stands.

Defaults—To apply the current inventory parameters to all future stands, click the Make these 

the default settings button. New stands will inherit the default parameters. 

Plot Sizes

You can use any desired plot size for a given plot type. NED-2 applies default plot-size values if 

one is not specifi ed. Be sure to check that the correct plot sizes have been entered.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane in the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, select a stand from the 

list of stands.

3. In the Work Pane, click the Inventory Settings button.

4. For each plot type, enter the desired plot size as the total area covered by a single plot. 

Note the units that appear next to each fi eld.

5. Click OK.

Plot sizes apply only to the current stand. The contents of the edit box for overstory plot size 

depends on the inventory method. If prism points (equivalent to variable radius plots) were 

selected for the overstory plot type, a basal area factor (BAF) must be entered in the box for 

overstory plot size. 

Overstory Cruise Type

Overstory data can be collected using fi xed-area plots or a variable-radius (prism) cruise. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane in the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, select a stand from the 

list of stands.

3. In the Work Pane, click the Inventory Settings button.

4. In the Overstory plot type pick list, select prism points or fi xed area.

5. For the overstory plot size, enter either the BAF or the fi xed plot area depending on cruise 

type.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 29

Inventory Date and Tally Person

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane in the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, select a stand from the 

list of stands.

3. In the Work Pane, click the Inventory Settings button.

4. In the Tallied by box, enter the name of the person who collected the inventory data 

(optional).

5. By default, NED-2 supplies an inventory date using the date that the stand was created in 

the data fi le. To modify the date, click in the Inventory date box and enter the date the 

inventory was collected. 

6. Click OK.

Number of Plots Per Cluster

NED-2 provides fl exibility in your plot-cluster design. That is, you get to specify how many plots 

to take at each point along your inventory. There is only one exception—you cannot change the 

number of overstory plots. NED-2 currently requires one and only one overstory plot in each plotcluster.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane in the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, select a stand from the 

list of stands.

3. In the Work Pane, click the Inventory Settings button.

4. Enter the desired number of plots for each plot type in the Number of plots per cluster

fi eld.

5. Click OK.

HEIGHT MEASUREMENT

Forms of Height Measurement

To describe the vertical structure of a forest, you must know something about the height of the 

plants. NED-2 offers several alternatives for indicating height. 

Total height - The height of the stem from the ground to the top of the crown.

Height classes - Provide a way to approximate stem height by assigning a numeric code as a 

means of applying a height range to a stem.

Height layer - A non-editable characteristic that is calculated and assigned by NED-2 when some 

indication of stem height (total height or height class) is entered. Layer is used by NED-2 to 

determine whether a plant occupies the ground layer (0-3 feet) or the shrub layer (3-10 feet).

Sawtimber height - The total merchantable sawtimber portion of a tree. It is entered as a total 

length in feet or meters, and NOT in logs or bolts. If no height is entered, NED-2 will calculate a 

sawtimber height based on the diameter and species of the tree. 
30 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Pulpwood height - The merchantable portion of the tree above sawtimber height. If the tree does 

not contain any sawtimber, the total merchantable height may be recorded as pulpwood height. If 

no pulpwood height is entered, the program will calculate a height based on the tree diameter and 

effective age of the stand.

About Height Classes

It is diffi cult and time consuming to measure heights above 20 to 30 feet. By conceiving a forest’s 

vertical structure as a series of horizontal layers from the forest fl oor to the top of the canopy, one 

can stratify plants according to their relative position among the layers in the forest. However, 

measurement of actual stem heights is not an effi cient, convenient, accurate, or precise way to 

characterize a forest with multiple layers. 

Height classes provide a way to approximate the relative height of a stem without the problems of 

height measurement. A height class represents a single layer. When each layer has been identifi ed 

and described with a height class, height classes provide a convenient way to approximate total 

stem height. The set of observed height class values, together with the relative abundances in each 

height class, may be useful in characterizing vertical forest structure. You can run reports and 

vegetation tables to view the number of stems per unit area, basal area, and more by species and 

by height class, for example.

To apply height classes during inventory, fi rst decide how to conceive the layers in a forest. Five 

or six layers are suffi cient for most uses, including ecological studies, wildlife habitat assessment, 

and evaluation of visual/aesthetic forest properties. 

Each height class is represented by a range with a minimum and maximum height for a given 

layer in the forest. For instance, a range from 0-1 feet may represent height class “1.” Height class 

is recorded in the fi eld as a numeric code. In this example, a tiny seedling < 1 feet tall would be 

assigned a height class value of “1” (an integer value). NED-2 provides a default label based on 

the range, but this label can be modifi ed to suit your needs. However, in the fi eld, you should not 

use the label—only the code is recorded.

NED-2 goal analyses require a minimum of three height classes with fi xed endpoints at 0, 3, and 

10 feet. This allows NED-2 to identify plants in a ground layer from 0-3 feet, and a shrub layer 

from 3-10 feet. These endpoints are grayed out so they cannot be modifi ed. If desired, eliminate 

this feature by unchecking Height classes conform to NED standards. If this choice is made, 

analysis of certain goals in NED-2 cannot be completed. Nevertheless, layers can always be 

split by adding new height classes. For instance, the 0-3 foot ground layer can be split into two 

height classes as follows: 0-1 feet and 1-3 feet. Figure 4 shows an example of six height classes 

with modifi ed labels. The last range represents anything higher than the minimum value for the 

range—anything taller than 25 feet.

Changes apply only to the current stand. To apply the current height classes (as well as all 

inventory parameters) to future stands in the NED-2 fi le, click the Make these the default 

settings button. When adding new stands, they are established with the same height classes.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 31

Adding a Height Class

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane in the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, select a stand.

3. In the Work Pane, click the Inventory Settings button.

4. Click the Add range button. 

5. Click Add a single range (selected by default).

6. Enter the threshold value that will defi ne where the new height class starts/ends. For 

instance, if starting with single range from 3 to 10 feet, and you want to split that range 

into two height classes, 3-5 and 5-10 feet, enter “5” as the new threshold value. NED-2 

evaluates the existing ranges and inserts the height class in the proper place.

7. To enter a range of successive height classes instead of just one, click Add a series of 

ranges. Enter the sequence information to defi ne the range of height classes. This option 

can be used to insert a range within the existing height classes or to replace all of the 

height classes with a new series.

8. Click OK.

Figure 4. Establishing height classes.
32 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Deleting a Height Class

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane in the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, select a stand.

3. In the Work Pane, click the Inventory Settings button.

4. Click in a cell that contains a user-entered breakpoint to delete. No confi rmation is given, 

so be sure you want to delete the height class.

5. Click the Delete button. If a height class is deleted that contains one of the fi xed endpoints, 

NED-2 will realign the height classes to preserve all endpoints at 0, 3, and 10 feet. If there 

was a height class from 0-1 feet and from 1-3 feet with the 1-3 feet range being deleted, 

NED-2 also deletes the 0-1 range and produces a 0-3 feet range.

6. Click OK.

Reordering Height Classes

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane in the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, select a stand.

3. In the Work Pane, click the Inventory Settings button.

4. Click smallest to tallest for lower height class codes (1, 2, ...) to apply to shorter stems. 

Similarly, click tallest to smallest for lower height class codes (1, 2, ...) to apply to taller 

stems. 

5. Click OK.

INVENTORY FIELD PROCEDURES

The inventory fi eld procedures contain a consolidated list of all of the NED-2 variables that can 

be recorded in the fi eld. Further information is available on each variable under each data section 

(i.e., Stands, Overstory Data) covered in the NED-2 Reference Guide, Appendix B (Twery et al. 

2011). It is not necessary to record all possible variables in the fi eld. The variables you choose to 

omit could affect subsequent analysis. For example, if you choose not to record data on ground 

cover, of the ability to perform some wildlife habitat analyses would be affected. Some variables 

(i.e., stand elevation, management unit name) may be recorded in the offi ce either before or after 

the fi eld inventory. Others will require being on site to collect. Data may be collected in either 

English or metric units, but must not be mixed—a single setting exists in NED-2 that identifi es 

whether you want to use English or metric units. While the setting can be changed, it cannot adapt 

to some of each at the same time.

Paper tally sheets are available on the NED-2 website. On some of the tally sheet pages, not all 

NED-2 variables are shown due to space limitations. If desired, an Excel version of the tally 

sheets may be downloaded to substitute variables or make other modifi cations. A companion 

PDF version is available that handles most inventory situations (see the following link: 

http://nrs.fs.fed.us/tools/ned/products/ned2/).

NED-2 uses Boolean variables for many items. Boolean variables can be recorded as Yes or No, 

True or False, Present or Absent, and so on. NED-2 will interpret any string beginning with “T,” 

“Y,” or “P,” or any non-zero number as True. Other strings and numbers are interpreted as False.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 33

Management Unit

County - Enter the county in which the management unit occurs. If the unit crosses a county line, 

enter the county containing the largest portion of the property.

Deer impact - Enter an estimate of the amount of browsing pressure that deer are having, or 

likely to have, on tree seedlings in the management area. Codes are as follows: 0 = unknown; 

1 = low, 2 = low/medium; 3 = medium; 4 = medium/high; and 5 = high. Enter either the number 

or the text.

District - For public forests, enter the district name or number. For private forests, leave it blank 

or create a code.

Forest name - For public forests, enter the forest name. For private forests, leave it blank or 

create a code.

Land type association - Enter the U.S. Forest Service land type association(s) according to 

Bailey’s ecological classifi cation system (Bailey 1995).

Name - Enter the name of the management unit or property.

Owner - Enter the owner’s name.

State - Enter the state in which the management unit occurs. If the unit crosses a state line, enter 

the state containing the largest portion of the property.

Streams - If streams are present within or immediately adjacent to the management unit, enter 

“present”; otherwise enter “absent”.

Inventory Settings

Date inventory was taken - Enter the date the inventory was collected.

Ground plot size - Enter the size (area) of the ground-cover plot.

Number of ground plots in cluster - Enter the expected number of ground-cover plots that are 

established in each plot cluster.

Number of overstory plots in cluster - Enter the expected number of overstory plots that are 

established in each plot cluster. Currently required to have one and only one overstory plot per 

cluster.

Number of transects in cluster - Enter the expected number of transects that are established in 

each plot cluster to collect volumes of coarse woody debris (CWD; also known as down woody 

material).

Number of understory plots in cluster - Enter the expected number of understory plots that are 

established in each plot cluster.

Overstory prism BAF - If prism points were used to tally overstory trees, enter the basal area 

prism factor (BAF).

Overstory plot size - If fi xed area plots were used to tally overstory trees, enter the individual 

plot size (area). If a 100-percent tally was done, this number should be the stand area, and the 

inventory type should be “fi xed area”.

Overstory inventory type - Enter the type of overstory inventory procedure used (i.e., whether 

using fi xed area plots or prism points).

Tallied By - Enter the name of the person, agency, or company that conducted the inventory.
34 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Transect length - Enter the length of the CWD transect on which dead and down log data was 

collected (e.g., 200 feet or 75 meters). The length must be no less than 50 feet.

Understory plot size - Enter the size (area) of the understory plot.

Stand

Accessibility - Enter the type of vehicle access to the stand. Enter the number of one of the 

following codes: 1 = two-wheel drive; 2 = four-wheel drive; 3 = within a mile of a road; 4 = none 

(no road access).

Adjacent to water - Enter “yes” if the stand is adjacent to or contains a perennial stream, 

permanent pond, or lake.

Aspect - Enter the aspect of the stand either from a topographic map or while in the fi eld. Enter as 

an azimuth reading from 0 to 360 degrees.

Average haul distance - Enter the average distance from the stand to the nearest mill.

Caves - Enter “present” if there are any caves or larger rock openings that lead below the frost 

line.

Coarse woody debris in water - Enter “present” if any down logs within a minimum diameter of 

6 inches are partially or wholly in a permanent water source.

Compartment - Enter the compartment number and/or property name if applicable.

Dead cavity tree - Enter “present” if at least one tree with a dead cavity occurs within the stand.

Elevation - Enter the average elevation in feet or meters for the stand from a topographic map.

Ecological land type - Enter Bailey’s ecological land type(s) in the stand (Bailey 1995).

Feature to screen - List any features to screen or hide such as a residence, a cut along a main 

road, a junk yard, etc.

Feature to show - List any features to show off such as a potential vista, a waterfall, an unusual 

looking tree, etc.

Forest type - Enter the appropriate code for the forest type that most closely matches the current 

overstory species composition of the stand.

Height to bottom of canopy - Enter the distance from the ground to the bottom of the overstory 

canopy.

High perch - Enter “present” if any high exposed perches occur in the stand. A high perch is 

any live or dead tree that clearly towers above the canopy such as a supercanopy white pine, or a 

single tree or group of trees standing above ground vegetation such as a lone elm in a pasture or a 

snag in a clearcut.

Land-cover type - Enter the proper Level 1 or Level 2 Anderson (1976) land-cover type. Level 1 

codes are as follows: 1 = urban; 2 = agriculture; 3 = rangeland; 4 = forest; 5 = water; 6 = wetland; 

7 = barren; 8 = tundra; 9 = perennial snow. If the stand is a wetland forest, enter it as wetland (5).

Live cavity tree - Enter “present” if at least one tree with a live cavity occurs within the stand.

Loose soils - Enter “present” if there is soil that can be easily burrowed into.

Low perch - Enter “present” if any low exposed perches occur in the stand. Low perches are 

exposed perches less than 10 feet high. Examples include fences, isolated shrubs, clumps of 

woody sprouts, tree tops remaining after harvesting, and short tree stubs.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 35

Operability - An estimate of the stand’s environmental or economic limitations such as 

unmarketable timber or wet soils, steep slopes, or rockiness which limit the use of mechanical 

equipment. Enter 2 if steep slope, rockiness, or poor drainage limit the use of mechanical 

equipment. Enter 1 if no such limitations exist.

Percent area riparian - Enter the percent of the stand area that falls within a riparian area, 

include buffer strips along water sources. Riparian areas include stream channels, lakes, wetlands, 

fl oodplains, and immediately adjacent terrestrial ecosystems.

Percent area wetland - Enter the percent of the stand area that falls within a wetland. Wetlands 

include areas with shallow standing water or seasonal to year-long saturated soils (including bogs, 

marshes, and wet meadows).

Permanent ponds - Enter “present” if any permanent ponds or lakes are within or adjacent to the 

stand. Permanent ponds are any size or depth, but larger is generally better; water must be present 

year-round, although the top layer can freeze.

Pre-inventory treatment year - Enter the year of last treatment prior to the inventory year.

Roaded - Enter “yes” if there is a truck road in or adjacent to the stand.

Rock crevices - Enter “present” if there are openings in the rocks that lead below the frost line.

Rock piles - Enter “present” if there are any natural or man-made piles (rock walls), as long as 

they provide hiding places for small mammals, amphibians, or reptiles.

Seeps - Enter “present” or “absent” as to the presence of seeps or springs within or adjacent to the 

stand. A seep is a source of surface ground water without a well defi ned point of origin. A spring 

has a well defi ned point of origin. Seeps and springs may or may not have vegetation around 

them.

Site index - Enter the site index number as determined from appropriate charts; record to the 

nearest index, and do not round the numbers. Site index should be calculated from age and height 

measurements of 3 to 10 dominant or codominant trees of the site species. Do not bore veneer 

quality trees. Site index affects growth potential of trees, and in NED-2 is used to affect growth 

rates when running simulations. In the eastern United States site index is typically estimated as 

the expected height of a dominant tree at age 50.

Site index species - Enter the tree species for which the site index was determined. Use any of the 

accepted codes for species identifi cation, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

PLANTS symbol, the 3-digit Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) code, or the user code. See the 

topic on “Recording Plant Species” in the Plant Species Attributes section for more information.

Slope - Enter the average percent slope for the stand.

Slope shape - Enter the most applicable slope shape from the following codes: 1 = convex; 

2 = linear; or 3 = concave.

Stand area - Enter the total acres and/or hectares in the stand.

Stand ID - Enter the stand identifi cation name or number.

Stream - Enter “present” if perennial streams are within the stand or immediately adjacent to the 

stand.

Temporary ponds - Enter “present” if any temporary or vernal ponds are within or adjacent to 

the stand. Temporary ponds must be greater than 6 inches deep and greater than 1 square yard; 

water must be present for at least two months during the growing season. The exact month differs 

for each species that uses temporary ponds. Areas covered by a fi ne layer of silt and depressions 

fi lled with blackened leaves may serve as dry season indicators of temporary ponds.
36 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Topographic position - Enter the topographic position of the stand from the following codes: 

1 = upland plateau; 2 = upland bottom; 3 = ridge top; 4 = upper slope or shoulder; 5 = midslope; 

6 = bench; 7 = lower slope; and 8 = bottomland, fl atland.

Unique features - Enter a description of the unique feature.

Year of origin - If the stand is even-aged, enter the year the stand originated. This year is 

determined either from historical records, by coring representative site index trees, or using the 

program’s calculated effective age to determine year of origin.

Buildings

Information on buildings is used in the fi re risk analysis module.

Adjacent building - Enter the distance to the nearest building.

Building ID - Enter the building identifi cation name or number.

Comments - Enter any additional comments about the building.

Defensible space - Enter the amount of space (distance) next to a building that would allow room 

for fi refi ghters.

Open Foundation - Enter “present” if the building has an open foundation type.

Map X-coordinate - This variable is used to record GPS coordinates of the building.

Map Y-coordinate - This variable is used to record GPS coordinates of the building.

Open soffi ts - Enter “present” if the building has open soffi ts.

Single paned, non-tempered glass windows - Enter “present” if the building has single-paned, 

non-tempered glass windows.

Slopes >30% - If the building is on a steep slope (>30%), enter the average slope immediately 

around the building.

Stacked fi rewood - Enter “present” if stacked fi rewood is present near the building.

Vinyl siding - Enter “present” if the building has vinyl siding or vinyl soffi ts.

Wood deck - Enter “present” if a wood deck is connected to the building.

Wood fence - Enter “present” if a wood fence is connected to the building.

Wood shingles - Enter “present” if the building has wood shingles or shakes (Class C or not 

rated).

Wood siding - Enter “present” if the building has wood siding.

Plot Cluster

Cluster ID - Enter the cluster identifi cation name or number.

Map X-coordinate - Used to record GPS coordinates of the cluster center point.

Map Y-coordinate - Used to record GPS coordinates of the cluster center point.

Overstory Plot

Canopy closure - Enter the percent cover of the overstory trees (trees greater than 30 feet in 

height).
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 37

Hard mast present - Enter “present” if any tree present in the plot produces hard mast. The 

variable will default to absent but is calculated by NED-2 if species known to produce hard mast 

are present in the inventory.

Map X-coordinate - Used to record GPS coordinates of the overstory plot.

Map Y-coordinate - Used to record GPS coordinates of the overstory plot.

Midstory closure - Enter the percent cover of the midstory trees (trees between 10 and 30 feet 

high).

Midstory type - If at least 25 percent midstory cover exists, enter one of the following: 

1 = D (deciduous); 2 = C (coniferous); or 3 = M (mix of coniferous and deciduous species; 

at least 1 coniferous and at least 1 deciduous).

Overstory Plot ID - Enter the overstory plot name or number.

Riparian plot - Enter “yes” if any portion of the plot is in a riparian zone.

Soft mast - Enter “present” if any tree produces soft mast. The variable will default to absent but 

is calculated by NED-2 if species known to produce soft mast are present in the inventory.

User comments - Enter any additional comments about the overstory plot.

Overstory Observation

Cavity - Enter “present” if the tree contains a cavity.

Crown class - Determine the position of the tree crown using the following codes: 1 = open 

grown (a tree that is free of competition and receives light on top and on all sides of the crown 

as a result of a very heavy thinning or being in an isolated, open-grown position); 2 = dominant 

(a tree with the crown extending above the general level of the main crown canopy and receiving 

full light from above and partly from the sides); 3 = codominant (a tree with a crown forming 

the general level of the main canopy, receiving full light from above but little from the sides); 

4 = intermediate (a tree with a crown extending into the lower portions of the main crown canopy, 

but shorter than the codominants and receiving little direct light from above and none from the 

sides); or 5 = suppressed (a tree whose crown is entirely below the general level of the canopy 

and receives no direct light from either above or the sides).

Crown condition - An estimate of the tree crown’s condition based upon the percent of crown 

that appears healthy (alive). Trees are in poor condition if more than 50 percent of their branches 

are dead; in fair condition if 25 to 50 percent of their branches are dead; and in good condition if 

less than 25 percent of their branches are dead.

dbh - Enter the diameter at breast height for each tallied tree. Diameter can be entered in 1- or 

2-inch classes or actual measurement down to a 1/10 inch. Do not mix diameter classes.

Height of plant - Enter the height of the tree from the ground to the tip of the leader or top of the 

crown. NOTE: This is a total height variable. If you want to record merchantable height, use the 

sawlog height and pulpwood height variables.

Height class - Enter the user-defi ned height class code that best represents the approximate height 

of the overstory observation.

Living - Enter “yes” or “living” if the tree is alive.

Log ID - Enter the identifi cation name or number of the merchantable log section. Log ID, Log 

length, and Log product are variables to record if the product and quality of each log within the 

tree are itemized. These variables are used in place of sawlog height and pulpwood height.
38 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Log length - Enter the log length.

Log product - An estimate of the highest product or grade obtained in the log. Enter one of 

the following codes: 1 = veneer (contains at least an 8-foot section that qualifi es for veneer); 

2 = sawlog (contains at least a 12-foot section that qualifi es for grade 1 through 4 sawlog). If 

interested in the grade of the tree, enter the following: 21 = grade 1 sawlog; 22 = grade 2 sawlog; 

23 = grade 3 sawlog; or 24 = subfactory sawlog (grade 4 sawlog); 3 = pulpwood (contains at 

least two contiguous 4-foot bolts with a minimum top diameter of 4 inches and at least 50 percent 

sound). Also, if desired, enter either of the following grades: 31 = chipped pulpwood; 32 = whole 

pulpwood; 4 = boltwood (has the same specifi cation as pulpwood, but of species and quality 

that meets requirements of local boltwood producers); 5 = poles (meets specifi cations for local 

cabin log or pole markets); 6 = fi rewood (same specifi cations as pulpwood, except minimum top 

diameter inside bark is 1.0 inch); 7 = local use (a product used locally that does not meet any of 

the other products/grade, a local user defi nition); or 8 = cull (tree less than 50 percent sound, or 

does not qualify for any of the products listed, a log classifi ed as cull is omitted from any volume 

calculations).

Overstory observation ID - Enter the identifi cation name or number of the overstory 

observation.

Most valuable product - An estimate of the highest product or grade obtained in the tree. 

Enter one of the following codes: 1 = veneer (contains at least an 8-foot section that qualifi es 

for veneer); 2 = sawlog (contains at least a 12-foot section that qualifi es for grade 1 through 4 

sawlog). If interested in the grade of the tree, the following may be entered: 21 = grade 1 

sawlog; 22 = grade 2 sawlog; 23 = grade 3 sawlog; 24 = subfactory sawlog (grade 4 sawlog); 

3 = pulpwood (contains at least two contiguous 4-foot bolts with a minimum top diameter of 

4 inches and at least 50 percent sound). Also enter, if desired, either of the following grades: 

31 = chipped pulpwood; 32 = whole pulpwood; 4 = boltwood (has the same specifi cation as 

pulpwood, but of species and quality that meets requirements of local boltwood producers); 

5 = poles (meets specifi cations for local cabin log or pole markets); 6 = fi rewood (same 

specifi cations as pulpwood, except minimum top diameter inside bark is 1.0 inch); 7 = local use 

(a product used locally that does not meet any of the other products/grade, a local user defi nition) 

or ; 8 = cull (tree less than 50 percent sound, or does not qualify for any of the products listed, a 

tree classifi ed as cull is omitted from any volume calculations).

Pulpwood defect - Enter the amount of defect in the pulpwood portion of the tree in percent. If 

data for pulp defect is not collected, then the default will set the variable at 0.0 and net volume 

will be 80 percent of gross volume in pulpwood.

Pulpwood height - Enter the portion of the tree above sawtimber height. For example, if the tree 

contains 32 feet of sawtimber, enter the portion above 32 feet that contains pulpwood products. If 

the tree does not contain any sawtimber, enter the merchantable pulpwood height. If no height is 

entered, the program calculates an average height based on the diameter of the tree and effective 

age of the stand.

Sawtimber defect - Enter the amount of defect in the sawtimber portion in percent. If data for 

sawlog defect is not collected, the default is set at 0.0 and gross board-foot volume and net 

board-foot volume is equal.

Sawtimber height - Enter the total height of sawtimber products in the tree in feet or meters; do 

not enter a count of logs or bolts. If no height is entered, the program calculates an average height 

based on the diameter of the tree.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 39

Species - For every tallied tree, enter the tree species using either USDA PLANTS Database 

symbol (such as ACSA3 for sugar maple), the 3-digit Forest Inventory code (such as 318 for 

sugar maple), or a user-defi ned code such as SM for sugar maple).

Stem count - Enter the total number of identical trees of the same species, dbh, quality, etc. on 

the plot and described in a single observation. It is not necessary to combine similar observations.

Timber quality - A determination of whether the tallied tree will produce a sawtimber product. 

Enter one of the following: AGS = Acceptable Growing Stock for timber (capable of producing 

sawtimber when it reaches appropriate size, and expected to live at least 15 years); UGS = 

Unacceptable Growing Stock for timber (not capable of producing sawtimber at any time 

in future and/or not expected to survive for 15 years); or Crop tree (an extremely desirable 

acceptable growing stock tree).

Custom variable 1 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to fi rst pre-established userdefi ned variable.

Custom variable 2 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to second pre-established 

user-defi ned variable.

Custom variable 3 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to third pre-established userdefi ned variable.

Custom variable 4 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to fourth pre-established userdefi ned variable.

Custom variable 5 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to fi fth pre-established userdefi ned variable.

Custom variable 6 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to sixth pre-established userdefi ned variable.

Visually interesting - If the tree is of visual interest, enter “yes”.

Understory Plot

Average shrub layer height - Enter an ocular estimate of the average height of plants in the 

shrub layer (3 to 10 feet high).

Coniferous shrub layer - Enter “present” if the understory plot contains coniferous species in the 

shrub layer (3 to 10 feet high). The variable defaults to absent but will be calculated by NED-2 if 

any coniferous species are present in the inventory.

Cover of foliage in shrub layer - An ocular estimate of the percent cover of all herbaceous and 

woody plants in the shrub layer (3 to 10 feet high); using 10 percent increments is adequate.

Deciduous shrub layer - Enter “present” if the understory plot contains deciduous species in the 

shrub layer (3 to 10 feet high). The variable defaults to absent but will be calculated by NED-2 if 

any deciduous species are present in the inventory.

Ericaceous shrub layer - Enter “present” if the understory plot contains ericaceous species in the 

shrub layer (3 to 10 feet high). The variable defaults to absent but will be calculated by NED-2 if 

any ericaceous species are present in the inventory.

Flowery shrub layer - Enter “present” if any plant in the shrub layer (3 to 10 feet high) produces 

showy fl owers. The variable defaults to absent but will be calculated by NED-2 if species known 

to have showy fl owers are present in the inventory.
40 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Hard mast - Enter “present” if any ground or shrub observation produces hard mast. The variable 

defaults to absent but will be calculated by NED-2 if species known to produce hard mast are 

present in the inventory.

Map X-coordinate - Used to record GPS coordinates of the understory plot.

Map Y-coordinate - Used to record GPS coordinates of the understory plot.

Percent regeneration sprout - Enter the percent of seedlings and saplings that are of sprout 

origin (root sprouts, sucker sprouts, etc.).

Potential residual tree - Enter “yes” if the plot contains at least one acceptable tree between 

5 and 10 inches dbh that will meet your management goal and survive to occupy the site after 

a fi nal harvest. Acceptable commercial trees have at least moderately good crowns and clear 

straight boles free of branches, epicormic branches, or other defects for at least the fi rst 17 feet. 

Commercial species with more than one or two epicormic branches on the butt log should not be 

considered acceptable residual trees.

Riparian plot - Enter “yes” if any portion of the plot falls within a riparian area.

Soft mast - Enter “present” if any ground or shrub observation produces soft mast. The variable 

defaults to absent but will be calculated by NED-2 if species known to produce soft mast are 

present in the inventory.

Stocked with commercial regeneration - Enter “yes” if the plot is stocked with commercial tree 

seedlings (any commercial species, but not necessarily high value species). 

Stocked with high value regeneration - Enter “yes” if the plot is stocked with desirable 

seedlings of high value species. 

Understory Plot ID - Enter the identifi cation name or number of the understory plot.

User comments - Enter any additional comments about the understory plot.

Wetland vegetation - Enter “present” if the shrub layer (3 to 10 feet high) contains any wetland 

species. The variable is automatically calculated if you enter wetland plants in the understory 

plot. If this variable is left empty, and detailed plant species list exists, the variable will default to 

absent. 

Understory Observation

Living - Enter “yes” or “living” if the plant is alive.

dbh - Enter the diameter at breast height for the understory observation. Diameter can be entered 

in 1- or 2-inch classes or actual measurement down to a 1/10 inch. Do not mix diameter classes.

Height class - Enter the user-defi ned height class code that best represents the approximate height 

of the understory observation.

Height of plant - Enter the height of the plant from the ground to the tip of the leader or top of 

the crown.

Origin of plant - Enter the code (1-5) that refl ects the establishment origin of the understory 

observation.

Percent cover - Enter the percent of the fi xed area plot that is covered by the species. This is used 

for both herbaceous and woody species. Depending on the desired analysis, the percent cover of 

each woody understory observation in addition to dbh may be entered.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 41

Species - For every tallied observation, enter the species using either USDA PLANTS Database 

symbol (such as ACSA3 for sugar maple), the 3-digit Forest Inventory code (such as 318 for 

sugar maple), or a user-defi ned code (such as SM for sugar maple).

Stem count - Enter the number of stems of the species. This is used for both woody and 

herbaceous species. 

Understory Observation ID - Enter the identifi cation name or number of the understory 

observation.

Custom variable 1 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to fi rst pre-established userdefi ned variable.

Custom variable 2 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to second pre-established 

user-defi ned variable.

Custom variable 3 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to third pre-established userdefi ned variable.

Custom variable 4 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to fourth pre-established userdefi ned variable.

Custom variable 5 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to fi fth pre-established userdefi ned variable.

Custom variable 6 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to sixth pre-established userdefi ned variable.

Ground-cover Plot

Average shrub layer height - Enter an ocular estimate of the average heights of plants in the 

shrub layer (3 to 10 feet high).

Coniferous shrub layer - Enter “present” if the ground plot contains coniferous species in the 

shrub layer (3 to 10 feet high). The variable defaults to absent but will be calculated by NED-2 if 

any coniferous species are present in the inventory.

Cover of foliage in ground layer - Enter an ocular estimate of the percent cover of all 

herbaceous and woody plants in the ground layer (0 to 3 feet high); using 10 percent increments 

is adequate.

Cover of foliage in shrub layer - Enter an ocular estimate of the percent cover of all herbaceous 

and woody plants in the shrub layer (3 to 10 feet high); using 10 percent increments is adequate.

Deciduous shrub layer - Enter “present” if the ground plot contains deciduous species in the 

shrub layer (3 to 10 feet high). The variable defaults to absent but will be calculated by NED-2 if 

any deciduous species are present in the inventory.

Ericaceous shrub layer - Enter “present” if the ground plot contains ericaceous species in the 

shrub layer (3 to 10 feet high). The variable defaults to absent but will be calculated by NED-2 if 

any ericaceous species are present in the inventory.

Flowery ground layer - Enter “present” if any ground plant produces showy fl owers that are 0 to 

3 feet high. The variable defaults to absent but will be calculated by NED-2 if species known to 

produce showy fl owers are present in the inventory.

Flowery shrub layer - Enter “present” if any ground plant produces showy fl owers are 3 to 10 

feet high. The variable defaults to absent but will be calculated by NED-2 if species known to 

produce showy fl owers are present in the inventory.
42 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Hard mast - Enter “present” if the species in any ground or shrub observation produces hard 

mast. The variable defaults to absent but will be calculated by NED-2 if species known to 

produce hard mast are present in the inventory.

Ground-cover Plot ID - Enter the ground-cover plot identifi cation name or number.

Litter depth - Enter the depth of undecomposed leaf litter and organic matter on top of the 

mineral soil.

Map X-coordinate - Used to record GPS coordinates of the ground-cover plot.

Map Y-coordinate - Used to record GPS coordinates of the ground-cover plot.

Percent grass and sedge - Enter the percent of the ground-cover plot that is covered by grass and 

sedge that inhibits seedling establishment and growth.

Percent inhibiting fern - Enter the percent of the plot that is covered by any ferns that inhibit 

seedling establishment and growth, for example either hay-scented or New York fern. If identity 

is uncertain, count any fern that grows as individual fronds from the ground level and ignore any 

ferns that grow in clumps.

Percent litter - Enter the percent of the ground-cover plot that is covered by forest litter (leaves, 

small twigs, etc.).

Percent moss - Enter the percent of the ground-cover plot that is covered by moss.

Percent other fern - Enter the percent of the plot that is covered by any fern that does not inhibit 

seedling establishment and growth.

Percent regeneration sprout - Enter the percent of seedlings and saplings that are of sprout 

origin (root sprouts, sucker sprouts, etc.).

Percent rock - Enter the percent of the ground-cover plot that is covered by surface rocks. 

Surface rocks are those that can easily be turned over using your hand or with a rake.

Riparian plot - Enter “yes” if any portion of the plot falls within a riparian area.

Rockiness barrier to regeneration - Enter “yes” if rocks or stones will inhibit seedling 

regeneration.

Soft mast - Enter “present” if any ground or shrub observation produces soft mast. The variable 

defaults to absent but will be calculated by NED-2 if species known to produce soft mast are 

present in the inventory.

Stocked with commercial regeneration - Enter “yes” if the plot is stocked with commercial tree 

seedlings (any commercial species, but not necessarily high value species).

Stocked with high value regeneration - Enter “yes” if the plot is stocked with desirable 

seedlings of high value species.

User comments - Enter any additional comments about the ground-cover plot.

Wetness barrier to regeneration - Enter “yes” if wetness or poorly drained soils inhibit seedling 

regeneration. Look for areas covered by a fi ne layer of silt and depressions fi lled with blackened 

leaves during the dry season.

Wetland vegetation - Enter “present” if wetland ground species are present. This variable is 

automatically calculated in the program if wetland plants are entered in the ground-cover plot.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 43

Ground-cover Observation

Height class - Enter the user-defi ned height class code that best represents the approximate height 

of the plant.

Height of plant - Enter the total height of the plant from the ground to the tip of the leader or top 

of the plant.

Ground-cover Observation ID - Enter the identifi cation name or number of the ground-cover 

observation.

Origin of plant - Enter the code (1-5) that refl ects the establishment origin of the ground-cover 

observation.

Percent cover - Enter the percent of the fi xed area plot that is covered by the species. This is used 

for both herbaceous and woody species.

Species - For every plant observed, enter the species using either USDA PLANTS Database 

symbol (such as ACSA3 for sugar maple), the 3-digit Forest Inventory code (such as 318 for 

sugar maple), or a user-defi ned code (such as SM for sugar maple).

Stem count - Enter the number of stems of the species. This is used for both woody and 

herbaceous species.

Custom variable 1 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to fi rst pre-established userdefi ned variable.

Custom variable 2 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to second pre-established 

user-defi ned variable.

Custom variable 3 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to third pre-established userdefi ned variable.

Custom variable 4 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to fourth pre-established userdefi ned variable.

Custom variable 5 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to fi fth pre-established userdefi ned variable.

Custom variable 6 - Enter the appropriate value or code according to sixth pre-established userdefi ned variable.

Transect

High slash - Enter “yes” if any high slash piles are seen along the transect. Slash piles are 

considered high if any part of the pile is more than 3 feet high.

Interesting tree - Enter “yes” if an interesting tree along the transect is seen.

Low slash - Enter “yes” if any low slash piles along the transect are seen. Slash piles are 

considered low if the pile is less than 3 feet high.

Transect ID - Enter the identifi cation name or number of the transect.

Transect length - Enter the distance of the transect on which dead and down log data was 

collected; for example, 200 feet or 75 meters. The distance should be no less than 50 feet.

User comments - Enter any additional comments about the transect.
44 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Transect Observation

Bark - Enter yes if the bark on the log is loose.

Condition - Enter the condition of the down logs. Codes include: 1 = hard/sound; 

2 = soft/decayed.

Count - Enter the number of logs of the same diameter, condition, and bark.

Diameter - Enter the diameter of each down log walked over along the compass bearing between 

plot centers. Measure only down logs with a diameter of at least 3 inches and a length of at least 3 

feet long.

Species - For every tallied log, enter the tree species using either USDA PLANTS Database 

symbol (such as ACSA3 for sugar maple), the 3-digit Forest Inventory code (such as 318 for 

sugar maple), or a user-defi ned code (such as SM for sugar maple).

Transect Observation ID - Enter the identifi cation name or number of the transect observation.

MANAGEMENT UNIT

About the Management Unit

A management unit represents forest stands that are managed collectively, and may contain from 

one to many stands which may or may not be contiguous. A single management unit could range 

in size from 10 to 10,000 or more acres. A typical management unit was conceived as a forest 

property belonging to a non-industrial private landowner. Extensive land holdings managed by 

public agencies may include multiple management units, which would require multiple NED-2 

fi les. Large land holdings may be split into distinct management units if the management goals 

differ between units.

Management unit details include information about the property such as the owner, location, size, 

and stand count as well as information about size class distribution, overstory, understory and rare 

plant species, and wetland status. Note that not all of these variables are calculated at the same 

time and some management unit variables are used internally and are not visible to you.

Each NED-2 data fi le contains one and only one management unit. Therefore, when a new NED-2 

fi le is created, the management unit already exists. However, stands and forms of data such as tree 

observations require some user action in order to be added or imported for subsequent analysis.

Management Unit Name: It is recommended that you provide a name for the management unit 

because it is used in a variety of ways by NED-2, particularly as a label in many reports and 

tables.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 45

STANDS

Adding Stands

NED-2 is organized around forest stands, as are most of the growth and yield and prescription 

models used by NED-2. Hence, establishing or adding stands is one of the simplest and most 

necessary steps in creating data in NED-2.

To add a stand:

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, click Stands.

3. In the Work Pane, click the Add new stand button.

4. For each new stand, NED-2 automatically provides a stand name for you, but any name 

can be entered.

Deleting Stands

1. When deleting a stand, NED-2 removes all data associated with that stand, but species 

information is retained. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/

Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select the stand to delete.

3. In the Work Pane, click the Delete stand button.

4. Click Yes when prompted to confi rm the deletion.

Importing stands

Importing stands allows you to obtain a copy of an existing stand from several fi le types or from 

within the same fi le. Use this feature to make a copy of a stand from the current fi le (be sure that 

the data fi le has been saved, otherwise the stand will not be available for copying).

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, click Stands.

3. In the Work Pane, click the Import Stands button.

4. From the dialog box, click the File button. 

5. Stands may be copied from the following fi le types:

• NED/SIPS

• NED-1

• NED-2

• SILVAH

• Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS)

6. From the Files of Type list at the bottom of the Open dialog, choose a fi le type. If the data 

is in a format other than listed above, refer to the topics on “Importing Data from Other 

Sources” in the Importing Data section.

7. Browse to a desired folder and select a fi le that contains the stands to import.

8. Select one or more stands from the list that is displayed on the dialog.

9. Click OK.

NED-2 retains the name of the imported stands. Of course, the stands may be renamed after 

importing.
46 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Creating New Stands from Existing Clusters

Occasionally, inventories are collected without specifying which plots (clusters) belong to which 

stands. Clusters can be “moved” around by copying them into new stands and deleting them from 

the source stands once the clusters have been copied successfully. 

Clusters can be copied from an existing stand into a new stand, but clusters cannot be copied into 

an existing stand. Individual plots that belong to a given cluster cannot be selected and copied. 

Instead, make sure to copy a cluster and get all of the existing plots and observations that belong 

to that cluster.

Clusters from different stands must have identical characteristics, such as matching plot sizes. 

If the characteristics of all clusters do not match up, the clusters cannot be copied into the new 

stand.

 1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Shuffl e Plots.

 2. To import clusters from another NED-2 fi le, near the top of the Options pane, click the 

Pick fi le button. Otherwise, skip to step 6 to use stands and clusters from the current 

NED-2 fi le.

 3. From the Pick fi le dialog, click Import stands and clusters from another fi le.

 4. Browse to and select the NED-2 fi le that contains the clusters to import.

 5. From the Open dialog, click the Open button. Skip to step 7.

 6. If stands/clusters from another NED-2 fi le were selected previously, click the Pick fi le

button. From the Pick fi le dialog, click Use stands and clusters from this fi le, then click 

OK. If you have not been working with stands from other fi les, proceed to Step 7.

 7. In the Options Pane, select a stand from the Stands list. 

 8. Select one or more clusters from the Cluster list box. 

 9. In the Work Pane, click the Add cluster button. 

 10. Continue selecting clusters from other stands as desired, by repeating steps 7-9, as 

necessary.

 11. For each selected cluster, NED-2 provides a new name for the cluster as it will appear in 

the new stand. It is recommended that this name be modifi ed here before creating the new 

stand. 

 12. When satisfi ed with the collection of clusters to copy, proceed to the next step.

 13. Click the Create new stand button. A Stand values dialog opens. Describe the stand now 

or later, if desired. 

 14. Click OK to create the new stand. The new stand contains all the clusters selected in 

steps 7-9.

 15. To view the new stands with copied plot-clusters, in the Navigation Pane, switch to 

Enter/Edit Inventory. 

 16. If clusters were copied from stands within the same fi le, remember to delete the original 

copy of any “moved” clusters, if appropriate.

About Stand Adjacency

In NED-2, you may indicate which stands are adjacent to each other within a management 

unit. NED-2 uses stand adjacency information to create spatial (patch analysis) reports. Studies 

in landscape ecology have shown that signifi cant relationships often exist between the spatial 

arrangement of vegetation and the response of ecological processes and animal populations that 

use that habitat. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 47

Viewing and Editing Stand Adjacency

To view and/or manually edit the adjacency of your stands:

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory.

2. In the Work Pane, click Enter/Edit Stand Adjacencies. Stand adjacency is shown on the 

grid in the Work Pane. 

3. Double-click any cell at the intersection of two different stand names to turn on or off a 

leaf symbol to indicate adjacency. Blank cells indicate no adjacency. NOTE: A leaf symbol 

indicates a given pair of stands is adjacent (for the stand listed in the current row and the 

stand listed in the current column of a given cell).

4. NED randomly applies a leaf symbol to each cell. The different leaf symbols have no 

implied meaning, other than indicating adjacency between two stands. If a large number 

of stands and/or adjacencies exist, the leaf symbols repeat.

Calculating Stand Adjacency with Environmental Systems Research 

Institute, Inc. (ESRI) Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

In order for NED-2 to calculate stand adjacencies, ArcMap software version 8.x or 9.x, and a 

valid shapefi le must be installed. The shapefi le must have a column (i.e., a database fi eld) that 

identifi es each stand in the management unit, and the name of this fi eld must be “stand_id.” 

Then, the name of each stand in the shapefi le must match the stand name that occurs in the 

corresponding NED-2 data.

1. Open a NED-2 fi le that has a corresponding ArcMap shapefi le.

2. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory.

3. Click Generate Stand Adjacencies. An Open shape fi le dialog opens.

4. Select an existing shapefi le (.shp). Click Open.

5. NED launches ArcMap automatically. It may take a few minutes to load ArcMap and 

calculate the adjacency information.

6. Click OK on the ArcMap dialog that says stand adjacencies are successfully generated.

7. To view the adjacencies, under Inventory, click Enter/Edit Stand Adjacencies. Icons of 

leaves appear where stands are adjacent. NED-2 randomly applies a leaf symbol to each 

cell. The different leaf symbols have no implied meaning, other than indicating adjacency 

between two stands. If a large number of stands and/or adjacencies exist, the leaf symbols 

repeat.

CLUSTERS

Adding Clusters

Each time a new cluster is added, NED-2 creates one overstory plot and however many 

understory and ground-cover plots and CWD transects are specifi ed in the inventory settings. 

If running a simulation, the maximum number of clusters that can be simulated in any single 

stand is 99. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Plot clusters under the stand.

4. In the Work Pane, click the Add new cluster button.
48 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Deleting Clusters

When deleting a cluster, NED-2 deletes ALL of the plots and observations belonging to that 

cluster.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Plot clusters under the stand.

4. In the Work Pane, click the row of the cluster to delete.

5. In the Work Pane, click the Delete cluster button.

6. Click Yes to confi rm the deletion when prompted. 

CUSTOM DATA VARIABLES

About Custom Data Variables

NED-2 provides several dozen site and vegetation variables that can be tallied in the fi eld for 

specifi c analyses across several natural resource disciplines. If the inventory includes other 

variables that do not have a counterpart in NED-2, there is an option of defi ning them as custom, 

user-defi ned variables.

Up to six custom variables may be defi ned per NED-2 fi le. Custom variable defi nitions apply 

to all stands and do not correlate with plot types. The following are examples of three custom 

variables that could be established: 1) a rating scale for ice storm damage; 2) an index for beech 

bark disease progression; 3) a rating on the competitive ability of oak seedlings in the ground 

cover. The fi rst two examples might only be tallied for overstory observations, while the third 

example would be tallied for ground-cover observations. 

Custom data values are not validated. Custom variables may contain alphabetic and numeric 

characters, which allows for any coding scheme that makes sense for your application. Custom 

variables can be used only for observations in the overstory, understory, and ground cover, and 

are not available for CWD observations. NED-2 does not provide custom variables at the level 

of stands, plot-clusters, and plots. 

Reports and vegetation tables may be generated on one custom variable at a time, where each 

value tallied in the fi eld is identifi ed in separate columns or rows. For example, if developing a 

rating of beech bark disease progression on a scale from 1-5, and the only values observed were 

2 and 3, the 2 columns or rows labeled “2” and “3” will appear, representing the unique values 

for that particular custom variable. NED-2 provides a sum total of the number of stems, percent 

cover, basal area, volume, etc. for each unique value across diameters or species (but not both at 

the same time). However, beware that the vegetation table footers (e.g., sum, mean) may or may 

not make sense, depending on the intended use of each custom variable.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 49

How to Set Up Custom Data Variables

By default, NED-2 identifi es custom variables as “custom 1,” “custom 2,” etc. To improve the 

readability of reports and vegetation tables, specify a short label (column heading) that appears 

for each custom variable.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. At the bottom of the Options Pane, click the Custom variable defi nitions button.

3. On the Custom variables dialog, enter a description in the description fi eld for each 

variable. Use this description as a reminder of the variable’s use. The description is not 

used by NED-2. If custom 1 was being used to indicate ice storm damage, the description 

might be “extent of ice storm damage.”

4. Enter a label intended for use in reports. This is the column heading. For ice storm 

damage, an appropriate column heading might be “ice.”

5. Be sure to confi gure the appropriate observation table(s) to display the custom variables 

along with other variables such as species, dbh, etc. The list of variables on the 

confi guration dialog displays the assigned label(s) from step 4.

TIPS FOR EDITING INVENTORY DATA

Dialog-based Versus Spreadsheet-style Editing

Inventory data is always displayed in the Work Pane in columns and rows, in a spreadsheet style. 

Displaying data this way is convenient. However, if displaying numerous variables that cannot all 

fi t in the space allotted, you must scroll to see the cell that contains the value to edit. 

You must use the dialog-based data entry to grade separate log products in a single tree, because 

you cannot view the logs in the spreadsheet display.

NED-2 provides a dialog-based alternative that allows you to see the entire set of variables for a 

single record—including logs when editing overstory observations. Variables are organized on the 

dialog in a context appropriate for the items you are editing. 

To edit data using a dialog instead of the spreadsheet:

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. View the inventory data to edit. Almost any level will support dialog-based entry, 

including the list of stands (see Stands in the Options Pane) but not when editing a single 

stand.

3. Where data is displayed in the normal spreadsheet view, double-click any of the nonheader rows in the fi rst or second gray (darker shaded) columns in the far left of the row to 

edit. See Figure 5. 

4. Edit values as necessary; use the tab key to move between fi elds. 

5. Click OK to dismiss the dialog. 

6. Repeat this process for other rows.
50 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Figure 5. Editing an overstory observation using a dialog instead of the spreadsheet view.

Data Entry Shortcuts

Several shortcuts exist to make it easier to enter data in NED-2. 

Duplicate cell above (Ctrl+D). Press and hold down the Ctrl key and then press the D key. 

This action copies the contents of the cell immediately above the current cell in the active row. 

For example, if you add a new observation and click in the species column of that new row, this 

shortcut copies the species from the row above into the new row.

Delete a record (row) (Ctrl+Delete). Press and hold down the Ctrl key and then press the 

Delete key. Click Yes to confi rm the deletion.

Insert new record (row) (Ctrl+Enter). Press and hold down the Ctrl key and then press the 

Enter key. Anywhere NED-2 shows a group of similar items in the display, you can quickly add 

another of the same kind of item with this shortcut. This shortcut inserts a new item below the 

current row when viewing a table of stands, plots, or observations. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 51

Insert new record (row) in next plot (Ctrl+Shift+Enter). Press and hold down the Ctrl key, the 

Shift key, and fi nally press the Enter key. This action inserts a new observation in the next plot.

Query codes (Ctrl+Q). Press and hold down the Ctrl key and then press the Q key. If you are 

in a cell that requires a coded value, this shortcut opens a dialog that presents all of the possible 

choices appropriate for the data item.

OVERSTORY DATA

What Belongs in the Overstory?

In many applications, an inventory of the overstory includes stems at least 1.0 inch dbh and 

larger. Similarly, for prescriptions involving a complete overstory removal (e.g., clear-cutting), 

stems as small as 1 inch are often included in the removal. Depending on your conception of 

forest vegetation, you may prefer to think of such small stems as occupying the understory layer. 

Perhaps you might not want to include anything smaller than 3 or 4 inches in your overstory 

tally. NED-2 provides a way to establish your own threshold of just exactly what is overstory and 

understory. 

Recommendation: NED-2 incorporates several previously-published stocking guides for analysis 

of your stand data. If adopting a threshold greater than 1.0 inch dbh, you should consider 

recording the dbh of stems under this threshold (but larger than 1.0 inch) in your understory 

tally, and including understory stems with overstory calculations. The reason for this is that some 

stocking guides include tree sizes down to 1.0 or 2.0 inches dbh (Frank and Bjorkbom 1973, 

Roach 1977, Schlesinger and Funk 1977, and Ernst and Knapp 1985). If not including such trees 

in your inventory, you may overestimate stand diameter and underestimate stocking (Roach 

1977). In applying a stocking chart, the B line will then be too high and volume available for 

cutting will be reduced. This may result in a residual stocking that is higher than intended. 

Stand, Plot, and Tree Size Classes

In the NED-2 program, a difference in break points exists for the Stand and Plot Size Class and 

the Tree Size Class: 

Stand and plot size classes:

• Regeneration medial diameter < 1.0 inch

• Sapling 1.0 inch ≤ medial diameter ≤ 4.5 inches

• Pole 4.5 inch < medial diameter ≤ 10.5 inches

• Small Sawtimber 10.5 inch < medial diameter ≤ 16.5 inches

• Large Sawtimber 16.5 inch < medial diameter 

Tree size classes:

• Seedlings < 1 inch

• Saplings ≥ 1 inch and ≤ 5.5 inches

• Poles > 5.5 inches and ≤ 11.5 inches

• Small Sawtimber > 11.5 inches and ≤ 17.5 inches

• Medium Sawtimber > 17.5 inches and ≤ 23.5 inches

• Large Sawtimber > 23.5 inches
52 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

The stand level classifi cation of whether a stand is a sapling, pole, or sawtimber stand is based on 

medial diameter, and the break points between them are 1 inch lower than for individual trees. For 

example, if a stand has a medial diameter of 10.6 inches, that means that half the basal area in the 

stand is in trees ≥ 10.6 inches, so a person walking through the stand would probably experience 

it as a “small sawtimber” stand. One reason for the difference in break points is that many small 

trees pull the medial and mean diameters down, so the stand size class break points are a little 

(1 inch) lower than the tree size class break points. 

No “medium sawtimber” size class exists for stands and plots because medium and large 

sawtimber have been merged into one stand size class. This merge occurred because while 

distinguishing structural differences among the size classes in order to establish “balanced size 

classes” on a management unit, a big enough difference was not discovered between a stand with 

an average diameter of 19 inches and one of 25 inches. So the size classes were combined. 

Adding Overstory Plots

An overstory plot can be added only when establishing a new cluster. NED-2 requires one 

overstory plot per cluster, and this cannot be changed. Therefore, at the time the cluster is created, 

NED-2 automatically creates one overstory plot. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Overstory plots under the stand.

4. In the Work Pane, click the Add new plot button.

5. Click Create a new cluster on the new plot dialog.

6. Specify a cluster ID, if desired. NED-2 provides a default ID, thus this step is optional.

7. Click OK.

Deleting Overstory Plots

An overstory plot cannot be deleted from an existing cluster. NED-2 requires one and only one 

overstory plot per cluster. 

The only way to delete an overstory plot in NED-2 is to delete the plot-cluster that contains 

that plot. When you delete a cluster, NED-2 also removes all of the other plot types, including 

understory, ground, and CWD transects in that cluster.

Adding Overstory Observations

When starting out with an empty plot, you will need to specify to which plot the observation 

belongs.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Overstory plots under the stand, and then click observations.

4. In the Work Pane, click the Add new observation button.

5. If you have established only one cluster (and hence, one overstory plot), each time you 

click Add new observation a new row is inserted in the observations table. No further 

action is required. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 53

6. On the other hand, if you have already established more than one cluster, NED-2 asks 

you to choose a plot where the new observation belongs. From the Choose plot for new 

observation dialog, select a plot.

7. Click OK.

Shortcut recommendation: Once you have an observation in a plot, you can quickly add another 

observation by using the Insert New Record shortcut (Ctrl+Enter) described in the “Data Entry 

Shortcuts” topic. When you apply this shortcut, NED-2 automatically inserts a new observation 

below the current row. Thus, you can select a given observation in any plot and quickly add a new 

observation. As you hold down the Ctrl key, if you press the Enter key more than once, NED-2 

continues to add new observations until you stop. If desired and the number of observations in a 

plot is known, you can create all of the new observations fi rst, and then go back and enter data in 

each row.

Deleting Overstory Observations

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Overstory plots under the stand, and then click observations.

4. Click the row that contains the observation to delete.

5. Click the Delete observation button. 

6. Click Yes to confi rm the deletion.

About Product Grading

If a tree contains merchantable volume, two general approaches for determining the volume and 

value of products in that tree exist.

The fi rst approach is more traditional, in which you enter only the species and tree’s dbh and 

record the most valuable product likely to be obtained in the tree. 

Of course, with the traditional approach, you may also record sawtimber and pulpwood height to 

obtain product volume based on your own measurements of merchantable height. This is more 

time consuming in the fi eld but may lead to a more accurate assessment of standing timber value.

The second approach is intended to provide more control over the breakdown of products within 

a tree. NED-2 allows you to split the merchantable portion of a tree into several distinct products 

and log lengths. Instead of splitting merchantable height into sawtimber and/or pulpwood height, 

you can divide a tree into several merchantable sections or logs, and specify a separate product 

and length for each log.

Regardless of which approach you use, NED-2 always maintains logs that match the total 

sawtimber and pulpwood height. It may appear that total sawtimber and pulpwood height and 

logs are editable at the same time. But they are not—you can only edit one or the other, unless 

you choose to reset and start over. That is, total sawtimber height can be entered and then 

individual logs, which are created automatically by NED-2, can be modifi ed. Conversely, if you 

create or modify individual logs, total sawtimber and pulpwood height cannot be modifi ed. If you 

need to start over, thus allowing either merchantable heights or individual logs to be re-entered, 

follow the instructions in the following section on Logs.
54 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Recording Sawtimber and Pulp Height

Sawtimber height is the total merchantable sawtimber portion of a tree and is entered as a total 

length in feet or meters. Pulpwood height is the merchantable portion of the tree above sawtimber 

height. If the tree does not contain any sawtimber, the total merchantable height should be entered 

under pulpwood. 

Sawtimber and pulpwood defect is always entered as a percentage of the total sawtimber and 

pulpwood, respectively. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Overstory plots under the stand, and then click observations.

4. Select the row of the observation where you wish to enter or modify the product/grade 

information.

5. Find the columns for sawlog and pulpwood height, and product/grade if you wish to 

specify a most valuable product likely to be obtained in the tree. If you do not see these 

items, click Confi gure in the top-right corner of the Work Pane to display them. 

If you prefer to work from the data-entry dialog instead of individual rows, double-click in the 

gray columns to the far-left side of the Work pane. Locate total sawlog height and/or pulpwood 

height and enter the values as desired. Refer to the following section on Logs for information on 

entering multiple products and heights (separate log lengths) for a single tree.

Assigning Multiple Products to a Tree

NED-2 allows you to split the merchantable portion of tree into several distinct products and log 

lengths. 

Using this approach, you can cull out defective portions of the tree, and thereby reduce the 

amount of defect otherwise present in the sawtimber and/or pulpwood portion. Sawtimber defect 

and pulpwood defect, if entered for the entire tree, apply to each log, depending on whether 

the log is assigned a sawtimber product or a pulpwood product. Both kinds of defect cannot be 

applied to one log at the same time.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Overstory plots under the stand, and then click observations.

4. Select the row of the observation where you wish to enter or modify the product/grade 

information. 

5. Double-click in any of the gray columns in the left of the row. This action opens a dialog 

that displays all pertinent information for a given overstory observation. You must call up 

this dialog to split a tree into separate log products.

Refer to the following section on Logs for further information.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 55

LOGS

About Logs

Traditionally the merchantable portions of a tree are split between sawtimber and pulpwood and 

are typically entered as sawtimber height and pulpwood height, respectively. NED-2 provides 

a feature that allows you to go one step further and split the merchantable portion of a tree into 

several products or sections, each receiving its own grade, and the result is a series of sections 

referred to as logs in NED-2. 

When you enter a tree with a merchantable dbh, NED-2 automatically calculates sawtimber and 

pulpwood height and generates corresponding logs, one for the sawtimber portion and a second 

one for pulpwood. Thus, if you decide to accept the calculated merchantable heights, or enter 

your own, NED-2 maintains a table of logs for the tree even though you are not specifi cally 

entering the logs. If you do not assign a most valuable product, NED-2 assigns default products 

for the sawtimber and pulpwood portion of the tree, namely, “sawlog” (grade 2 sawtimber) and 

“pulpwood.” 

If you want to record multiple products from the tree, other than one grade each for the sawtimber 

and pulpwood portion, log lengths must be entered for each separate product. When you modify 

log lengths using the logs table, NED-2 subtotals the logs and re-calculates sawtimber and 

pulpwood height. 

As a general rule, you may enter sawtimber and pulpwood heights or individual logs, but not 

both. It is possible to go back and forth after you have entered one or the other, but doing so 

requires extra steps. Refer to the topic on “Resetting Heights and Logs” in this section.

Viewing Logs

Logs are viewed and modifi ed in a logs table that is maintained for each overstory observation. In 

order to view or edit the logs, you must open the Overstory observation dialog that displays logs 

as well as all pertinent information for the overstory observation. If you are already in the list of 

overstory observations, skip to step 4, otherwise start from step 1.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Overstory plots under the stand, and then click observations.

4. Select the row of the observation where you wish to enter or modify the logs and log 

products. 

5. Double-click in either the fi rst or second gray column in the far left of the row. This will 

open a dialog (see Figure 6) that displays all pertinent information for a given overstory 

observation. 

6. Refer to the topics on “Adding Logs” and “Deleting Logs” in this section.

To view additional volume and value characteristics for any log in the logs table, click the 

Confi gure button.
56 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Adding Logs

1. Double-click in either the fi rst or second gray column in the far left of the row that 

contains the pertinent overstory observation. The Overstory observation dialog launches. 

2. Click the Add log button.

3. From the Add new log dialog, identify one of the existing logs (if present) and choose 

whether to insert the new log before or after it.

4. Specify a simple name for the log for easy identifi cation.

5. Enter a log length.

6. Select a product for the log.

7. Click OK.

The Add log button may be disabled if you have entered a tree that does not meet the preferences 

under calculation settings. For instance, you may have entered a tree with a diameter that is 

too small or one that results in a calculated log length that does not meet the minimum length 

specifi ed. On the other hand, the button may be disabled because you have already entered 

sawtimber and/or pulpwood heights. In this case, your merchantable heights override the logediting mechanism. Click the Reset logs and heights button in order to edit individual logs.

Figure 6. Viewing the logs table for an overstory observation.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 57

Deleting Logs

1. Double-click in either the fi rst or second gray column in the far left of the row that 

contains the pertinent overstory observation. The Overstory observation dialog launches. 

2. Select the row that contains the log you wish to delete.

3. Click the Delete log button.

4. Click Yes to confi rm deletion of the log.

The Delete log button may be disabled if you have entered a tree that does not meet the 

preferences under calculation settings. For instance, you may have entered a tree with a diameter 

that is too small or one that results in a calculated log length that does not meet the minimum 

length specifi ed. On the other hand, the button may be disabled because you have already entered 

sawtimber and/or pulpwood heights. In this case, your merchantable heights override the logediting mechanism. Click the Reset logs and heights button in order to edit individual logs.

Resetting Heights and Logs

If you have entered logs, you are prevented from entering (editing) merchantable heights. 

The converse is also true. If you have entered merchantable heights, you are prevented from 

modifying the logs table.

Occasionally you may need to reset and start over for a given overstory observation. When 

doing this, NED-2 erases the logs table, re-calculates sawtimber and pulpwood merchantable 

height, and then re-populates the logs table. At this point, you can choose whether to modify 

merchantable heights or logs, as necessary.

1. Double-click in either the fi rst or second gray column in the far left of the row that 

contains the pertinent overstory observation. The Overstory observation dialog launches. 

2. Near the center of the dialog, click the Reset logs and heights button.

3. Click Yes when prompted to continue.

UNDERSTORY DATA

What Belongs in the Understory?

In NED-2, the understory plot is intended for woody stems meeting size criteria based on dbh 

and/or stem height. In forestry practice, a common convention for defi ning the understory is any 

woody stem that is tall enough to have a dbh less than 1.0 inch. Depending on your conception of 

forest vegetation layers or strata, you may establish criteria to suit your needs. For instance, you 

may want to include anything up to 3 or 4 inches in your understory tally. Whichever is decided, 

NED-2 provides a way to establish your own threshold of just exactly what is understory and 

overstory. 

The dbh of understory stems can be recorded in NED-2. Should you decide to use a dbh threshold 

larger than 1.0 inch, recall that you should include understory stems with overstory calculations in 

order to properly estimate stand stocking and average stand diameter.
58 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Adding Understory Plots

An understory plot may be added to an existing cluster, thereby altering the predefi ned cluster:

plot ratio, or an understory plot may be added when you establish a new cluster. At the time the 

cluster is created, NED-2 automatically creates the number of understory plots as designated in 

your inventory settings.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Understory plots under the stand.

4. In the Work Pane, click the Add new plot button.

5. On the New Plot dialog, click Create a new cluster if you want NED-2 to establish a new 

cluster with all of its associated plots, or click Create a single plot in an existing cluster

if you want to put an additional understory plot in an existing cluster.

6. Click OK.

Deleting Understory Plots

You may delete one or even all understory plots in any given cluster. When you delete a plot, all 

of its observations are also deleted. If you have observations in the plot, NED-2 prompts you for 

confi rmation. Otherwise, no prompt is given and the plot is deleted immediately.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Understory plots under the stand.

4. In the Work Pane, select the row of the plot to delete.

5. In the Work Pane, click the Delete plot button. 

6. Click Yes if prompted to confi rm the deletion.

Adding Understory Observations

When starting out with an empty plot, you will need to specify to which plot the observation 

belongs.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Understory plots under the stand, and then click observations.

4. In the Work Pane, click the Add new observation button.

5. If you have established only one understory plot in a given cluster, each time you click 

Add new observation, a new row is inserted in the observations table. No further action is 

required. 

6. Typically more than one understory plot per cluster exists, and NED-2 asks you to choose 

a plot where the new observation belongs. Select a plot from the Choose plot for new 

observation dialog.

7. Click OK.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 59

Shortcut recommendation: Once you have an observation in a plot, you can quickly add another 

observation by using the Insert New Record shortcut (Ctrl+Enter) described in the “Data Entry 

Shortcuts” topic. When you apply this shortcut, NED-2 automatically inserts a new observation 

below the current row. Thus, you can select a given observation in any plot and quickly add a new 

observation. As you hold down the Ctrl key, if you press the Enter key more than once, NED-2 

continues to add new observations until you stop. If desired and the number of observations in a 

plot is known, you can create all of the new observations fi rst, and then go back and enter data in 

each row.

Deleting Understory Observations

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Understory plots under the stand, and then click observations.

4. Select the row that contains the observation to delete.

5. Click the Delete observation button. 

6. Click Yes to confi rm the deletion.

GROUND-COVER DATA

What Belongs in the Ground Cover?

The ground cover or ground fl ora may include plants in the shrub, herb layer, and moss-lichen 

layers—plants that are relatively close to the soil surface. Generally, a woody stem should be 

recorded in the ground-cover plot if it is less than breast height (4.5 feet). By convention, NED-2 

does not use a dbh threshold between understory and ground-cover. If you want to record stems 

taller than 4.5 feet in the ground cover (e.g., stems with a small dbh approximately 0.5 inch or 

less), you cannot record the dbh but you can record the count or percent cover. Stems of this 

size are generally less than 6.5-9.5 feet tall. All herbaceous stems, regardless of size, should be 

recorded in the NED-2 ground-cover plot.

Adding Ground-cover Plots

A ground-cover plot can be added to an existing cluster, thereby altering the predefi ned cluster:

plot ratio, or you can add a ground-cover plot when you establish a new cluster. At the time the 

cluster is created, NED-2 automatically creates the number of ground-cover plots as designated in 

your inventory settings.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Ground plots under the stand.

4. In the Work Pane, click the Add new plot button.

5. Click Create a new cluster on the new plot dialog if you want NED-2 to establish a new 

cluster with all of its associated plots, or click Create a single plot in an existing cluster

if you want to put an additional ground-cover plot in an existing cluster.

6. Click OK.
60 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Deleting Ground-cover Plots

You may delete one or even all ground-cover plots in any given cluster. When a plot is deleted, all 

of its observations are also deleted. If you have observations in the plot, NED-2 prompts you for 

confi rmation. Otherwise, no prompt is given and the plot is deleted immediately.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Ground plots under the stand.

4. In the Work Pane, select the row of the plot to delete.

5. In the Work Pane, click the Delete plot button. 

6. Click Yes if prompted to confi rm the deletion.

Adding Ground-cover Observations

When starting out with an empty plot, you will need to specify to which plot the observation 

belongs.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Ground plots under the stand, and then click observations.

4. In the Work Pane, click the Add new observation button.

5. If you have established only one ground-cover plot in a given cluster, each time you click 

Add new observation a new row will be inserted in the observations table. No further 

action is required. 

6. Typically more than one ground-cover plot per cluster exists, and NED-2 asks you to 

choose a plot where the new observation belongs. Select a plot from the Choose plot for 

new observation dialog.

7. Click OK.

Shortcut recommendation: Once you have an observation in a plot, you can quickly add another 

observation by using the Insert New Record shortcut (Ctrl+Enter) described in the “Data Entry 

Shortcuts” topic. When you apply this shortcut, NED-2 automatically inserts a new observation 

below the current row. Thus, you can select a given observation in any plot and quickly add a new 

observation. As you hold down the Ctrl key, if you press the Enter key more than once, NED-2 

continues to add new observations until you stop. If desired and the number of observations in a 

plot is known, you can create all of the new observations fi rst, and then go back and enter data in 

each row.

Deleting Ground-cover Observations

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Ground plots under the stand, and then click observations.

4. Select the row that contains the observation to delete.

5. Click the Delete observation button. 

6. Click Yes to confi rm the deletion.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 61

WOODY DEBRIS TRANSECTS

What Is Coarse Woody Debris?

Coarse woody debris (CWD) is comprised of large woody material on the forest fl oor. Large, 

fallen trees in various stages of decay contribute much-needed diversity to terrestrial and aquatic 

habitats (Maser and Trappe 1984). Snags—standing dead trees—also are important components 

of forests. Snags are recorded separately from CWD in NED-2. To evaluate the abundance of 

snags, you should record standing dead trees in your overstory tally and obtain reports on the 

contribution of standing dead trees in your inventory. 

You record CWD data along a linear transect, typically in between successive plots along your 

cruise. The CWD transect allows you to record data on slash piles as well as individual fallen 

trees. CWD includes downed logs with a diameter of at least 3 inches and a length of at least 

3 feet. NED-2 uses CWD observations to calculate volume per acre of down woody debris 

(Howard and Ward 1972). 

Adding Transects

A transect can be added to an existing cluster, thereby altering the predefi ned cluster:transect 

ratio, or you can add a transect when establishing a new cluster. At the time the cluster is created, 

NED-2 automatically creates the number of transects as designated in your inventory settings.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Transects under the stand.

4. In the Work Pane, click the Add new transect button.

5. Click Create a new cluster on the New Plot dialog if you want NED-2 to establish a new 

cluster with all of its associated plots, or click Create a single transect in an existing 

cluster if you want to put an additional transect in an existing cluster.

6. Click OK.

Deleting Transects

You may delete one or even all transects in any given cluster. When deleting a transect, all of its 

observations are also deleted. If you have observations in the transect, NED-2 prompts you for 

confi rmation. Otherwise, no prompt is given and the transect is deleted immediately.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Transects under the stand.

4. In the Work Pane, select the row of the plot to delete.

5. In the Work Pane, click the Delete transect button. 

6. Click Yes if prompted to confi rm the deletion.
62 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Adding Transect Observations

When starting out with an empty transect, you need to specify to which transect the observation 

belongs.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Transects under the stand, and then click observations.

4. In the Work Pane, click the Add new observation button.

5. If you have established only one transect in a given cluster, each time you click Add new 

observation a new row is inserted in the observations table. No further action is required. 

6. Typically more than one transect per cluster exists, and NED-2 asks you to choose a 

transect where the new observation belongs. Select a transect from the Choose transect for 

new observation dialog.

7. Click OK.

Shortcut recommendation: Once you have an observation in a transect, you can quickly add 

another observation by using the Insert New Record shortcut (Ctrl+Enter) described in the 

“Data Entry Shortcuts” topic. When you apply this shortcut, NED-2 automatically inserts a new 

observation below the current row. Thus, you can select a given observation in any transect and 

quickly add a new observation. As you hold down the Ctrl key, if you press the Enter key more 

than once, NED-2 continues to add new observations until you stop. If desired and the number of 

observations in a transect is known, you can create all of the new observations fi rst, and then go 

back and enter data in each row.

Deleting Transect Observations

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Transects under the stand, and then click observations.

4. Select the row that contains the observation to delete.

5. Click the Delete observation button. 

6. Click Yes to confi rm the deletion.

BUILDINGS IN THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE (FIRE RISK)

Adding Buildings

It is becoming increasingly important to understand the risks associated with fi re in the wildlandurban interface (WUI). Along with your forest inventory data, NED-2 uses the data on buildings 

to evaluate the potential risk to buildings from forest fi res. You can record information on the site 

layout and general construction of existing buildings within a stand. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Buildings under the stand.

4. In the Work Pane, click the Add new building button.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 63

Deleting Buildings

Deleting a building is straightforward in NED-2.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

3. Click Buildings under the stand. 

4. In the Work Pane, select the row of the building to delete.

5. Click the Delete building button.

6. Click Yes to confi rm the deletion.

Estimating Average Shrub Height

The height of the understory plants is, in part, a measure of fuel load and how fi res behave and 

spread. If you want to evaluate fi re risk to buildings in a given stand, NED-2 requires information 

on the height of the understory vegetation. A quick way to do this is to indicate the average shrub 

height in your understory plots. 

Average shrub height is an ocular estimate of the average height of all plants (woody and 

herbaceous) between 3-10 feet tall. The value entered must be a number between 3 and 10 feet. 

You can record this value in either the understory or the ground-cover plots. However, if these 

plot types are nested in your cruise design, you do not need to record average shrub height in both 

plot types. If you are collecting actual stem heights in the understory and/or ground cover, NED-2 

can calculate average shrub height.

PLANT SPECIES ATTRIBUTES

About Species Management in NED-2

NED-2 provides several features for the management of plant species information. From 

approximately 29,000 species (including mosses and lichens), one or more lists of plants may be 

established for your local sites. Each species has several characteristics that can be modifi ed as 

necessary. NED-2 uses many of these characteristics in evaluating goals and in producing reports. 

Species identifi ed as trees (growth form = “tree”) can also have timber pricing information. You 

can record species using any of six possible identifi ers such as species codes and names.

When you begin with a new, empty fi le, it may appear that NED-2 does not know any plant 

species. A single, master list of 29,000 species is stored in an external database installed with 

the software, and NED-2 uses this database to locate species that are not already defi ned in the 

current NED-2 fi le. Known species comprise what NED-2 defi nes as the “short list” of species. 

Unlike the master list of species, species on the short list are kept with (stored in) the NED-2 data 

fi le. 

NOTE: A species must be in the short list in order to use it in your inventory, or to view or modify 

any plant characteristics.

The short list of species can be established ahead of time—prior to data entry, either by manually 

adding them one by one, by selecting all the species in one or more states, or by importing an 
64 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

existing list from other NED-2 fi les. It is worthwhile to defi ne a set of species that you expect 

to include, and it is acceptable to include additional species than may occur within the current 

inventory data. By defi ning a comprehensive set of species before entering data, you can speed up 

data entry by reducing interruptions associated with unknown species. The short list also can be 

built while entering data from an inventory. 

Each time you start out with a new, empty data fi le, NED-2 starts with an empty list of species, 

and they will need to be redefi ned in the short list again. However, as an alternative to defi ning a 

short list over and over again, you can store and retrieve as well as import species information, 

and thus quickly re-establish a short list.

Recording Plant Species

NED-2 provides several ways to record or identify species through a set of codes, labels, and 

names. Thus, six ways exist to identify a species in the inventory data. Only the user code and the 

user label are editable. 

Any of these identifi ers except the FIA survey code can be selected as the preferred way for 

displaying species throughout NED-2. For example, you might prefer to display the common 

name for readability, but you could enter the species using a simpler (shorter) user code.

NED-2 automatically interprets or “knows” a species by the USDA PLANTS code, FIA survey 

code, Latin name, and common name. No requirement for defi ning custom codes exists unless 

you intend to use them (recommended). 

Regardless of the identifi er that you enter for a species during data entry, NED-2 stores the 

USDA PLANTS code for the observation. NED-2 uses this code to minimize errors in species 

interpretations and to ensure compatibility with future versions of NED.

In addition to the following four codes, NED-2 supplies the Latin name and common name from 

the PLANTS database for each species:

USDA PLANTS code - Often called the ”PLANTS” symbol, this code contains the fi rst 

two letters of the genus and the fi rst two letters of the species, followed by a number if there 

are other plants that have similar genus and species abbreviations. This code is not editable 

because it is maintained in the PLANTS database developed by the USDA Natural Resources 

Conservation Service for every species found in North America (native or exotic). Even 

though NED-2 readily interprets these codes, NED-2 treats these codes as unknown species 

and prompts you to add the given species to the short list if it is “new” to the fi le. You may 

note that the common name used by NED-2 is not necessarily the one you use, but it is the 

preferred name from the PLANTS database.

FIA code - This code was formerly used by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) group 

of the U.S. Forest Service for various inventory efforts. Most of these codes were applied to 

woody species, and therefore you may not fi nd many FIA codes for herbaceous species. Even 

though NED-2 readily interprets these codes, NED-2 treats these codes as unknown species 

and prompts you to add the given species to the short list if it is “new” to the fi le. Not all 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 65

regions applied identical FIA codes for all species. Please check that the FIA codes you intend 

to use are the same as those in the list. You cannot display the FIA code when viewing plant 

species information. However, the FIA code may be seen in the user code, where it may serve 

as substitute whenever a user code has not been defi ned.

User code - This is a custom user-defi ned code that can be any combination of alphanumeric 

characters. Establishing your user codes before collecting or entering data makes it easier to 

apply them consistently in the fi eld and during data entry. If you were to apply a user code for 

a given species throughout data entry, and if it were necessary to change that user code later, 

none of the previous entries for species in the data would be lost because NED-2 only stores 

the USDA PLANTS code for a given species. Furthermore, within the inventory data, NED-2 

only displays the current user code and not any previously used codes for a given species. User 

codes must be unique—that is, no two species can share a user code. User codes are associated 

with species in the current data fi le only.

User label - This is essentially a custom user-defi ned label that is free from any of the 

restrictions placed on the other codes described above. Use this label if you want to apply the 

same code to more than one species. By default, the user label matches the common name. If 

you want to apply a common name that is different from the built-in NED-2 common name, 

the user label is an appropriate way to establish a substitute. For example, for the species 

Liriodendron tulipifera, the NED-2 common name is “tuliptree.” If you prefer to use “yellow 

poplar,” enter that for the user label, and if desired, set the species display to user label. User 

labels are associated with species in the current data fi le only.

Modifying Species Characteristics

Species characteristics play a key role in the outcome of goal analyses and reports. The entire 

set of attributes is split into general plant characteristics and tree-only or timber-oriented 

characteristics. Species characteristics are maintained in the plant species module.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory.

2. Click Plant Species Information. 

• To display biological, taxonomic, and ecological properties, in the Options Pane click 

General information. The entire short list is displayed in the Work Pane. 

• To display timber-oriented information, in the Options Pane, click Tree species. Only the 

tree species are displayed in the Work Pane. Click the Confi gure button, and on the Select 

variables dialog, click the Timber prices button if you only want to display timber price 

variables for the species. As an alternative, you can use the Quick Set feature to set timber 

prices for multiple species simultaneously.

When you are working with a particular species, you can jump back and forth between the 

“General” and “Timber-oriented” set of characteristics. NED-2 scrolls up or down to bring 

the species into view and highlight it for you. Since NED-2 allows you to display different 

characteristics in each of these views, and to sort them differently as well, this “auto-fi nd” makes 

it easy to jump back and forth without having to relocate the species each time.
66 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Dialog-based species modifi cation—If you prefer to view and modify all characteristics

(general and timber-oriented) for a given species at once, double-click in any of the gray-colored 

columns to bring up the Plant Species dialog. Through this dialog, you can view the entire set of 

attributes and modify them as desired. You can do this from either the General or the Tree species 

views of species. 

THE PLANT SPECIES SHORT-LIST

Viewing Current Species Short List

A short list is the set of species known within the active (open) fi le. All of your custom species 

codes and characteristics are stored in the short list. When you create a new, empty data fi le, the 

short list is always empty.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory.

2. Click Plant Species Information. 

3. In the Options Pane, click General information, if not already selected. The short list is 

displayed in the Work Pane in the right side of the NED-2 window. In the top-right corner 

of the Work Pane, next to the Confi gure button, the total number of species in the short list 

is displayed.

To display only those species that have been used in the inventory, in the upper-left corner of the 

Work Pane, check the Inventoried species only box.

Sorting Species in the Short-List Display

The short list can be sorted by any of the characteristics being displayed. To sort, right-click in the 

header cell of the characteristic by which you wish to sort. Select ascending or descending order.

In the top-right corner of the NED-2 window, click the Confi gure button to choose the items and 

their order to display.

Adding Species to the Short List Manually

You may search manually for one or more species and add them to the short list as needed. These 

instructions apply when you may already have a large short list, but realize that you need to add 

one more. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory.

2. Click Plant Species Information. 

3. In the Options Pane in the left side of the NED-2 window, click the Modify species list 

button.

4. In the search string box, enter any number of characters that match the desired species. 

You can search by Latin or common name, regardless of how the list is sorted or 

displayed. 

5. Select the species on the left-hand side of the Select species dialog, and click the single 

right-pointing arrow. You can add multiple species simultaneously using this approach.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 67

Adding Short-List Species During Data Entry

If you are starting out with a new, empty NED-2 data fi le, you may begin recording data without 

defi ning a short list of species beforehand. This process is sometimes referred to as “defi ning 

species on-the-fl y.”

 1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

 2. In the Options Pane, select a stand.

 3. Choose the plot type that contains the type of observation you are using.

 4. Add a new observation, if necessary.

 5. To record the species of a given observation, fi nd the species fi eld and enter a species code 

or other form of identifi cation that you wish to use to identify the given species. 

 6. Regardless of what you enter, if the species is not already in your short list, NED-2 tells 

you that it is not listed, and then it attempts to guess the species. If NED-2 makes the 

correct guess, click Add above species to the short list and continue entering your data. 

No further action is required. You can continue to use the same code throughout your 

inventory and NED-2 will know the species.

 7. If the species is unknown, or if NED-2 guessed the wrong species, click Search the master 

list to fi nd the correct species. 

 8. Notice the value you entered in the species fi eld is shown under Code at the top of the 

Select species dialog.

 9. Select whether you want to search by Latin or common name.

 10. Enter search criteria in the Search string box and click Search. View the list of species for 

a possible match. Repeat this process as necessary.

 11. Place a check mark next to the species that is the best match.

 12. Click OK when fi nished.

Within a given fi le, NED-2 only attempts to prompt you with a new species once—the fi rst time 

you try to record it from an inventory. 

If you build the short list by defi ning species as you encounter them during data entry, the short 

list should match all of the species found in the overstory, understory, ground-cover, and CWD 

data of the current NED-2 fi le. 

Removing Species from the Short List

The following steps describe how to remove one or more species from the short list of a given 

NED-2 fi le.

NOTE: You cannot remove a species from the short list if it has been used anywhere in the 

data. Therefore, you must either replace the species of the affected observations, or delete those 

observations.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory.

2. Click Plant Species Information. 

3. In the Options Pane in the left side of the NED-2 window, click the Modify species list

button.

4. Select the species on the right-hand side of the Select species dialog, and click the single 

left-pointing arrow. Only one species can be removed at a time with this method. To 

remove all species at once, click the double left-pointing arrows.

5. Click OK. 
68 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Importing Species from Other Files

You may establish a short list of plant species by importing species from existing NED-2 fi les. 

The instructions are essentially the same for all fi le sources or types. However, NED-1 species 

follow a different format and may require user intervention to import properly. Refer to the next 

topic on “Matching NED-1 Species in NED-2” for further instructions. 

 1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory.

 2. Click Plant Species Information. 

 3. In the Options Pane of the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, click the Retrieve

button. The Retrieve species information dialog opens. 

 4. Click File to pick a fi le for retrieving species.

 5. From the Open dialog, choose from one of the following sources under Files of type: 

NED-2 data fi les, SILVAH data fi les, NED-1 data fi les, NED/SIPS user data fi les, NED-2 

plant species fi les, or NED-1 plant species fi les.

 6. Browse and select the desired fi le, and click Open.

 7. In the left-side box in the Retrieve species information dialog, select the species to import.

 8. In the right-side box in the Retrieve Species Information dialog, select plant characteristics 

and/or pricing information to retrieve for each species.

 9. Click OK when fi nished.

 10. When you import species, you must choose from one of the import options as shown in the 

Import options dialog. For instance, you can completely replace the existing list with the 

incoming species, or you can replace existing species if certain conditions are met, and so 

on. If you are working with a new, empty NED-2 fi le, then no further action is necessary 

when you import species.

 11. Select an option and click OK to import the species.

If desired, you can import species from more than one NED-2 fi le. When doing so, be sure to 

review the import options in the instructions referred to in step 10. 

Matching NED-1 Species in NED-2

If you are importing NED-1 data fi les, individual NED-1 stands, or NED-1 plant species 

information, you will need to carefully review incoming NED-1 species to ensure that they are 

interpreted correctly. NED-1 species follow a different format and may require user intervention 

to import properly. Duplicate species entries are permitted in NED-1 fi les, which adds to the 

diffi culty of correctly identifying species. 

When you are importing anything from NED-1, the process stops until you confi rm the incoming 

NED-1 species as described here.

You are presented with a dialog that displays how well NED-2 was able to match your old NED-1 

species, as shown in Figure 7. 

On the dialog that appears, you can change the order of the species by clicking once in any of the 

column headers in the table. For instance, to group all species together by strength of match, click 

the unlabeled center column. The dialog lists the plant species found in the selected NED-1 fi le on 

the left, and the counterparts from the current NED-2 master list of species on the right. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 69

Figure 7. NED-1 species matches in NED-2.

If a good match was found, one of the last three columns on the right is shaded green to indicate 

how the match was made. For instance, if the Latin name is highlighted, the program successfully 

found a matching Latin name. The program checks Latin names fi rst and if no match exists, the 

common name is checked. The center column indicates the strength or degree of confi dence in 

each match, as follows: 

X No match could be found

x A match was found, but not a very good one

+ A match was found that was pretty close.

• A synonym of the Latin name was found. This can usually be left alone.

 (empty) A very good match was found.

Exact spelling is required for a match. Any line that has a red center cell (with either a lower 

or upper case “X”) should be corrected if possible. Anything with yellow or green (with a “+” 

or “•”) is probably okay and can be left alone. A blank cell indicates a good match was found. 

Typically, problems may occur when importing NED-1 species, even if it looks like perfect 

matches have been made. Be sure to check the validity of each match, regardless of color 

or strength of match. Despite the indication of a “very good” match for a species, it may be 

incorrect. Note that a misspelled entry in NED-1 usually cannot be matched automatically by 

NED-2.
70 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Matches with a dark red center column, indicated with an upper case “X”, will not be imported. 

All other matches, including pink cells indicated with a lower case “x”, will be imported. For all 

matches, only the NED-1 user code (shown as “NED-1 user” in the fi rst column) is retained—the 

program applies the current (NED-2) Latin and common name shown in the columns to the right.

The column on the far left displays the NED-1 species index. This code is not an FIA code or any 

other kind of species code—it is a plain, numerical index used by NED-1 to isolate individual 

entries in the fi le.

Correcting or changing a NED-1 species match: You may change any of the matches if they 

are not what you desire.

1. Double-click a row of any species (see Figure 7) and the Plant species identifi cation dialog 

appears, allowing you to correct the identity of a NED-1 species using the species codes 

program. The top of the dialog displays the species information from the NED-1 fi le, 

and the bottom of the dialog displays the suggested or current matching information. An 

explanation in the top-left corner of the dialog describes how the match was made.

2. Click the Pick a new species button to change a match. The Select species dialog 

opens, allowing you to search for the correct species. The top of the dialog displays the 

information from the NED-1 fi le. The list box contains all of the current species in the 

NED-2 master list. Search by Latin or common names. 

3. Place a check by the desired species.

4. Click OK to return to the dialog showing all species matches, as shown in Figure 7.

5. Repeat this process until you are fi nished correcting all matches. At this point, ideally the 

dialog has mostly green or white matches, and possibly some yellow matches. 

6. Click OK when satisfi ed with all the matches. Continue importing NED-1 data. 

Establishing Species from One or More States

You can build a short list of species quickly by establishing the list using all species known to 

occur in one or more states.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory.

2. Click Plant Species Information. 

3. In the Options Pane in the left side of the NED-2 window, click General information, if it 

is not already selected, to make sure all species in the current short list are displayed. 

4. In the Options Pane, click the Modify species list button.

5. On the Select species dialog, click the Get state list button.

6. From the map of the United States, double-click one or more states of interest. More 

options are available if you click the select states by name button. Your selected states 

are highlighted on the map. Click OK on the map of states to return to the Modify species 

dialog. 

7. To include moss or lichen species, check the appropriate box next to Include. Mosses and 

lichens currently are not associated with any geographic area. Therefore, you will get all 

North American species if you select these. 

8. From the list of species in the left box, select one or more entries. Then click the single 

right-pointing arrow to add them to the display. If you want to display every species on 

the left, click the double right-pointing arrows. You can also double-click a species on 

the left to add it to the display. 

9. Click OK. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 71

Exporting Species for Sharing and Re-Use

It is useful to store one or more short lists of species into separate fi les for future use. These 

exported lists contain only plant species information (identifi cation, plant characteristics, timber 

prices, and volume parameters), and can be directly imported into NED-2, as needed. Thus, once 

you export a species list, a short list can be quickly defi ned in NED-2 by importing species from 

an existing species fi le. 

If you need to share your species information with other users, but do not wish to share the 

inventory data, exporting is the best option.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory.

2. Click Plant Species Information. 

3. From the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, click Store to bring up the Store species 

info dialog.

4. To choose the species that you wish to store, in the box on the left side of the Store species 

info dialog, place a check mark next to each species to store. Click select all to store all

species. 

5. To choose the information about each species that you wish to store, in the box on the 

right in the Store species info dialog, place a check mark next to each value to store. Click 

select all to store all values.

6. To specify a fi le name, click the File button to choose a fi le. From the Save As dialog, 

specify a location and fi le to save your species information. If you select an existing fi le, 

you are asked if you want to overwrite (replace) the contents. If you click Yes, the fi le is 

overwritten. Thus, you cannot combine species and characteristics with a set of species 

that were exported earlier. 

The resulting fi le has an .spp2 extension. This fi le can be imported into NED-2 at any time when 

needed, such as when you want to quickly establish a short list of species, import timber prices, 

and so on.

Using a Template NED-2 File

A template NED-2 fi le is a fi le that typically would contain no real inventory data but has a short 

list of plant species, timber prices, and other characteristics. The idea of establishing a template 

fi le is to re-use or re-apply information repeatedly to save time whenever you want to start a new 

fi le. 

1. Open or create a NED-2 fi le. Once you have a species short list, timber prices, and so on, 

you are ready to establish a template fi le. 

2. From the File menu, click Save As. 

3. From the Save As dialog, specify a location and name of your template fi le.

4. If you have inventory data in the fi le, after you are sure you have saved a copy of the fi le 

and are working with the template fi le, delete stands or other defi nitions that you do not 

wish to retain in the template fi le. 

5. Save the fi le.

6. When you are ready to start a new NED-2 fi le, instead of creating a new fi le from scratch, 

open your template fi le. 

7. From the File menu, click Save As to create a fi le with a new name. Before entering new 

data, the new fi le contains all the same information that exists in the template fi le. Then, 

you can enter your data in the new fi le and leave the original template unchanged. Be sure 

not to skip this step to ensure that the template fi le is preserved. 
72 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

DEFINING YOUR OWN SPECIES CODES

Species User Codes

This is a custom user-defi ned code that can be any combination of alphanumeric characters to 

identify a species. Establishing user codes before collecting and entering data makes it easier to 

apply them consistently in the fi eld and during data entry. You may use custom user-defi ned codes 

for any species that is in the master list of 29,000 species known to NED-2.

If you were to apply a user code for a given species throughout data entry, and later you needed 

to change it to something else, the previous species entries in the data would automatically be 

changed to the new user code. Thus, you can change a user code in the future and lose no species 

identifi cations because NED-2 stores the USDA PLANTS code for a given species. Furthermore, 

NED-2 only displays the current user code and not any previously used codes for a given species. 

User codes must be unique—that is, no two species can share a user code. Empty (null) values are 

accepted and not treated as duplicates. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory.

2. Click Plant Species Information. 

3. In the Options Pane of the NED-2 window, click General information, if it is not already 

selected, to display the short list of species in the Work Pane. 

4. Find the column titled User code. If it is not displayed, click the Confi gure button to 

display the User code column.

5. Enter a desired user code in the user code column for a given species.

Species Labels

This is essentially a custom user-defi ned label that is free from any of the restrictions placed on 

the other codes described in the previous section. Use this label to apply the same identifi er to 

more than one species.

By default, the initial user label for any species is the same as the common name.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory.

2. Click Plant Species Information. 

3. In the Options Pane of the NED-2 window, click General information, if it is not already 

selected, to display the short list of species in the Work Pane. 

4. Find the column titled Label. If it is not displayed, click the Confi gure button to display 

the user label column.

5. Enter a desired user label in the Label column for a given species.

If you want to apply a common name that is different from the built-in NED-2 common name, 

the user label is an appropriate way to establish a substitute. For example, for the species 

Liriodendron tulipifera, the NED-2 common name is “tuliptree.” If you prefer to use “yellowpoplar,” enter it for the user label, and if desired, set the species display to User Label. User labels 

are associated with species in the current data fi le only.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 73

ENTERING TIMBER INFORMATION

About Quick-Set Prices

The purpose of the Quick-set Prices feature is to provide an effi cient way to establish timber 

prices for your species. While you can directly modify timber prices for any species in the Work 

Pane (if you select Tree species in the Options Pane), with the quick-set feature you can establish 

pricing information for one or more species at a time, and you can also copy pricing information 

from one species to another. 

You may choose to set prices for only specifi c products while leaving other products alone. 

Even if you have specifi c prices for separate species, you can use the quick-set feature to establish 

“base” or common prices that most species share. Then modify the prices for individual species 

as desired.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory.

2. Click Plant Species Information. 

3. In the Options Pane, click Tree species to view all timber-oriented species in the current 

short list.

4. In the Work Pane, click the Quick-set Prices button near the top.

Establishing Prices for a Specifi c Product

You may set prices for a given product for one, several, or all species at once. For instance, you 

may want to specify prices for grade 2 sawtimber, pulpwood, and so on.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory to access the Quick-set Prices feature. 

2. Click Plant Species Information. 

3. In the Options Pane, click Tree species to view all timber-oriented species in the current 

short list.

4. In the Work Pane, click the Quick-set Prices button near the top.

5. In the box on the left side, enter the price for the specifi c product.

6. In the box on the right side, select which species to apply the price(s) entered in step 5.

7. Click Apply to accept the changes and continue working on other prices or species. 

8. When fi nished, click OK.

Copying Pricing Information to Another Species

You may use the Quick-set Prices feature to copy pricing information from one species to another, 

or to several species at a time.

 1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory.

 2. Click Plant Species Information. 

 3. In the Options Pane, click Tree species to view all timber-oriented species in the current 

short list.

 4. Establish pricing information for a given species that you wish to copy from. If you 

already have pricing information that you want to copy, skip to step 5.
74 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

 5. In the Work Pane, click the Quick-set Prices button near the top.

 6. In the Set Timber Prices dialog, locate the species you wish to copy pricing information 

from. Place a check mark next to that species.

 7. Click the retrieve prices from highlighted species button. The price information appears 

in the top-left corner of the Set Timber Prices dialog.

 8. Check all species on the right side of the dialog into which you wish to copy pricing 

information.

 9. Click Apply to accept the changes and continue.

 10. Click OK to close the Set Timber Prices dialog. When you close the Set Timber Prices 

dialog, pricing information is copied to the selected species.

Pulpwood Price Units

There are several ways you can work with pulpwood values in NED-2. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory.

2. Click Plant Species Information. 

3. In the Options pane, click Tree species to view all timber-oriented species in the current 

short list. 

4. In the Work Pane, click the Pulpwood price settings button near the top. You can also set 

these values when using the Quick-set Prices feature.

5. Choose from dollars per ton, dollars per cord, dollars per cubic foot, or dollars per cunit 

(100 cubic feet). 

6. Click OK.

Cubic Feet Per Cord

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory.

2. Click Plant Species Information. 

3. In the Options pane, click Tree species to view all timber-oriented species in the current 

short list. 

4. In the Work Pane, click the Pulpwood price settings button near the top. You can also set 

this value when using the Quick-set Prices feature.

5. Enter the conversion factor for cubic feet per cord. All species inherit this value. 

6. Click OK. 

You may modify the conversion factor for any single species, if desired. However, this must be 

done in the Tree Species displayed in the Work Pane in the right side of the NED-2 window.

Tons Per Cord

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory.

2. Click Plant Species Information. 

3. In the Options pane, click Tree species to view all timber-oriented species in the current 

short list.

4. In the Work Pane, click the Pulpwood price settings button near the top. You can also set 

this value when using the Quick-set Prices feature.

5. Enter the conversion factor for tons per cord. All species inherit this value.

6. Click OK.

You may modify the conversion factor for any single species, if desired. However, this must 

be done in the Tree Species displayed in the Work Pane.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 75

IMPORTING DATA 

About Importing Data

Data from almost any source can be imported into NED-2. NED-2 can directly import data in a 

few simple steps from SILVAH, NED-1, NED/SIPS, and the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS). 

For instructions on how to import from these sources, refer to the topic on “Importing Stands into 

NED-2” in the Data Entry and Manipulation section. Special considerations that apply to these 

sources are covered in this section. 

For other data sources, such as Microsoft Excel, an initial data mapping and conversion process 

is required before importing the data into NED-2. This process may require considerable user 

intervention and is discussed under the “Importing Data from Other Sources” section.

NEDLite data can also be imported into NED-2. NEDLite users should consult the NEDLite 

User’s Manual (Knopp and Twery 2006) for an explanation of this process.

Converting NED-1 Files

 1. On the Tools menu, click Convert NED-1 File.

 2. Click the Input fi le button. Browse and select the desired fi le, and click Open.

 3. Click the Output fi le button. Enter the name of the NED-2 fi le to create from a NED-1 

fi le, or browse and select the desired fi le, and click Open.

 4. Click Start. The program tries to load information on goals, variables, and plant species 

from the NED-1 fi le. Then it attempts to match NED-1 plant species with those in NED-2. 

 5. Review the matches for plant species. NED-1 maintained a list of mostly tree species, 

while NED-2 maintains a complete list of vascular plant species. If your NED-1 data 

contained only the NED-1 standard species, the screen is nearly blank and the matches 

may be fi ne. Refer to the topic on “Matching NED-1 Species in NED-2” in the Plant 

Species Attributes section for further instructions. 

 6. If you are satisfi ed with the species matches, click OK.

 7. Check for possible errors. Occasionally errors may occur in the process, and these are 

listed in the main window of the dialog. Most likely the errors involve unknown species. 

Click Store errors in a log fi le to output errors into a plain text fi le readable by Notepad 

or other word processors. 

 8. Click Save data to start the import process. If you do not want to proceed, click Stop 

now. You may want to stop the process to fi x any reported errors.

 9. When the process is fi nished, click Quit to close the ned2mdb dialog.

 10. To view the results, open the resulting output fi le in NED-2. 

Importing SILVAH Data

SILVAH data can be imported into NED-2 as long as it is accompanied by the appropriate 

SILVAH defaults fi le (.def) that contains species identifi cation codes and pricing information, 

among other species details. Without a SILVAH .def fi le, you are not able to import SILVAH data 

into NED-2. 

SILVAH data is imported one stand at a time. Refer to the topic on “Importing Stands in NED-2” 

in the Data Entry and Manipulation section for instructions.
76 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Most of the SILVAH stand information is imported, with the exception of the following:

Stand-level variables in SILVAH that will not be imported into NED-2:

Site class

Silvicultural system

Management value

Prescription charts to follow

Intend to regenerate

Increase oak

Residuals desired

Aquatic features in the stand

Clearcut acreage

Open acreage

Cultivated acreage

Aquatic features within one mile

Overstory data from SILVAH is imported directly into NED-2 without any alterations. However, 

the following few exceptions exist:

Merchantable Height - If the SILVAH tree data contains estimates of merchantable height for 

each tree, the incoming number of 8-foot bolts is multiplied by 8.0 to produce the sawtimber 

height for the tree in NED-2. SILVAH does not provide space for you to enter pulpwood height 

nor does it store it in the data fi le—instead SILVAH calculates pulp height, so pulpwood height 

is not an issue. NED-2 calculates pulpwood height above the sawtimber portion of the tree.

Live/Dead - In SILVAH, a dead tree is recorded under timber quality (DEAD), and the tree is 

recorded as dead in the “live/dead” variable in NED, otherwise the tree is assumed to be alive. 

Timber Product - The timber product assigned in SILVAH is recorded in NED-2 as the Most 

Valuable Product of a given tree.

Timber Quality of Borderline Trees Observed Using a Prism - In SILVAH, trees recorded 

with a prism occasionally appear as borderline trees when they have a diameter that places 

them almost out of reach of the prism. Such trees occur when the distance from the sampling 

point to the tree center is exactly equal to tree diameter at breast height times the plot radius 

factor (Avery and Burkhart 1994). In SILVAH, borderline trees are recorded by adding 5 to 

the timber quality rating, and are counted as half when the data is analyzed. These trees are 

imported into NED-2 as whole trees because NED-2 does not have a provision for handling 

borderline trees.

Timber Defect - In SILVAH, if defect is 20 percent, it is recorded as a “2.” In NED-2, this 

value is multiplied times 10. SILVAH only records defect for the entire tree, so the SILVAH 

value is duplicated in NED-2 for both sawtimber and pulpwood defect. Thus, the value of “20” 

derived from SILVAH defect is recorded as 20 in NED-2 sawtimber defect and 20 in NED-2 

pulpwood defect.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 77

Crown Condition - SILVAH uses four codes for crown condition, which are converted into 

Percent of Crown Living in NED-2, using the midpoint of each range:

Category 1 – Healthy - Living Crown ≥ 90%

Category 2 – Good - Living Crown ≥ 75% and < 90%

Category 3 – Fair - Living Crown ≥ 50% and < 75%

Category 4 – Poor - Living Crown < 50%

Wildlife Tree Codes - If wildlife information has been recorded for at least one tree, then 

NED-2 automatically creates a user-defi ned custom variable called “wildlife” if it does not 

already exist. This becomes Custom Variable 3 if no other custom variables have been already 

established. The potential wildlife values of a tree were coded in SILVAH as follows:

Category 1 – Potential den tree

Category 2 – Existing den tree

Category 3 – Snag with potential cavities

Category 4 – Snag tree with existing den

All SILVAH understory data is imported into the NED-2 ground-cover plot. The understory plot 

of NED-2 is unused. 

When importing SILVAH understory data, NED-2 automatically establishes user-defi ned custom 

variables for SILVAH-specifi c variables such as residuals and saplings, and creates several height 

classes (see Tables 1 and 2).

Table 1. Oak regeneration height classes.

SILVAH Oak Seedling Size NED-2 Height Class Defi nition

New oak Tiny seedlings 0-6 in.

Established oak Med seedlings 6 in. - 3 ft

Competitive oak Large seedlings 3-10 fta

a Competitive oak is potentially taller in the fi eld but within this range in NED-2.

Table 2. Woody interference height classes.

Type of Woody Interference NED-2 Height Class Defi nition

Tall woody seedlings and saplings Tall woody > 10 fta

Low woody seedlings and shrubs Med seedlings 6 in. - 3 ftb

a The height of the dominant woody interfering species in the 6-foot regeneration plot, consisting of woody plants taller 

than 10 feet (approximately the height of the observer in the fi eld, but 10 feet in NED-2).

b The percent cover of woody interfering species < 10 feet in the 26-foot interference plot (less than the height of the 

observer in the fi eld, but < 10 feet in NED-2). NED-2 uses “med seedlings” as an approximation of height for low woody 

interference.
78 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

For each understory plot in SILVAH, the following regeneration tally variables are handled as 

follows:

Black Cherry Regeneration - Where black cherry seedlings are present (> 0), the count of 

black cherry seedlings is entered into a single observation in a corresponding NED-2 ground 

plot, using black cherry as the species. Black cherry seedlings are placed into the “tiny 

seedlings” height class established for SILVAH data in NED-2.

Yellow-poplar Regeneration - Where yellow-poplar seedlings are present (> 0), the count of 

yellow-poplar seedlings is entered into a single observation in a corresponding NED-2 ground 

plot, using yellow-poplar as the species. Yellow-poplar seedlings are placed into the “tiny 

seedlings” height class established for SILVAH data in NED-2.

Conifer Regeneration - Where conifer seedlings are present (> 0), the count of conifer 

seedlings is entered into a single observation in a corresponding NED-2 ground plot, using 

“unidentifi ed Tree - needleleaf coniferous” as the species. Conifer seedlings are placed into the 

“tiny seedlings” height class established for SILVAH data in NED-2.

Other Desirable Regeneration - Where other desirable seedlings are present (> 0), the count 

of other desirable seedlings is entered into a single observation in a corresponding NED-2 

ground plot, using “unidentifi ed high value” as the species. Other desirable seedlings are 

placed into the “tiny seedlings” height class established for SILVAH data in NED-2. 

Residuals - Where a residual species has been identifi ed, an observation is created in a 

corresponding NED-2 ground plot, with the same species as identifi ed in SILVAH, and a count 

of 1.0. No height class is applied. If it does not already exist, a custom variable is created 

(Custom Variable 1, if it is available) called “Residual,” with a value of “yes” applied to the 

observation.

Saplings - Where a sapling species has been identifi ed, an observation is created in a 

corresponding NED-2 ground plot, with the same species as identifi ed in SILVAH, and a count 

of 1.0. No height class is applied. If it does not already exist, a custom variable is created 

(Custom Variable 2, if it is available) called “sapling,” with a value of “yes” applied to the 

observation.

Tall Woody Interference - Where tall woody interference has been identifi ed, an observation 

is created in a corresponding NED-2 ground plot, with the same species as identifi ed in 

SILVAH, and a count of 1.0. The height class is set to “tall woody” as identifi ed in Table 2.

Low Woody Interference - Where low woody interference has been identifi ed, an observation 

is created in a corresponding NED-2 ground plot, with the same species as identifi ed in 

SILVAH, and a count of 1.0. The height class is set to “med seedling” as identifi ed in Table 2. 

The percent cover is entered as the same value from SILVAH.

Percent Grass and Sedge - Where grass and sedge cover is > 0, the cover value is imported 

into a matching ground plot variable in NED-2, associated at the ground plot level and not 

with any observation. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 79

Percent Fern - Where fern cover is > 0, the cover value is imported into the “inhibiting fern” 

plot variable in NED-2, associated at the ground plot level and not with any observation. 

Thick Duff - This variable is not imported into NED-2. 

Rocky Surface - Where a rocky surface is present, a value of “yes” is imported into the 

“Rockiness barrier to regen” (too rocky) variable of NED-2, associated at the ground plot level 

and not with any observation. 

Poor Drainage - Where poor drainage is present, a value of “yes” is imported into the 

“Wetness barrier to regen” (too wet) variable of NED-2, associated at the ground plot level and 

not with any observation. 

Importing NED/SIPS Data

NED/SIPS data can be imported directly into NED-2. Refer to the topic on “Importing Stands” in 

the Data Entry and Manipulation section for instructions.

If you have NED/SIPS plant species mnemonic codes or volume and value specifi cations, such 

as timber pricing, refer to the topic “Importing Species from Other Files” in the Plant Species 

Attributes section.

IMPORTING DATA FROM OTHER SOURCES

About Other Data Sources

NED-2 provides a single approach by which data from almost any source can be imported—

relying on an open, standard, text (ASCII) fi le format. Through this approach, NED-2 can import 

data from a variety of programs—provided that these programs have a mechanism for converting 

or exporting their data into text format. 

The process of importing data from other sources involves several steps, divided into two major 

parts. Part 1 involves the most time and effort. If you carefully consider all of the steps in Part 

1, you signifi cantly increase your chance of success. This part provides tips on how to get your 

data ready for the conversion process. This part teaches you about txt2mdbSetup, an auxiliary 

program for describing your data to NED-2 by matching your variables with appropriate 

NED-2 variables. The result of Part 1 is a defi nitions fi le (ending with .ini), that “describes” each 

of your variables for NED-2. The .ini fi le must be used when importing your data into NED-2, as 

described in Part 2. Part 2 teaches you about txt2mdb, a second auxiliary program that uses the 

.ini fi le from Part 1 to import your text data into NED-2.

When importing data from other sources, a new NED-2 fi le is created. Data from other sources 

cannot be imported into an existing NED-2 fi le. It is possible to merge two NED-2 fi les in a later 

step, once the data has been converted into a NED-2 fi le.
80 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

The following outline provides an overview of the general steps involved in the process of 

importing other data into NED-2:

1. Organize your data.

2. Choose your data fi les.

3. View your data.

4. Match your variables with NED-2 variables.

5. Save your defi nitions.

6. Import your data.

To get familiar with the variables defi ned in NED-2, see the NED-2 Reference Guide (Twery et 

al. 2011), Appendix B, which may be helpful in determining the NED-2 variables that are the best 

match for your variables.

Part 1 - Defi ne Your Data

Tips for Organizing Your Data

Incoming data must be organized according to a few simple rules. For instance, data from one 

portion of your inventory must be separated from data in other portions (e.g., overstory data must 

be separated from regeneration data in the ground layer). The general idea is that if you do not 

intend to analyze relatively dissimilar portions of your inventory together, then those portions 

must be identifi ed and separated. Thus, separating different portions is imperative if you wish to 

get valid results from NED-2. 

Dissimilar portions of an inventory should be split into separate text fi les. Thus, overstory data 

are placed in one text fi le, and regeneration data goes in a different fi le. In a spreadsheet program 

such as Microsoft Excel, such data may occur in a series of worksheets. 

Ultimately, data must be organized into a series of rows and columns. Each row represents a 

unique observation—a single item among many items, such as one tree observation out of many. 

Columns represent information collected about each item, such as species, dbh, timber quality, 

etc. In addition, each row must contain identifi cation detail. For overstory data, such information 

includes the stand and plot. Thus, each row should repeat information for the stand ID and plot 

number. It is also helpful if each observation in a plot is provided with a unique ID or number 

though not required. 

Above each column, an appropriate title or heading should be created. The fi rst row in your data 

must only contain “header” information that describes the columns (i.e., fi eld variables) for each 

observation. Additionally, data between (across) columns should be separated by a tab, comma, 

semicolon, or other symbol. Choose only one symbol and use it consistently throughout all of 

your text fi les. Tabs are automatically inserted by Excel when exporting into plain text format. 

Be on the lookout for inventory data that does not provide a perfect match with a variable in 

NED-2. A good example is tree quality. In some systems, whether a tree is alive or dead is 

recorded under timber quality, along with acceptable/unacceptable growing stock. However, 

in NED-2, whether a tree is alive or dead is recorded separately in its own variable, and timber 

quality is recorded in another variable. In this example, without splitting out this information 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 81

into separate variables beforehand, you are forced to choose whether you wanted this variable 

to indicate either alive/dead or timber quality, but not both, since two pieces of information are 

included under one variable in the incoming data, and NED-2 wants to store this information in 

two variables.

Instructions using Microsoft Excel:

When you are satisfi ed that your data is ready for import into NED-2, follow these instructions if 

you want to convert Excel data into plain text format. 

1. Select the appropriate worksheet. 

2. From the File menu, select Save As. 

3. At the bottom of the Save As dialog, specify a fi le type of Text (tab delimited) (.txt). 

4. Enter the name of the fi le.

5. Click Save.

Using the txt2mdbSetup Program

About the txt2mdbSetup Program

Txt2mdbSetup is an auxiliary program that reads your text data and provides tools for mapping 

your variables to NED-2 variables—a crucial fi rst step in importing Excel or other data into 

NED-2. The mapping of your ASCII text variables to NED2 variables is stored in an .ini fi le 

(anyfi lename.ini). The .ini fi le provides the interpretation of your data during the conversion 

process that ultimately imports your data into NED-2. On the File menu, this fi le is referred to as 

a defi nitions fi le.

It is reasonable to defi ne a single .ini fi le for your overstory, understory, ground-cover, and 

CWD data. If you have other kinds of data that may be different, perhaps because of how it 

was recorded, or it contains entirely different information, then you might defi ne that data in a 

separate .ini fi le, though this is optional.

The process of mapping your variables to NED-2 variables may take some effort. However, once 

the *.ini fi le is created, it can be re-used repeatedly each time additional data is collected. As long 

as the fi eld data is collected and organized in the same way (i.e., it follows the defi nitions in the 

.ini fi le), then you do not have to modify the .ini fi le, and you are able to import the data quickly 

into NED-2 using the original .ini fi le. 

Starting txt2mdbSetup

To get started mapping your data to NED-2 variables, run the txt2mdbSetup program, by locating 

the shortcut titled Setup Text File Import, on the Start menu. 

1. Open the Windows Start menu. 

2. Click Programs > NED Programs > NED2 Tools. 

3. Click Setup Text File Import.
82 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Starting a New INI File

A new .ini fi le is created automatically when you start the txt2mdbSetup program. The mapping 

process begins after you open the text fi les that contain your data.

If you have already begun the process of opening text fi les and mapping your variables, and you 

are ready to start a new .ini fi le, follow these steps:

1. At the top of the program, open the File menu. 

2. Click Create a new defi nitions fi le (ini fi le). 

3. If you had unsaved changes to the current .ini fi le, you are prompted to save them. Click 

Yes if you want to save the changes to the current .ini fi le.

After you have created a new .ini fi le, the next step is to open your text data.

Opening an Existing INI File

When you open an existing .ini fi le, the txt2mdbSetup program attempts to load your text data if 

you previously opened text data for the .ini fi le. If so, the names of your text fi le(s) appear as tabs 

in the middle of the txt2mdbSetup dialog. 

1. At the top of the program, open the File menu. 

2. Click Open defi nitions fi le (ini fi le).

3. Locate the .ini fi le.

4. Click Open.

5. As an alternative, you can open the fi le if it appears in the recent fi les history. Recent fi les 

are numbered and displayed in the middle portion of the File menu. If you see the .ini fi le 

displayed in the recent history, click it to open.

Click on any of the tabs to view your text data to verify that it was loaded correctly.

Saving the INI File

1. At the top of the program, open the File menu. 

2. To save the current .ini fi le, click Save the defi nitions fi le (ini fi le) and proceed to step 4.

3. To save the current .ini fi le under a different name, click Save the defi nitions in a new 

defi nitions fi le (ini fi le).

4. Select a fi le or enter a fi le name.

5. Click Save.

Adding Notes to the INI File

You may add your own notes (comments) to the .ini fi le, if desired. Notes may be helpful in 

documenting how variables were described or how you handled exceptions. Notes do not 

interfere with processing and are ignored when importing data into NED-2.

To add your own note:

1. At the top of the program, open the File menu. 

2. Click Edit Notes.

3. In the upper edit box, enter your text.

4. Click the Add Note button. The text appears at the bottom of the existing notes in the 

large box that comprises most of the notes dialog.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 83

To delete a note:

1. To remove a note, click the line that displays the text you wish to remove from the notes.

2. Click the Delete selected line button.

Viewing the INI fi le in a report 

If you wish to view the contents of the .ini fi le, you can obtain a report that displays the mapping 

between your variables and NED-2 variables, plant species codes, and notes in an easy-to-read 

format.

To view the .ini fi le in a report:

1. At the top of the program, open the File menu. 

2. Click Generate HTML Report.

3. Select a fi le or enter a fi le name.

4. Click Save. The txt2mdbSetup program creates the fi le and automatically displays it in 

your web browser.

Opening Your Text Data

This is the fi rst step in getting started with mapping your variables to NED-2 variables. At this 

point, you should have already established one or more text fi les that are suffi ciently organized 

into discrete portions of your fi eld data.

To open your text data in txt2mdbSetup:

1. Start the txt2mdbSetup program.

2. Click the Open txt fi les and start a new INI fi le button. 

3. From the dialog, browse to the location of your data. You can select multiple text fi les. 

4. Click Open when fi nished selecting text fi les.

5. Txt2mdbSetup displays each text fi le in a separate tab. Select any tab to begin mapping the 

data in the corresponding text fi le.

If you have already opened one or more text fi les, click the File button near the left center of the 

tab of any text fi le (do not click the File menu at the top, and do not click File information button 

beneath the File button). Then browse and select additional text fi les as in step 3 above. 

When opening additional text fi les, if they have different data formats than those already defi ned 

in the current .ini fi le, txt2mdbSetup, detects the differences and then asks if you want to create a 

new “fi le type” based on these new text fi les. This is optional and allows you to defi ne and map 

several different kinds of text fi les and store those defi nitions together in the same .ini fi le. Thus, 

you might only need one .ini fi le to import a variety of data into NED-2, even though you have 

several different kinds of data sets. 

Choosing How to View Your Text Data

There are three ways to view your data. The default is the raw contents display, where your data 

is simply displayed as if it were opened in Notepad or some other word processor. No attempt is 

made to display the data in any organized format. Raw columns displays your data as it would 
84 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

appear in a spreadsheet as shown in Figure 8. Column headings are provided above each column, 

showing an improved organization. Notice in Figure 8 that specifi c column headers appear in 

green, indicating which variables you have successfully mapped to NED-2. However, the header 

text is not NED-2 names, but is the text found in the header row of the text fi le. To view the NED2 variable names, select NED values to see the NED-2 variables appear in the column headers. 

Initially, none (or very few) of your variables match any of the NED-2 variables. In this case, a 

bunch of tiny empty squares appear all scrunched up. This appearance changes after the fi rst time 

you successfully match one of your variables. 

Identifying Delimiters in Your Data

Once you open a text fi le, you may need to specify which kind of character was used to 

distinguish one column from another. Excel uses the tab character by default, but your data may 

use other characters. Each text fi le may use a different delimiter.

1. Open your text fi le(s), if not open already.

2. Click the tab that displays the name of the text fi le for which you need to identify a 

delimiter.

3. Click the File information button. 

4. From the File information dialog, select the appropriate delimiter.

5. Click OK.

Figure 8. Viewing your data in the auxiliary program txt2mdbSetup.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 85

Changing the Order of Tabs

If you have opened multiple text fi les, they appear across the top in the order they were added. To 

modify the order:

1. Click any tab.

2. Click the File information button. 

3. Under Re-order fi les, click and drag a fi le name to the desired location in the list. Files are 

displayed in the order as shown in the list.

4. Click OK.

Removing Defi nitions from the INI File

You can remove text fi les (remove a tab) if you opened one just to peek inside it, or if you opened 

one by mistake. You can also remove a text fi le in order to eliminate all defi nitions associated 

with that fi le. 

When you remove a text fi le, the .ini fi le no longer includes the defi nitions based on your 

variables in that text fi le. Thus, if you do not want that fi le type to be a part of your .ini fi le, you 

may remove it.

1. Click the tab that displays the name of the text fi le to remove.

2. Click the File information button. 

3. From the File information dialog, click the Delete this fi le type button. 

4. Txt2mdbSetup warns you about not being able to import data that contains variable 

defi nitions associated with this fi le type. When you are ready to remove the defi nitions, 

click Yes to confi rm. Immediately the text fi le is removed.

If you remove a text fi le accidentally, or you want to retain the defi nitions you already created, 

your only option is to close the .ini fi le or exit txt2mdbSetup without saving the .ini fi le. When 

you re-open the .ini fi le, the text fi le is still associated with the .ini fi le because changes were not 

saved. If you did not save the defi nitions beforehand, you need to start over.

Describing Your Data

About Describing Data

Describing your data allows NED-2 to interpret it correctly. This is the process of fi nding 

(mapping) NED-2 variables to go with your inventory data. NED-2 has many variables. You do 

not need to fi nd matches to all of them. You only need to map variables that you are interested in, 

and not necessarily all of the variables in your data.

You may have data that does not quite fi t or match up well with available NED-2 variables, and 

you might not fi nd matches 100 percent of the time.

It is very diffi cult, if not impossible, to successfully describe your data unless it is organized 

properly. Be sure you review how to organize your data before starting. 

To describe your data, you will use the txt2mdbSetup program. Refer to the topics under the 

“Using the txt2mdbSetup Program” in the Part 1: Defi ne Your Data section for instructions on 

starting the program, opening your text data, defi ning delimiters, etc.
86 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

How to Map Your Variables

Generally, the process of mapping your variables is the same, regardless of variable type. You 

map one variable at a time, going back and forth between the main txt2mdbSetup window and the 

Field Information dialog shown in Figure 9. The Field Information dialog allows you to browse 

through NED-2 tables to fi nd the best match for a given variable. 

To map one of your variables to a single NED-2 variable, follow these steps:

 1. In the raw columns or NED values view on the txt2mdbSetup window, double-click the 

name of your variable that appears in the column heading. The Field information dialog 

(see Figure 9) opens allowing you to pick the NED-2 variable that is the best match.

 2. In the Field information dialog, remove the check mark next to Ignore fi eld at the top-left 

corner.

 3. Under NED tables in the large box to the far left, click the table that most likely matches 

the location you believe your variable might belong inside NED-2. For example, if you 

have a variable named “diam” (tree diameter), it is probably the diameter at breast height, 

which is located in the table called “overstory observation tree variables.” 

 4. As you select different tables on the left, the NED-2 variables that go in each table appear 

in the middle box of the dialog. Here is where you see inventory items that may look 

familiar, even if they have slightly different names than your names. In the middle box, 

two columns appear with one labeled NED Variable and the other labeled user variable. 

NED variable is the name of the variable in NED-2, and user variable is the name of your 

variable that was mapped to the NED-2 variable. 

 5. From the middle box, click the row that contains the name of the NED-2 variable to 

map to your variable. If you double-click instead, a question appears that asks if you 

want to map the variable. If you do, click Yes. Then the Field information dialog closes. 

Otherwise, proceed to step 6.

 6. When you click a row in the middle box, the representative values from your data are 

displayed in the third box to the far right side of the dialog. 

 7. Specify a conversion value (metric to English) if your data contains metric values. This 

is done above the third box to the far-right side of the dialog as shown in Figure 9. If you 

accept the default conversion factor supplied by txt2mdbSetup, be sure it is appropriate for 

the values in your data. Refer to the “English-Metric Conversion” topic later in this section 

for more information.

 8. If you are dealing with a coded variable, such as timber quality, check that your values 

match up with NED-2. To map your coded values to the proper values in NED-2, doubleclick one example from each of your possible codes and select one of the coded values 

in the Translation dialog. The choices depend on the NED-2 variable you selected in the 

middle box. 

 9. If no further modifi cation is required, double check the NED-2 variable you selected along 

with any codes and metric conversion factors. 

 10. When you are fi nished, click OK to return to the main txt2mdbSetup window that displays 

all of your data columns (see Figure 8).
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 87

Figure 9. Mapping a variable in the auxiliary program txt2mdbSetup.

Table Indexes

NED-2 organizes data in tables in a Microsoft Access database. Each table must have an index 

that uniquely identifi es each row in the table. Txt2mdbSetup automatically establishes an index 

for you, so you do not need to worry about providing an index for any table. However, in the 

event you have already set up some kind of special index in your data, you have the option of 

applying your index in a given NED-2 table. 

Specifying an index is optional and not likely to be necessary. If you wish to specify your own 

index, follow these steps:

1. From the raw columns or NED values view in the txt2mdbSetup window, double-click 

the name of your variable that appears in the column heading. This opens the Field 

information dialog (see Figure 9) where you can pick the NED-2 variable that is the best 

match.

2. In the Field information dialog, remove the check next to Ignore fi eld at the top-left 

corner.

3. Under NED tables in the large box to the far left, click the table that most likely matches 

where you think your variable might belong inside NED-2. For example, if you had a 

variable called “tree index,” and you are sure there are no duplicate values, then you could 
88 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

probably use it as the index for a table. In this case, you select the table named, “overstory 

observation tree variables.” 

4. Above the middle box, click the check box for Use as table index. 

5. When you are fi nished, click OK to return to the view of your data columns (see Figure 8).

Coded Variables

If your data contains coded variables (e.g., timber quality, crown position), you must check that 

your values match up with NED-2. In most cases, differences are likely to occur. For instance, 

NED-2 translates numeric codes and stores them as string values (e.g., “1= open grown,” 

“2 = dominant”). If you were manually entering data inside NED-2, for the crown position 

(crown class) of a given tree it is valid to enter “open grown” or simply “1,” since NED-2 knows 

that “open grown” is coded as 1. What gets stored for the tree in NED-2 is the value, “open 

grown.” However, even if your data has numeric codes, they might not be in the same order as the 

list of possible values in NED-2. Therefore, you must carefully match the codes used in your data 

with codes that are accepted by NED-2. 

Using timber quality as another example, assume your data contains the code “a” to imply 

acceptable growing stock. NED-2 does not know what “a” means. You have to specify that your 

“a” really means “acceptable growing stock” or, more correctly, “AGS.” 

Follow the steps below to describe your codes in txt2mdbSetup:

1. Once you have found a matching NED-2 variable in the middle box of Figure 9, 

representative values from your data are displayed in the fi rst column (labeled fi le value) 

of the third box in the far-right side of the dialog. If the set of fi le values represents codes 

(categories) and they do not precisely match up with NED-2 values, proceed to the next 

step.

2. In the third box on the right of the dialog, notice that your coded values appear in the left 

column labeled fi le value. NED-2 values are in the right column labeled NED value. If no 

match exists, the NED value is shaded pink. To provide or modify a match, double-click 

the cell in the fi le value column.

3. In the Translation dialog, click the appropriate row from the list of coded values. The 

choices depend on the NED-2 variable you selected in the middle box. 

4. Click OK.

To defi ne values that may not exist in your data, possibly in anticipation of future data sets:

1. Click the Defi ne value button above the third box to the right in Figure 9. 

2. In the Translation dialog, in the edit box at the top, enter an input value that you expect to 

encounter in your data. 

3. In the Translation dialog, click the appropriate row from the list of coded values.

4. Click OK.

Boolean Variables

Boolean variables include variables that are typically answered yes or no, true or false, present or 

absent, and so on. When mapping variables, defi ne your own codes as described in this section for 

coded variables. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 89

By default, txt2mdbSetup interprets any string beginning with “T,” “Y,” or “P” as “true.” Any 

numeric value other than zero is also imported as “true.” Everything else is set to “false.”

If desired, you can defi ne your own list of Boolean values all at once, prior to mapping variables, 

in order to make them available as valid codes when you begin mapping coded variables.

1. In the main txt2mdbSetup dialog, click the tab that displays the name of the text fi le for 

which you wish to establish boolean codes.

2. Click Boolean codes.

3. Click the Set value button.

4. Enter the string used in your data, like “present,” or “alive,” “2,” and so on. Then, indicate 

whether the entered string is supposed to represent a “true” or “false” condition.

5. If you enter a string by mistake, or if you have other strings you want ignored, enter the 

string in the top of the Boolean values dialog and then click code doesn’t map to a NED 

string. This action removes the string from both lists. The string is removed.

6. Click OK.

English-Metric Conversion

NED-2 stores data in English, but can display values in metric, if desired. Therefore, if your data 

contains metric values, you must specify an English conversion value (metric to English) for each

of your variables in order for NED-2 to properly store values so that they can be displayed with 

accurate metric values. 

1. Find a match for your variable by looking in the third box to the far right in the Field 

information dialog (see Figure 9). Your values appear under the column labeled fi le value. 

2. Above the box showing the values found in the text fi le, click the Metric button to 

automatically generate a conversion factor in this fi eld. Metric values are displayed in the 

right column labeled NED value. To view the values in English, click the English button.

3. If the metric values are incorrect, enter a conversion factor in the conversion box. Then 

click any row below to display the values that are recorded in NED-2 when the data is 

imported. NOTE: If you click the English or metric button after you have entered your 

own conversion factor, your factor is replaced with an automatically generated conversion 

factor.

4. Click OK.

Plant Species

If you recorded plant species using a method of identifi cation other than USDA PLANTS 

database symbols or FIA codes, then you must provide defi nitions for each species in your data. 

Txt2mdbSetup maintains one list of species defi nitions in each .ini fi le. Species defi nitions 

must be unique. Your data must use the same identifi er for a species throughout the overstory, 

understory, and groundcover plots, and CWD transects. If your data contains multiple codes for 

the same species, some records will be imported into NED-2 as unknown species. 

If you have data from multiple inventories and species were not recorded using the same 

identifi ers across inventories, you must create separate .ini fi les for each inventory. 
90 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Access to plant species defi nitions in txt2mdbSetup is available in the following two locations:

If you are mapping a plant species variable to a NED-2 species variable on the Field information 

dialog, once you select the NED-2 variable, all of your species codes are shown in the third box 

to the right. Your codes are shown under the fi le value column. Next to each code, a guess of 

the species appears under the NED value column. If it says “Plant species not loaded” for each 

species, the Master Species List needs to be loaded. To load the Master Species List, click the 

Species Codes button. If the Master Species List was already loaded, and the guesses for your 

species are incorrect, follow the instructions below for defi ning a species code.

Species defi nitions can be accessed from the main txt2mdbSetup window at any time, regardless 

of whether you have mapped your species variable to a NED-2 species variable. Click the tab for 

which you want to defi ne species. Click the Species codes button.

To add or remove species:

1. Click the Species codes button from either location described above. 

2. Click Yes to load the Master Plant Species List if prompted to do so.

3. Click the Select species button.

4. To add one species at a time, in the Select species dialog, enter a species name and search 

for that species. To add many species at once, click the Get state list button and select 

a state to add an entire list of species from that state. Species on the left are those that 

matched your criteria. 

5. In the box on the left, click one or more species, then click the single right-pointing 

arrow to move the species to the box on the right. Species on the right are in the current 

list. Use the double arrows to move all species on the left to the box on the right.

6. To remove a species from the current list, click a species in the box on the right, then click 

the single left-pointing arrow.

To defi ne a species code:

1. Click the Species codes button from either location described above. 

2. Click Yes to load the Master Plant Species List if prompted to do so.

3. If no species are listed, you need to add them as described above.

4. Click in the user code column of the row of the species for which you wish to defi ne a 

species code.

5. Enter a code exactly as it appears in the text data. The code must be less than eight 

characters long, and must not contain spaces, commas, apostrophes, colons, or semicolons.

6. Repeat steps 45, as necessary. When you are fi nished, click OK.

To import plant species codes from other fi les:

To save time, you can import plant species codes from NED-2 data fi les (.mdb), NED-2 plant 

species fi les (.spp2), NED-1 data fi les (.ned), NED-1 species fi les (.spp), and other txt2mdbSetup 

.ini fi les (.ini). 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 91

1. Click the Species codes button from either location described above. 

2. Click Yes to load the Master Plant Species List if prompted.

3. Click the Import codes button. 

4. At the bottom of the Open dialog, choose a fi le type in the Files of type list.

5. Browse to and select the desired fi le.

6. Click Open.

7. When prompted, select how you wish to incorporate the incoming list of species from the 

choices given (i.e., “delete the existing list and replace it with the imported species list”). 

Read the choices carefully. 

8. Click OK. 

To validate your list of plant species codes:

To check for any remaining unidentifi ed species from your data, txt2mdbSetup can search for 

unmatched species codes and report them to you. 

1. Before you can validate your species codes, you must have already mapped a species 

variable from your data to a species variable in NED-2.

2. Click the Species codes button from either location described above. 

3. Click Yes to load the Master Plant Species List if prompted.

4. Click the Check data button. Txt2mdbSetup presents a list of all unknown (undefi ned) 

species codes in your data, and also reports when none are found.

5. For each unknown species code, you need to defi ne the species code as described above. 

If the species is not shown in the current txt2mdbSetup plant species list, you also need to 

add them as described above.

Finish and Save Your Defi nitions

If you are fi nished matching your variables and defi ning them as necessary, you should see mostly 

green column headers when using the Raw Contents or NED values views of your data (see 

Figure 8). NOTE: Figure 8 does not necessarily show all columns as having matches and is used 

for illustrative purposes only.

1. When you are fi nished and ready to exit, from the File menu, click Exit, or click the X in 

the top-right corner of the txt2mdbSetup window.

2. If there are any unsaved changes, click Yes to save your work.

3. In the Save As dialog, browse to a folder and enter a fi lename.

4. Click Save. 

After your work is saved, you now have an .ini fi le. This fi le is used to interpret your data. You 

are required to identify this fi le when you are ready to import your data into NED-2.
92 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory

Part 2 - Build a NED-2 File

About the txt2mdb Program

Txt2mdb is an auxiliary program that imports text data into NED-2. It uses .ini fi les, generated 

from the txt2mdbSetup program, to interpret your data correctly. 

The output of txt2mdb is a new NED-2 fi le (.mdb) containing all of the data for which defi nitions 

were available in the accompanying .ini fi le. 

Txt2mdb does not append data to an existing NED-2 fi le.

Starting txt2mdb

To import your text data into NED-2, run the txt2mdb program, by locating the shortcut titled 

Import Text Data on the Start menu. 

1. Open the Windows Start menu. 

2. Click Programs > NED Programs > NED2 Tools. 

3. Click Import Text Data.

Import Text Data into NED-2

To import your data into NED-2, these steps can be performed in any order, as long as you do not

click Start until after completing all other steps.

You must have a valid defi nitions (.ini) fi le for the text data you wish to import. This fi le is 

created by the txt2mdbSetup program.

 1. Start the txt2mdb program.

 2. Click the Add input fi le to list button to select the text fi les that contain the data you wish 

to import.

 3. From the Open dialog, browse to the location of your text fi les. Use the Ctrl and/or Shift 

keys to select multiple text fi les concurrently. 

 4. Click the Open button when you are fi nished selecting fi les. If you have multiple text fi les 

in separate folders, repeat steps 2-4 for text fi les in each folder.

 5. Click the Output fi le button to enter the name of the NED-2 fi le you wish to create. 

 6. Browse to a desired folder.

 7. Use the keyboard to enter a fi le in the fi le name box. If desired, you can click an existing 

NED-2 fi le in the browse window. If specifying a fi le name that already exists, you are 

asked if you wish to replace the fi le. You cannot import data into an existing NED-2 fi le. 

Click Yes if you want to replace the fi le.

 8. Click the Code fi le button to select the defi nitions (.ini) fi le that contains interpretations of 

the text data you wish to import. Only one .ini fi le can be used at a time.

 9. From the Open dialog, browse to the location of your .ini fi le. 

 10. Click the Open button when you have selected your .ini fi le.

 11. Review the selections you made above. When you are ready to import the data, click the Start

button. Normally this button remains deactivated until you have completed the steps above. 

 12. When the process has completed, a Finish button appears over the top of the Start button. 

Click Finish to end the txt2mdb program.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 3 - Inventory 93

If there were errors during the import, you are asked whether you wish to save the error messages 

in a log fi le for further review.

The txt2mdb program generates a NED-2 fi le, which is a Microsoft Access database. You can 

open the fi le in Access, but Access is not required in order to view the data in NED-2. It is 

recommended that you open the fi le in NED-2. Any accidental changes made when you open the 

fi le in Access may make the fi le unreadable in NED-2.
Chapter 4 - Calculations

CALCULATION SETTINGS

Calculation settings offer some control over how NED-2 estimates many stand-level values. Most 

of the settings apply to overstory data, and generally affect inventory data as well as simulated 

data. Whenever you make changes to calculation settings, you are prompted to confi rm this 

change. This prompt occurs because it means that NED-2 has to completely redo all calculations, 

and all simulated treatment plan data are deleted, which means that you need to re-simulate your 

treatment plans, if applicable. 

Calculation settings apply to all stands within the management unit. 

You may store calculation settings into an external fi le for re-use in other NED-2 fi les.

Minimum Top Diameter for Volume Estimation

You may specify a minimum top diameter for calculating sawlog volume. NED-2 calculates 

volume for logs only if the diameter of the top portion of the log is greater than or equal to the 

threshold. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, click the Calculation settings button at the bottom of the window.

3. Enter the appropriate minimum top diameter threshold for board-foot volume estimation.

4. Click OK to accept the change.

This variable is only used in estimating the board-foot volume of larger logs (i.e., ≥ 16 feet). It is 

not used for smaller logs in the logs table (i.e., < 16 feet in length).

Minimum Dbh for Height Estimation

If you do not record merchantable height, NED-2 can estimate merchantable height for sawtimber 

and pulpwood in hardwoods and softwoods. If the diameter at breast height (dbh) is less than the 

minimum dbh you specify, sawtimber and/or pulpwood height is set to zero.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, click the Calculation settings button at the bottom of the window.

3. Enter the appropriate values for minimum diameters for height estimation.

4. Click OK to accept the changes.

Choosing a Log Rule

You can specify which equation you want NED-2 to use in estimating board-foot volume. NED-2 

provides the following three most commonly used equations or log rules: International 1/4 Inch, 

Doyle, and Scribner.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations 95

The Doyle rule is generally the least consistent of the three equations. Scribner is intermediate, 

and International 1/4 Inch is the most consistent (Avery and Burkhart 1994).

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, click the Calculation settings button at the bottom of the window.

3. Make a selection in the board-foot volume equation pick list.

4. Click OK to accept the changes.

Establishing Minimum Sawlog and Pulpwood Log Lengths

When NED-2 is estimating sawlog and/or pulpwood height, it returns zero for any value that is 

less than the minimum log lengths you specify. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, click the Calculation settings button at the bottom of the window.

3. Enter the appropriate minimum sawtimber and pulpwood log length. 

4. Click OK to accept the changes.

Defi ning a Big Tree Threshold

The big tree threshold is a specifi c dbh that indicates whether a tree is considered large or “big.” 

Perhaps you want to create or hasten the development of an old-growth or large tree appearance. 

If so, NED-2 uses the big tree threshold to report on big trees in your forests.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, click the Calculation settings button at the bottom of the window.

3. Enter the desired big tree threshold.

4. Click OK to accept the changes.

Overstory/Understory Dbh Threshold

NED-2 uses dbh to distinguish between overstory and understory stems, with a default threshold 

value of one inch. This means that any woody stem with a dbh greater than or equal to one inch is 

inventoried as overstory and is included in any subsequent analysis of the overstory. 

This setting may affect the default dbh when you enter a new overstory observation. If this 

threshold is greater than your default dbh value, NED-2 applies the overstory/understory dbh 

threshold as the initial dbh value for the new observation.

This threshold does not affect calculations on stand metrics such as basal area, relative density, 

biomass, etc. However, during treatment plan simulation, stems less than the current dbh 

threshold are considered understory. Once these stems grow to a dbh that is greater than or equal 

to the current threshold, they are considered overstory. 

If you elect to use a threshold larger than one inch, timber volume is only calculated for the 

overstory trees.
96 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations

To change the threshold:

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, click the Calculation Settings button at the bottom of the window.

3. Enter your desired threshold in the box labeled, Overstory/Understory dbh threshold.

4. Click OK. You are prompted to confi rm this change. This prompt occurs because it means 

that NED-2 has to completely redo all calculations, and all simulated treatment plan data 

are deleted, which means that you need to re-simulate your treatment plans, if applicable. 

This threshold applies to all stands within the management unit. 

Including Dead Trees

You can choose to include dead trees in NED-2’s calculations. If this box is checked, all 

computations for timber values include dead trees. When confi guring vegetation tables and 

reports, you are again given the option to include dead trees in those calculations as well as the 

ability to calculate values for dead trees only. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, click the Calculation settings button at the bottom of the window.

3. Check/uncheck the box include dead trees in timber values.

4. Click OK to accept the change.

Q-factor Size-class Interval

In calculating the q-factor for a stand, NED-2 uses 1- or 2-inch diameter size-class intervals.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, click the Calculation settings button at the bottom of the window.

3. Make a selection from the pick list labeled Q-factor size class interval.

4. Click OK to accept the change.

Storing Calculation Settings in a Separate File

NED-2 calculation settings are saved and retained with the current NED-2 fi le. However, you 

may store your calculation settings in a separate fi le to be reused in another NED-2 fi le in the 

future. This allows for sharing calculation settings between NED-2 fi les.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, click the Calculation settings button at the bottom of the window.

3. On the Calculation settings dialog, click the Store calculation settings button.

4. If desired, browse to the desired folder or location where you wish to keep the fi le.

5. Enter an appropriate fi le name in the File Name fi eld.

6. Make sure the save-as type reads NED-2 calculation fi les (.NEDcalcs) at the bottom of 

the dialog.

7. Click the Save button to store your settings to a fi le.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations 97

Retrieving Calculation Settings from a Separate File

NED-2 calculation settings are saved and retained with the current NED-2 fi le. However, you 

may retrieve calculation settings from a separate fi le so that you do not have to retype and/or 

rethink the settings you have previously used in other NED-2 fi les. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Inventory, and then click Enter/Edit Inventory.

2. In the Options Pane, click the Calculation settings button at the bottom of the window.

3. In the Calculation settings dialog, click the Retrieve calculation settings button.

4. At Files of type, choose whether to retrieve settings from another NED-2 data fi le or from 

an external calculation fi le (.NEDcalcs) at the bottom of the dialog.

5. If desired, browse to the desired folder or location where you wish to retrieve the fi le.

6. Select the fi le that contains your desired calculation settings.

7. Click the Open button to retrieve the settings stored in the fi le. These settings are saved 

with the current NED-2 fi le.

TIMBER VOLUME

Calculating Logs from Merchantable Height

If you have not entered your own logs in the logs table, NED-2 calculates logs automatically. 

For example, in the scenario where you record only species and diameter, NED-2 fi rst calculates 

sawtimber and pulpwood height for the tree, and then logs are calculated. The scenarios for 

calculating logs are explained below:

Scenario 1—When you have not entered sawtimber and pulpwood heights:

1. The sawtimber height is calculated.

a. If the tree’s most valuable product is not a sawtimber product, then sawtimber height is 

zero.

b. If the dbh < minimum dbh for sawtimber height estimates, the sawtimber height is zero.

c. If the calculation comes out less than the minimum sawtimber length, sawtimber height 

is zero.

d. If the sawtimber height is greater than zero, a log is added to the log table with a length 

equal to the sawtimber height, and the product is the same as the tree’s most valuable 

product.

2. The pulpwood height is calculated. This is the log above the sawtimber portion of the tree.

a. If the tree’s most valuable product is “cull,” the pulpwood height is zero.

b. If the dbh < minimum dbh for pulpwood height estimates, the pulpwood height is zero.

c. If the calculation comes out below the minimum pulpwood length, the pulpwood height 

is zero.

d. If the pulpwood height is greater than zero, a log is added to the log table with a length 

equal to the pulpwood height, and the product is either the tree’s most valuable product 

(if the tree’s most valuable product is a pulpwood product), or “Pulpwood.”
98 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations

Scenario 2—When you have entered sawtimber height only (but not pulpwood height):

1. A log is added to the log table with a length equal to the sawtimber height, and the product 

is the same as the tree’s most valuable product, unless one of the following occurs:

a. The tree’s most valuable product is not a sawtimber product.

b. The sawtimber height is less than the minimum sawtimber length.

2. The pulpwood height is calculated. This is the log above the sawtimber portion of the tree.

a. If the tree’s most valuable product is “cull,” the pulpwood height is zero.

b. If the dbh < minimum dbh for pulpwood height estimates, the pulpwood height is zero.

c. If the calculation comes out below the minimum pulpwood length, the pulpwood height 

is zero.

d. If the pulpwood height is greater than zero, a log is added to the log table with a length 

equal to the pulpwood height, and the product is either the tree’s most valuable product 

(if the tree’s most valuable product is a pulpwood product), or “Pulpwood.”

Scenario 3—When you have entered pulpwood height only (but not sawtimber height):

Caution: If you wish to enter the entire merchantable height as pulpwood, you must also select 

one of the non-sawtimber products (e.g., pulpwood, fi rewood) as the most valuable product, or 

NED-2 calculates a sawtimber height if the tree is large enough.

1. The sawtimber height is calculated.

a. If the tree’s most valuable product is not a sawtimber product, then sawtimber height is 

zero.

b. If the dbh < minimum dbh for sawtimber height estimates, the sawtimber height is zero.

c. If the calculation comes out less than the minimum sawtimber length, sawtimber height 

is zero.

d. If the sawtimber height is greater than zero, a log is added to the log table with a length 

equal to the sawtimber height, and the product is the same as the tree’s most valuable 

product.

2. A log is added to the log table with a length equal to the pulpwood height, and the product 

is either the tree’s most valuable product (if the tree’s most valuable product is a pulpwood 

product), or “Pulpwood,” unless one of the following occurs:

a. If the tree’s most valuable product is “cull,” the pulpwood height is zero.

b. If the calculation comes out below the minimum pulpwood length, the pulpwood height 

is zero.

Scenario 4—When you have entered both sawtimber and pulpwood height:

1. A log is added to the log table with a length equal to the sawtimber height, and the product 

is the same as the tree’s most valuable product, unless one of the following occurs:

a. The tree’s most valuable product is not a sawtimber product.

b. The sawtimber height is less than the minimum sawtimber length.

2. A log is added to the log table with a length equal to the pulpwood height, and the product 

is either the tree’s most valuable product (if the tree’s most valuable product is a pulpwood 

product), or “Pulpwood,” unless one of the following occurs:

a. If the tree’s most valuable product is “cull,” the pulpwood height is zero.

b. If the calculation comes out below the minimum pulpwood length, the pulpwood height 

is zero.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations 99

Using Logs to Calculate Merchantable Height

If you do not record merchantable heights, NED-2 uses logs to determine merchantable heights. 

To do this, NED-2 fi rst estimates sawtimber and pulpwood merchantable height of a tree, and 

then calculates logs according to estimated merchantable heights. If you change a log length or 

a log product, NED-2 recalculates merchantable heights according to the logs in the logs table, 

according to the following descriptions. NOTE: If you do not record merchantable heights, and 

you do not record logs in the logs table, if you modify the species or dbh of a tree, NED-2 restarts 

this procedure, by recalculating merchantable heights and then resetting the logs table.

If you record logs in the logs table, NED-2 calculates merchantable heights as follows:

When the last log you enter is a pulpwood product:

1. No additional calculated logs will be added. 

2. The tree’s sawlog height and pulpwood height are calculated by summing the appropriate 

logs in the log table.

When the last log you enter is a sawtimber product:

1. The pulpwood height is calculated. This is the log above the sawtimber portion of the tree.

a. If the calculation comes out below the minimum pulpwood length, the pulpwood height 

is zero.

b. If the pulpwood height is greater than zero, a log is added to the log table with a length 

equal to the pulpwood height, and the product is “Pulpwood.”

2. The tree’s sawlog height and pulpwood height are calculated by summing the appropriate 

logs in the log table.

Cubic Volume

Cubic volume is calculated using a U.S. Forest Service, Region 9, composite volume equation 

(Marquis 1977). Cubic volume is only calculated for trees in the overstory plot.

Cubic volume is reported for the whole tree, sawtimber, and pulpwood portions, and is calculated 

at the following levels in NED-2:

Individual log - Lowest level; where actual formula is applied and defect and utilization 

loss occur.

Tree - Based on total of sawtimber and pulpwood cubic volume in all of the logs of a 

given tree.

Overstory plot - Per unit area; based on the sum of all trees in single plot.

Stand - Per unit area; based on simple arithmetic average of all plots.

Related measures such as cord volume and tonnage, are indirectly derived from cubic volume 

using conversions from cubic volume to cordwood (i.e., units of cubic volume per cord), and 

from cubic volume to tons (i.e., tons per cord). 
100 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations

The following description illustrates how gross and net cubic volumes are calculated through 

each level. All levels contain variables that store the results of the following calculations, and the 

variables are described under each level in the NED-2 Reference Guide, Appendix B. 

Before volume is calculated, sawtimber and pulpwood height are calculated and/or edited and 

corresponding logs are generated in the logs table.

1. The calculation begins at the log level. Cubic volume is calculated individually for each 

log in a tree.

a. If the product is “cull,” gross cubic volume is zero.

b. Gross cubic volume of a log is calculated.

c. The cubic volume correction factor is applied to the calculated gross cubic volume.

d. Net cubic volume of a log is determined by applying the appropriate defect (sawtimber 

or pulpwood—depending on the product assigned to the individual log), and after 

defect has been accounted for, an additional 20 percent is removed to account for 

utilization loss.

2. At the whole tree level, cubic volume is fi rst calculated for the sawtimber portion, and 

then the pulpwood portion.

a. Gross tree cubic volume of sawtimber is the sum total of gross sawtimber for all logs 

that have sawtimber products.

b. Net tree cubic volume of sawtimber is the sum total of net sawtimber for all logs that 

have sawtimber products.

c. Gross tree cubic volume of pulpwood is the sum total of gross pulpwood for all logs 

that have pulpwood products.

d. Net tree cubic volume of pulpwood is the sum total of net pulpwood for all logs that 

have pulpwood products.

e. Total (whole-tree) gross cubic volume is the sum of gross cubic volume of sawtimber 

and gross cubic volume of pulpwood.

f. Total (whole-tree) net cubic volume is the sum of net cubic volume of sawtimber and 

net cubic volume of pulpwood.

3. At the overstory plot level, cubic volume is determined on a per-unit area basis.

a. Gross tree cubic volume of sawtimber is multiplied by the stems per unit area 

represented by that tree, and similarly for all trees in the plot, resulting in gross plot 

cubic volume of sawtimber. 

b. Net tree cubic volume of sawtimber is multiplied by the stems per unit area represented 

by that tree; and similarly for all trees in the plot, resulting in net plot cubic volume of 

sawtimber.

c. Gross tree cubic volume of pulpwood is multiplied by the stems per unit area 

represented by that tree; and similarly for all trees in the plot, resulting in gross plot 

cubic volume of pulpwood.

d. Net tree cubic volume of pulpwood is multiplied by the stems per unit area represented 

by that tree; and similarly for all trees in the plot, resulting in net plot cubic volume of 

pulpwood.

e. Total plot gross cubic volume is the sum of gross cubic volume of sawtimber per unit 

area and the gross cubic volume of pulpwood per unit area.

f. Total plot net cubic volume is the sum of net cubic volume of sawtimber per unit area 

and net cubic volume of pulpwood per unit area.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations 101

4. At the stand level, cubic volume is based on the average of all plot-clusters in the stand.

a. Gross stand cubic volume of sawtimber is the average gross cubic sawtimber of all 

plot-clusters in the stand.

b. Net stand cubic volume of sawtimber is the average net cubic sawtimber of all plotclusters in the stand.

c. Gross stand cubic volume of pulpwood is the average gross cubic pulpwood of all plotclusters in the stand.

d. Net stand cubic volume of pulpwood is the average net cubic pulpwood of all plotclusters in the stand.

e. Total stand gross cubic volume is the sum of gross cubic volume of sawtimber per unit 

area and gross cubic volume of pulpwood per unit area.

f. Total stand net cubic volume is the sum of net cubic volume of sawtimber per unit area 

and net cubic volume of pulpwood per unit area.

Board-foot Volume

Board-foot volume is reported for the sawtimber portion of a tree and is calculated at the 

following levels in NED-2:

Individual log - Lowest level; where actual formula is applied and defect is also applied.

Tree - Based on total of board-foot volume in all of the sawtimber logs of a given tree.

Overstory plot - Per unit area; based on total of all trees in single plot.

Stand - Per unit area; based on simple arithmetic average of all plots.

The following description illustrates how gross and net board-foot volumes are calculated at 

each level. All levels contain variables that store the results of the following calculations, and the 

variables are described under each level in the NED-2 Reference Guide, Appendix B (Twery et al. 

2011).

Before board-foot volume is calculated, sawtimber height is calculated and/or edited and 

corresponding logs are generated in the logs table.

1. The calculation begins at the log level. Board-foot volume is calculated individually for 

each log in a tree that has a sawtimber product.

a. If the log product is not a sawtimber product, gross board-foot volume is zero.

b. If the calculated minimum top diameter is less than the user-specifi ed (default = 

8 inches) minimum top diameter for board-foot (sawlogs), gross-board foot volume 

is zero.

c. Gross board-foot volume of a log is calculated depending on the log length. If log 

length is less than 16 feet, the smaller log formula is used. If the log length is at least 16 

feet, the larger log formula is used. 

d. The board-foot volume correction factor is applied to the calculated gross board-foot 

volume.

e. Net board-foot volume of a log is determined by multiplying gross board-foot volume 

times the sawtimber defect recorded for the tree. 
102 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations

2. At the tree level, board-foot volume is calculated for the sawtimber portion only.

a. Gross tree board-foot volume is the sum total of gross sawtimber for all logs that have 

sawtimber products.

b. Net tree board-foot volume is the sum total of net sawtimber for all logs that have 

sawtimber products.

3. At the overstory plot level, board-foot volume is determined on a per-unit area basis.

a. Gross tree board-foot volume of sawtimber is multiplied by the stems per unit area 

represented by that tree, then summed for all trees in the plot, resulting in gross plot 

board-foot volume. 

b. Net tree board-foot volume of sawtimber is multiplied by the stems per unit area 

represented by that tree, then summed for all trees in the plot, resulting in net plot 

board-foot volume.

4. At the stand level, board-foot volume is based on the average of all plot-clusters in the 

stand.

a. Gross stand board-foot volume is the average gross board-foot volume of all plotclusters in the stand.

b. Net stand board-foot volume is the average net board-foot volume of all plot-clusters in 

the stand.

Formula for Board-foot Volume of Smaller Logs

The following formula (Wiant and Castaneda 1977) is used to determine the board-foot volume of 

a single log in the logs table that is less than 16 feet in length. This formula is less involved than 

the procedure used for larger logs, and is sometimes referred as the “simple” formula in NED-2. 

Larger log lengths (i.e., ≥ 16 feet) use a more complex formula (Scrivani 1989).

First, the log length is divided by 16 to represent it as a proportion of a 16-foot log, as follows:

Length = Log length / 16.0

Board-foot volume is calculated as follows:

Board-foot volume = F1

 + (F2 × Length) + (F3 × Length2) 

+ (((F4

 + (F5 × Length) + (F6 × Length2)) × dbh)

+ (((F7

 + (F8 × Length) + (F9 × Length2)) × dbh2) 

× ((Girard form class - 78.0) × 0.03 + 1.0).

The values for F1

 to F9 are located in Table 3.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations 103

Table 3. Values of coeffi cients (F1 through F9) used for the board-foot volume calculation 

(Wiant and Castaneda 1977).

 Doyle Scribner International 1/4-inch

F1 -29.37337 -22.50365 -13.35212

F2 41.51275 17.53508 9.58615

F3

 0.55743 -0.59242 1.52968

F4 2.78043 3.02980 1.79620

F5 -8.77272 -4.34381 -2.59995

F6 -0.04516 -0.02302 -0.27465

F7 0.04177 -0.01969 0.04482

F8

 0.59042 0.51593 0.45997

F9 -0.01578 -0.02035 -0.00961

Formula for Board-foot Volume of Larger Logs

For any log in the logs table that is at least 16 feet in length, NED-2 calculates board-foot volume 

using the method of Scrivani (1989) as follows. This formula is more involved than the procedure 

used for smaller logs, and is sometimes referred to as the “complex” formula in NED-2. Smaller 

log lengths (i.e., < 16 feet) use a simpler formula (Wiant and Castaneda 1977).

1. First, test the dbh as follows:

• If the dbh < 10 then board-foot volume = 0.0, and processing stops.

• If the dbh > 40 then dbh is set to 40, and processing continues.

2. Second, convert log length (from the logs table) to the number of 16-foot log-sections, to 

the nearest 1/2 section, using the following equation:

 Log-sections = (int (log length/8.0)) / 2.0, where “int” truncates the value to an integer.

• If Log-sections < 1 then board-foot volume = 0.0, and processing stops.

• If Log-sections > 6 then the number of sections in the log is set to 6, and processing 

continues.

3. The top diameter of the fi rst log is determined by the following:

 Top diameter = dbh × (Girard form class /100.0)

4. Calculate the board-foot volume of the fi rst log-section, as follows: 

 Choose one of the following formulas to calculate volume:

• If using the International 1/4-inch log rule: 

 Board-foot volume = (0.796 × Top diameter2

) – (1.375 × Top diameter) – 1.23

• If using the Doyle log rule:

 Board-foot volume = (Top diameter – 4)2

• If using the Scribner log rule:

 Board-foot volume = (0.79 × Top diameter2

) – (2 × Top diameter) – 4
104 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations

5. Calculate board-foot volume of subsequent log-sections remaining in the log.

a. If the tree has two or more 16-foot log-sections, the top diameters for the subsequent 

log-sections are determined by the following:

 Top diameter = Previous top diameter – taper

• Previous top diameter = the top diameter from the previous log-section (for example, 

for the second log-section, this would be the top diameter from the fi rst log).

• Taper is found in Table 4:

b. If the taper is zero, the volume cannot be calculated because it is outside the limits of 

the table. Thus, board-foot volume for this log-section is set to zero.

c. If the top diameter is less than the minimum top diameter for board-foot volume 

(sawlogs), board-foot volume for this log-section is set to zero. Otherwise, one of the 

following formulas is used to calculate volume:

• If using the International 1/4-inch log rule: 

 board-foot volume = (0.796 × Top diameter2

) – (1.375 × Top diameter) – 1.23

• If using the Doyle log rule:

 board-foot volume = (Top diameter – 4)2

• If using the Scribner log rule:

 board-foot volume = (0.79 × Top diameter2

) – (2 × Top diameter) – 4

6. The board-foot volumes for all the log-sections are added together to fi nd the volume for 

the given log in the logs table.

Working with Half Log-sections

1. If there is an extra half log-section, the volume determined using whole log-sections (as 

described above) is saved. 

2. A second volume is calculated as if the tree had an additional 16-foot log-section. These 

two volumes are averaged to get the fi nal board-foot volume.

Example

Find the volume of a tree where:

• Dbh = 34.0 inches.

• Sawlog height = 45.0 feet. 

• Girard form class = 80.

Assume that Bdft volume equation to use = 1 (International 1/4 inch), and that the minimum top 

diameter for board-foot volume (sawlogs) = 8.0 inches.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations 105

Table 4. Taper values used in determining the top diameter of upper log sections 

(Scrivani 1989).

 Number of DBH

 16-ft ≥ 10 ≥ 12 ≥ 14 ≥ 16 ≥ 18 ≥ 20 ≥ 22 ≥ 24

 log-sections Log-sections < 12 < 14 < 16 < 18 < 20 < 22 < 24 < 26

 2 second log 1.4 1.6 1.7 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3

 3 second log 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.8

 third log 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.2

 4 second log 0.0 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.5

 third log 0.0 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 2.0 2.0 2.2

 fourth log 0.0 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.5 2.5 2.6

 5 second log 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.1 1.1 1.1

 third log 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.7 1.7 1.8

 fourth log 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.3 2.3 2.4

 fi fth log 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.9 2.9 3.1

 6 second log 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

 third log 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

 fourth log 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

 fi fth log 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

 sixth log 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

 Number of DBH

 16-ft ≥ 26 ≥ 28 ≥ 30 ≥ 32 ≥ 34 ≥ 36 ≥ 38 ≥ 40

 log-sections Log-sections < 28 < 30 < 32 < 34 < 36 < 38 < 40 < 42

 2 second log 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.9

 3 second log 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.2

 third log 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8

 4 second log 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.9

 third log 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.7

 fourth log 2.7 2.8 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.4

 5 second log 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4

 third log 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.3

 fourth log 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.2

 fi fth log 3.2 3.3 3.5 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.9 4.0

 6 second log 0.0 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.2

 third log 0.0 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5

 fourth log 0.0 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.4

 fi fth log 0.0 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.5

 sixth log 0.0 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.9 5.1 5.3
106 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations

The number of 16-foot logs is:

Logs = (int (height/8.0)) / 2.0

 = (int (45.0/8.0)) / 2.0

 = (int (5.625)) / 2.0 (remember int( ) rounds down)

 = 2.5

The volume of the fi rst log (starting at the bottom) is calculated:

d = top diameter of log

d = dbh × (Girard form class /100.0)

 = 34.0 × (80/100.0)

 = 27.2

Volume = (0.796 × d2

) - (1.375 × d) - 1.23

 = (0.796 × 27.22

) - (1.375 × 27.2) - 1.23

 = 550.28

The volume of the second whole log is calculated:

dp = top diameter of previous log

dp = 27.2

taper = 2.8 (there are 2 logs, this is the second log, the dbh = 34)

d = dp - taper

 = 27.2 - 2.8

 = 24.4

Volume = (0.796 × d2

) - (1.375 × d) - 1.23

 = (0.796 × 24.42

) - (1.375 × 24.4) - 1.23

 = 439.13

The total volume of whole logs:

Board-foot volume = 550.28 + 439.13 = 989.41

But, there is the extra half log, so the entire routine is re-run, and the number of 16-foot logs is set 

to 3.0

The volume of the fi rst log (starting at the bottom) is calculated the same as above: 550.28

The volume of the second whole log is calculated: 

dp = 27.2

taper = 2.1 (there are 3 logs, this is the second log, the dbh = 34)

d = dp - taper

 = 27.2 - 2.1

 = 25.1
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations 107

Volume = (0.796 × d2) - (1.375 × d) - 1.23

 = (0.796 × 25.12

) - (1.375 × 25.1) - 1.23

 = 465.75

The volume of the third whole log is calculated: 

dp = 25.1

taper = 2.8 (there are 3 logs, this is the third log, the dbh= 34)

d = dp - taper

 = 25.1 - 2.8

 = 22.3

Volume = (0.796 × d2

) - (1.375 × d) - 1.23

 = (0.796 × 22.32

) - (1.375 × 22.3) - 1.23

 = 363.95

So, the total volume, if there are 3 whole 16-foot logs would be:

Board-foot volume = 550.28 + 465.75 + 363.95

 = 1379.98

The fi nal board-foot volume is the average of the two:

Board-foot volume = (989.41 + 1379.98) / 2

 = 1184.7
108 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations

PLANT SPECIES DIVERSITY

Similarity Measures

NED-2 includes measures of similarity (beta-diversity) that are calculated between plots and 

stands in your management unit. An option is available for the choice of stems per unit area 

or basal area for the variable used in the following Renkonen’s Index of Similarity Percentage 

(Renkonen 1938) and Morisita-Horn Similarity Index (Morisita 1959, Horn 1966) calculations.

Five measures are reported as follows:

Sorensen’s Similarity Coeffi cient - Sorensen’s coeffi cient (1948) is based on presence-absence 

of species. Values range from 0-1, where low values indicate little or no similarity, and higher 

values indicate stronger similarity. This measure gives more weight to species that occur in both 

samples. 

Based on presence/absence of species throughout all plots in the stand, 

Sørensen’s index is computed for all the possible pairs of plots.

The fi nal index is the mean value of the pair indices.

Formula for Sørensen’s SI:

 S = 2a/(2a+b+c)

Where

 a = number of species occurring on both plots

 b = number of species occurring only in fi rst plot

 c = number of species occurring only in second plot

Based on presence/absence of species throughout all plots in the stand, 

Jaccard’s index is computed for all the possible pairs of plots.

The fi nal index is the mean value of the pair indices.

Formula for Jaccard’s SI:

 J = a/(a+b+c)

Where

 a = number of species occurring on both plots

 b = number of species occurring only in fi rst plot

 c = number of species occurring only in second plot

Jaccard’s Similarity Coeffi cient - Jaccard’s coeffi cient (1901) is based on presence-absence of 

species. Values range from 0-1, where low values indicate little or no similarity, and higher values 

indicate stronger similarity. This measure gives more weight to species that are unique to each 

sample.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations 109

Based on presence/absence of species throughout all plots in the stand, 

Formula for Whittaker’s SI:

 W = (S/a) - 1

Where

 S = total number of species occurring in all plots

 a = average number of species found on each plot.

Whittaker’s Similarity Coeffi cient - Whittaker’s coeffi cient (1960) is based on presenceabsence of species. Low values indicate stronger similarity, and higher values indicate little or 

no similarity. The fewer species that samples share, the higher the value of Whittaker’s measure 

(higher diversity or conversely, lower similarity).

Renkonen’s Index (Percent Similarity) - Renkonen’s index (1938) is based on abundance 

data, specifi cally, the relative abundance of species. Values range from 0-100, where low values 

indicate little or no similarity, and higher values indicate stronger similarity. In NED-2, you can 

specify the measure of abundance (i.e., basal area, stems per unit area, percent cover) that best 

matches the data source (i.e., overstory, understory, ground cover).

Renkonen’s index is computed for all the possible pairs of plots.

The fi nal index is the mean value of the pair indices.

Formula for Renkonen’s P: 

∑

Where

P1i

 = relative value of species i in plot 1

P2i

 = relative value of species i in plot 2

species

(minimum of P1i or P2i)
110 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations

Morisita-Horn Similarity Index - The Morisita-Horn index (Morisita 1959, Horn 1966) is based 

on abundance data and is somewhat sensitive to the most highly abundant species (Magurran 

1988). Values range from 0-1, where low values indicate little or no similarity, and higher values 

indicate stronger similarity. In NED-2, you can specify the measure of abundance (i.e., basal area, 

stems per unit area, percent cover) that best matches the data source (i.e., overstory, understory, 

ground cover).

The Formula for the Morisita-Horn index is:

Where:

 N1

 = the total number of individuals in plot 1

 N2

 = the total number of individuals in plot 2

 N1i = the total number of individuals of species i in plot 1

 N2i = the total number of individuals of species i in plot 2

And

 and

2 × ∑species(N1i × N2i

)

d1 + d2 + N1 + N2

∑speciesN1i

2

2 N1

∑speciesN2i

2

2 N2

Diversity Program

In addition to the internal diversity calculations available in NED-2, a separate, external program 

is installed with NED-2 that allows you to calculate any of the NED-2 diversity measures 

described in this section. Currently, you can calculate measures of similarity for any stand for any 

time period including the year of inventory, baseline, or any year in a management plan.

 1. Launch NED-2.

 2. From the Tools menu, click NED Diversity.

 3. From the Diversity indices dialog, click the Snapshots button to pick the fi le and stand to 

use in the calculations.

 4. From the Choose a snapshot dialog, click the File button to pick the NED-2 data fi le that 

contains the stands you wish to use.

 5. Browse to and select the desired fi le, and click the Open button.

 6. From the list of stands, select the stand and the time period (e.g., inventory, baseline). 

 7. Click OK.

 8. The Diversity indexes dialog displays values for Sorensen’s measure of similarity as 

shown in Figure 10. Plot-cluster IDs are identifi ed in the fi rst column and along the top of 

each column.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations 111

 9. In the left-most pick list in the top-left corner, select the diversity measure you wish to 

calculate. 

 10. In the pick list to the right, select a forest layer (overstory, understory, or ground).

 11. Check Include dead if you wish to include dead observations in the calculation.

 12. If you select a quantitative measure (Renkonen’s or Morista-Horn), you need to select a 

measure of abundance (stems per unit area, basal area, or percent cover).

 13. As you make selections, NED-2 automatically displays the results of the calculation on the 

dialog. 

 14. NED-2 displays the diversity measure for each possible combination of plot-cluster pairs 

in the stand. In Figure 10, plot-clusters are numbered sequentially in the order they were 

added during data entry. Also displayed is an overall average based on all of the possible 

combinations of plot-cluster pairs, as well as a range of values for the stand.

 15. If you wish to see a breakdown of abundance values for each plot-cluster by species, 

click the Species X Cluster button. NED-2 displays either stems per unit area, basal area, 

or percent cover, by plot-cluster and species, depending on the current abundance value 

selected for the quantitative similarity measure.

Figure 10. The NED-2 Diversity Measures Program.
112 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations

FOREST TYPES

The forest type is based on the species composition of the overstory, and species composition is 

based on the proportion of total stand basal area represented by each species in the stand. 

In calculating the forest type, NED-2 uses the following defi nitions:

1. Stands – Forest types are applied to stands, which are forested areas of reasonably 

homogeneous species composition and structure. Stand size may vary widely, but is 

usually in the range of 5 to 100 acres. Large forested areas may therefore contain stands of 

several forest types.

2. Characteristic species – Those species that characterize a given forest type, as shown in 

the forest type descriptions. Characteristic species usually dictate forest management.

3. Associated species – Those species commonly found in a forest type in addition to the 

characteristic species. A species may be listed as an associated species in any number of 

forest types.

4. Pure types – Those types in which the title species represents at least 80 percent of the 

stand basal area. Stands that qualify for both a pure and multiple species type will be 

assigned to the pure type.

5. Base types – Typically, those types in which species of a single genus constitute the 

characteristic species (with some exceptions, such as beech-birch), and they represent at 

least 50 percent of the stand basal area; these species plus the associated species together 

represent at least 65 percent of the basal area. This category may include a mixture of 

species in which a single species or genus dictates management, even though it does not 

meet the defi nition (80 percent of the basal area) of a pure stand. Note that base forest 

types have a more general name than a pure stand of the same species (i.e., “cedar” and 

“maple” are base types, while “northern white cedar” and “sugar maple” are pure types).

6. Mixed types – Do not qualify for either pure or base types as described above, but are 

comprised of species that characterize pure, base, or other mixed types. At least two or 

more “characteristic forest types” are represented in a mixed forest type, and at least 50 

percent of the stand basal area must be represented by species from these types; these 

species plus the associated species together represent at least 65 percent of the basal area. 

Species from any single characteristic forest type must represent at least 10 percent of the 

stand basal area.

Pure Forest Types

Any species that represents at least 80 percent of the stand basal area are recognized as a pure 

type; the type name is the full species common name. Thus, a stand with at least 80 percent of its 

basal area in eastern white pine is defi ned as an Eastern White Pine type.

Base Forest Types

In base forest types, the characteristic species must represent at least 50 percent of total stand 

basal area; characteristic species plus associated species must represent at least 65 percent of total 

stand basal area. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations 113

Base forest types include the following:

aspen

The characteristic species are: balsam poplar, big-tooth aspen, and quaking aspen.

The associated species are: American beech, black cherry, eastern hemlock, gray birch, paper 

birch, pin cherry, red maple, sugar maple, sweet birch, and yellow birch. 

bay-swamp pocosin 

The characteristic species are: American elm, American holly, Atlantic white cedar, black-gum, 

cabbage palmetto, Carolina ash, fl owering dogwood, laurel oak, loblolly bay, pond cypress, 

pond pine, red maple, redbay, slash pine, southern magnolia, swamp bay, swamp tupelo, 

sweetbay, sweetgum, tuliptree, and water oak.

The associated species are: American snowbell, buckwheat tree, dahoon, live oak, loblolly pine, 

longleaf pine, myrtle dahoon, poison sumac, possumhaw, sand live oak, saw palmetto, scentless 

bayberry, southern bayberry, southern redcedar, stiff dogwood, swamp titi, titi, wax myrtle, and 

yaupon. 

beech-birch 

The characteristic species are: American beech and yellow birch.

The associated species are: None.

beech magnolia 

The characteristic species are: American beech and southern magnolia.

The associated species are: American elm, American sycamore, black ash, black willow, 

eastern cottonwood, green ash, pin oak, plains cottonwood, red maple, river birch, silver maple, 

sugarberry, swamp cottonwood, sweetgum, sycamore, tuliptree, and willow. 

beech maple

The characteristic species are: American beech and sugar maple.

The associated species are: American elm, bitternut hickory, black walnut, common hackberry, 

hophornbeam, northern red oak, Ohio buckeye, shagbark hickory, slippery elm, white ash, 

white oak.

birch 

The characteristic species are: gray birch and paper birch.

The associated species are: American beech, big-tooth aspen, black cherry, eastern hemlock, pin 

cherry, quaking aspen, red maple, sugar maple, sweet birch, and yellow birch. 

bottomland conifer 

The characteristic species are: balsam fi r, Atlantic white cedar, tamarack, black spruce, red pine, 

eastern white pine, eastern hemlock, and Carolina hemlock.

The associated species are: boxelder, red maple, silver maple, black ash, green ash, balsam 

poplar, eastern cottonwood, peachleaf willow, pussy willow, river willow, black willow, 

American elm, and slippery elm. 
114 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations

bottomland hardwoods 

The characteristic species are: American elm, American sycamore, bald cypress, balsam poplar, 

black ash, black walnut, black willow, boxelder, eastern cottonwood, green ash, pawpaw, pin 

oak, plains cottonwood, red maple, river birch, silver maple, sugarberry, swamp cottonwood, 

sweetgum, sycamore, tuliptree, and willow.

The associated species are: alternate-leaf dogwood, American basswood, American beech, 

American bladdernut, American holly, American hornbeam, northern white cedar, arroyo 

willow, balsam fi r, Barclay’s willow, Bebb willow, big-tooth aspen, black cherry, black spruce, 

black-gum, bur oak, butternut, chestnut oak, chokecherry, Coastal Plain willow, common 

hackberry, common persimmon, cottonwood, diamondleaf willow, dune willow, eastern 

hemlock, eastern white pine, feltleaf willow, fl owering dogwood, Geyer’s willow, Goodding’s 

willow, gray birch, hazel alder, hickory, honeylocust, larch, laurel willow, loblolly pine, maple, 

Missouri River willow, narrowleaf willow, northern red oak, northwest sandbar willow, oak, 

overcup oak, paper birch, peachleaf willow, pecan, pin cherry, planertree, poison sumac, 

possumhaw, purpleosier willow, pussy willow, quaking aspen, red spruce, river willow, rock 

elm, roughleaf dogwood, Scouler’s willow, serviceberry, shagbark hickory, shellbark hickory, 

shining willow, silky willow, Sitka willow, slippery elm, southwestern white pine, strapleaf 

willow, sugar maple, swamp chestnut oak, swamp tupelo, swamp white oak, sweet birch, 

tamarack, Texas red oak, Virginia pine, walnut, water hickory, water locust, water oak, white 

ash, white spruce, white willow, willow oak, winged elm, yellow birch, and yellow willow. 

cedar 

The characteristic species are: Northern white cedar and Atlantic white cedar.

The associated species are: balsam fi r, red maple, yellow birch, paper birch, tamarack, white 

spruce, black spruce, red spruce, eastern white pine, balsam poplar, big-tooth aspen, and 

quaking aspen. 

cherry 

The characteristic species is: black cherry.

The associated species are: American basswood, American beech, big-tooth aspen, cucumbertree, eastern hemlock, northern red oak, paper birch, pin cherry, quaking aspen, red maple, 

sugar maple, sweet birch, and yellow birch. 

Douglas-fi r

The characteristic species are: Douglas-fi r, grand fi r, and lodgepole pine.

The associated species are: incense cedar, ponderosa pine, quaking aspen, western hemlock, 

western larch, and western white pine. 

Engelmann spruce subalpine fi r

The characteristic species are: Engelmann spruce and subalpine fi r.

The associated species are: Douglas-fi r, lodgepole pine, mountain hemlock, and western white 

pine. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations 115

fi r

The characteristic species are: balsam fi r and Fraser fi r.

The associated species are: red maple, yellow birch, paper birch, Atlantic white cedar, 

tamarack, white spruce, black spruce, red spruce, eastern white pine, northern white cedar, 

hemlock, eastern hemlock, and Carolina hemlock. 

grand fi r

The characteristic species are: Douglas-fi r and grand fi r.

The associated species are: Engelmann spruce, incense cedar, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, 

quaking aspen, subalpine fi r, western hemlock, western larch and western white pine. 

hemlock

The characteristic species are: hemlock, eastern hemlock and Carolina hemlock.

The associated species are: red maple, sugar maple, yellow birch, American beech, tuliptree, 

red spruce, eastern white pine, black cherry, northern red oak, and American basswood. 

hickory

The characteristic species are: hickory, mockernut hickory, water hickory, southern shagbark 

hickory, bitternut hickory, pignut hickory, pecan, shellbark hickory, nutmeg hickory, red 

hickory, shagbark hickory, sand hickory, and black hickory.

The associated species are: maple, black maple, red maple, buckeye, Ohio buckeye, horse 

chestnut, ailanthus, American hornbeam, American chestnut, chinkapin, Ozark chinkapin, 

catalpa, southern catalpa, northern catalpa, hackberry, and eastern redbud. 

live oak maritime

The characteristic species is: live oak.

The associated species are: cabbage palmetto and southern redcedar. 

loblolly pine-shortleaf pine

The characteristic species are: eastern redcedar, shortleaf pine and loblolly pine.

The associated species are: red maple, hickory, mockernut hickory, bitternut hickory, pignut 

hickory, eastern redbud, white fringetree, fl owering dogwood, common persimmon, American 

beech, Carolina buckthorn, white ash, Carolina ash, American witchhazel, American holly, 

southern redcedar, sweetgum, tuliptree, sweetbay, wax myrtle, swamp tupelo, black-gum, 

sourwood, redbay, slash pine, longleaf pine, Table Mountain pine, pitch pine, pond pine, 

Virginia pine, black cherry, white oak, scarlet oak, southern red oak, laurel oak, blackjack 

oak, water oak, cherrybark oak, willow oak, northern red oak, post oak, black oak, sassafras, 

common sweetleaf, western red cedar, winged elm, farkleberry, and rusty blackhaw. 

lodgepole pine

The characteristic species is: lodgepole pine.

The associated species are: Engelmann spruce, ponderosa pine and white fi r. 
116 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations

longleaf pine

The longleaf pine forest type is a base forest type. The characteristic species is: longleaf pine.

The associated species are: blackgum, blackjack oak, common persimmon, dogwood, loblolly 

pine, sassafras, shortleaf pine, slash pine, southern red oak, swamp tupelo, sweetgum, and water 

oak. 

mangroves

The characteristic species are: American mangrove, black mangrove, and white mangrove.

The associated species are: button mangrove, cabbage palmetto, and West Indian mahogany. 

maple

The characteristic species are: red maple and sugar maple.

The associated species are: American basswood, American beech, big-tooth aspen, black cherry, 

cucumber-tree, eastern hemlock, northern red oak, paper birch, pin cherry, quaking aspen, 

striped maple, sweet birch, yellow-poplar, and white ash. 

maple basswood

The characteristic species are: American basswood, sugar maple, and black maple.

The associated species are: American elm, bitternut hickory, bur oak, butternut, green ash, 

hophornbeam, northern red oak, shagbark hickory, shellbark hickory, slippery elm, white ash, 

and white oak.

mesic mixed southern pine

The characteristic species are: American elm, Atlantic white cedar, Carolina ash, loblolly bay, 

loblolly pine, longleaf pine, pond cypress, pond pine, red maple, slash pine, swamp bay, swamp 

tupelo, sweetbay, sweetgum, and water oak.

The associated species are: bald cypress, black-gum, blackjack oak, bluejack oak, buckwheat 

tree, cabbage palmetto, common persimmon, dogwood, fl owering dogwood, hickory, laurel 

oak, live oak, myrtle dahoon, myrtle oak, post oak, sand live oak, sand pine, sassafras, scentless 

bayberry, shortleaf pine, southern bayberry, southern red oak, southern redcedar, swamp titi, titi, 

turkey oak, water tupelo, and yaupon. 

oak

The characteristic species are: oak, white oak, scarlet oak, northern pin oak, Emory oak, 

southern red oak, bear oak, overcup oak, bur oak, blackjack oak, chinkapin oak, cherrybark oak, 

pin oak, willow oak, chestnut oak, northern red oak, post oak, black oak, and live oak.

The associated species are: maple, red maple, tree of heaven, hickory, mockernut hickory, water 

hickory, bitternut hickory, pignut hickory, pecan, shellbark hickory, nutmeg hickory, shagbark 

hickory, sand hickory, black hickory, American chestnut, hackberry, common hackberry, 

fl owering dogwood, common persimmon, butternut, black walnut, sweetgum, tuliptree, 

blackgum, pitch pine, black locust, and sassafras. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations 117

pine

The characteristic species are: jack pine, Table Mountain pine, red pine, pitch pine, and eastern 

white pine.

The associated species are: red maple, sugar maple, gray birch, hickory, mockernut hickory, 

bitternut hickory, pignut hickory, pecan, shellbark hickory, shagbark hickory, white ash, yellowpoplar, red spruce, shortleaf pine, loblolly pine, Virginia pine, big-tooth aspen, quaking aspen, 

chestnut oak, and eastern hemlock. 

plantation fi r

The characteristic species are: Pacifi c silver fi r, balsam fi r, white fi r, Fraser fi r, and grand fi r.

The associated species are: None. 

plantation larch

The characteristic species are: European larch, Japanese larch, tamarack, and western larch.

The associated species are: None. 

plantation pine

The characteristic species are: jack pine, sand pine, lodgepole pine, shortleaf pine, slash pine, 

western white pine, longleaf pine, Table Mountain pine, red pine, pitch pine, pond pine, eastern 

white pine, Scotch pine, loblolly pine and Virginia pine.

The associated species are: None.

plantation spruce

The characteristic species are: Norway spruce, white spruce, black spruce, blue spruce, red 

spruce and Sitka spruce.

The associated species are: None. 

pond pine

The characteristic species are: Atlantic white cedar and pond pine.

The associated species are: bald cypress, blackgum, eastern white pine, gray birch, hemlock, 

loblolly bay, loblolly pine, pitch pine, pond cypress, red maple, redbay, slash pine, southern 

bayberry, southwestern white pine, swamp titi, swamp tupelo, sweetbay, sweetgum, wax myrtle, 

western white pine, and yellow birch. 

pond pine pocosin

The characteristic species is: pond pine.

The associated species are: red maple, swamp titi, loblolly bay, sweetgum, sweetbay, southern 

bayberry, wax myrtle, swamp tupelo, redbay, slash pine, loblolly pine, pond cypress, and bald 

cypress. 
118 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations

ponderosa pine

The characteristic species is: ponderosa pine.

The associated species are: Douglas-fi r and grand fi r. 

sand pine

The characteristic species is: sand pine.

The associated species are: Boynton sand post oak, Chapman oak, common persimmon, dwarf 

live oak, longleaf pine, myrtle oak, and turkey oak.

southern bottomland hardwoods

The characteristic species are: boxelder, red maple, silver maple, pawpaw, black mangrove, 

water hickory, bitternut hickory, cypress, sweetgum, yellow-poplar, southern magnolia, 

sweetbay, water tupelo, swamp tupelo, blackgum, redbay, slash pine, pond pine, loblolly pine, 

laurel oak, swamp chestnut oak, cherrybark oak, willow oak, pond cypress, bald cypress, and 

American elm. 

The associated species are: painted buckeye, American hornbeam, mockernut hickory, pignut 

hickory, shellbark hickory, shagbark hickory, sugarberry, eastern redbud, Atlantic white 

cedar, buckwheat tree, roughleaf dogwood, stiff dogwood, common persimmon, American 

beech, Carolina ash, green ash, pumpkin ash, water locust, honeylocust, dahoon, possumhaw, 

American holly, yellow-poplar, wax myrtle, red mulberry, Ogeechee tupelo, sourwood, spruce 

pine, longleaf pine, planertree, eastern cottonwood, swamp cottonwood, white oak, southern 

red oak, overcup oak, water oak, northern red oak, Shumard oak, bottomland post oak, post 

oak, Texas red oak, Coastal Plain willow, black willow, American snowbell, poison sumac, and 

winged elm. 

southern pine

The characteristic species are: loblolly pine, shortleaf pine, and Virginia pine. 

The associated species are: bitternut hickory, black hickory, black oak, blackgum, chestnut 

oak, common persimmon, fl owering dogwood, hickory, mockernut hickory, northern red 

oak, nutmeg hickory, pecan, pignut hickory, pitch pine, red maple, sand hickory, scarlet oak, 

shagbark hickory, shellbark hickory, sweetgum, water hickory, and white oak. 

southern scrub oak

The characteristic species are: sand live oak, bluejack oak, turkey oak, runner oak, blackjack 

oak, myrtle oak, and live oak. 

The associated species are: common persimmon and saw palmetto. 

spruce

The characteristic species are: black spruce, red spruce, and white spruce. 

The associated species are: Atlantic white cedar, northern white cedar, eastern hemlock, eastern 

white pine, Fraser fi r, Pacifi c silver fi r, paper birch, red maple, and yellow birch. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations 119

tropical hardwoods

The characteristic species are: false mastic, false tamarind, Florida poisontree, gumbo limbo, 

lancewood, leadwood, live oak, redbay, sea torchwood, tietongue, and white bully.

The associated species are: None. 

xeric mixed southern pine

The characteristic species are: shortleaf pine, Table Mountain pine, pitch pine, and Virginia 

pine. 

The associated species are: red maple, gray birch, hickory, Atlantic white cedar, fl owering 

dogwood, American holly, eastern redcedar, sweetgum, yellow-poplar, sweetbay, swamp tupelo, 

blackgum, sourwood, eastern white pine, loblolly pine, black cherry, white oak, scarlet oak, 

southern red oak, blackjack oak, chinkapin oak, willow oak, chestnut oak, northern red oak, 

post oak, black oak, and sassafras. 

yellow poplar

The characteristic species is: yellow-poplar. 

The associated species are: red maple, sugar maple, yellow birch, sweet birch, paper birch, 

American beech, cucumber-tree, big-tooth aspen, quaking aspen, pin cherry, northern red oak, 

American basswood, and eastern hemlock. 

Mixed Forest Types

Mixed forest types are comprised of species from two or more characteristic forest types, which 

may be pure, base, or other mixed types.

Mixed forest types include the following:

Allegheny hardwoods

The characteristic types are: cherry and northern hardwoods. 

The associated species are: American basswood, bigtooth aspen, cucumber-tree, eastern 

hemlock, northern red oak, paper birch, pin cherry, quaking aspen, striped maple, sweet birch, 

yellow-poplar, and white ash. 

Appalachian hardwoods

The characteristic types are: northern hardwoods and yellow-poplar. 

The associated species are: balsam fi r, striped maple, buckeye, serviceberry, pawpaw, sweet 

birch, paper birch, American hornbeam, hickory, bitternut hickory, common hackberry, eastern 

redbud, fl owering dogwood, white ash, black ash, green ash, American witchhazel, butternut, 

black walnut, sweetgum, tuliptree, cucumber-tree, mountain magnolia, southern magnolia, 

umbrella-tree, sweetbay, swamp tupelo, blackgum, hophornbeam, red spruce, shortleaf pine, 

eastern white pine, loblolly pine, Virginia pine, cottonwood, bigtooth aspen, quaking aspen, pin 

cherry, black cherry, oak, white oak, southern red oak, chestnut oak, northern red oak, black 

locust, sassafras, bald cypress, northern white cedar, basswood, American basswood, hemlock, 

eastern hemlock, Carolina hemlock, and American elm. 
120 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations

aspen northern hardwoods

The characteristic types are: aspen and northern hardwoods. 

The associated species are: None.

aspen pine

The characteristic types are: aspen and pine. 

The associated species are: None.

aspen spruce-fi r

The characteristic types are: aspen and spruce-fi r. 

The associated species are: None.

aspen-birch

The characteristic types are: aspen and birch. 

The associated species are: American beech, black cherry, eastern hemlock, red maple, sugar 

maple, sweet birch, and yellow birch. 

bottomland mixed

The characteristic types are: bottomland conifer and bottomland hardwoods. 

The associated species are: None.

hemlock hardwoods

The characteristic types are: hemlock and northern hardwoods. 

The associated species are: striped maple, sweet birch, paper birch, white ash, yellow-poplar, 

cucumbertree, red spruce, eastern white pine, bigtooth aspen, quaking aspen, pin cherry, black 

cherry, northern red oak, and American basswood. 

longleaf pine-scrub oak 

The characteristic types are: longleaf pine and southern scrub oak. 

The associated species are: southern bayberry, swamp titi, and wax myrtle. 

mesic mixed pine-hardwoods

The characteristic types are: mesic mixed southern pine and southern mixed mesic hardwoods. 

The associated species are: American holly, buckwheat tree, cherrybark oak, farkleberry, 

fl owering dogwood, hawthorn, littleleaf titi, mockernut hickory, myrtle dahoon, northern 

red oak, pignut hickory, possumhaw, post oak, redbay, rusty blackhaw, scarlet oak, scentless 

bayberry, shagbark hickory, shortleaf pine, sourwood, southern bayberry, southern red oak, 

spruce pine, swamp chestnut oak, yellow-poplar, Virginia pine, wax myrtle, white ash, white 

oak, and yaupon. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations 121

northern hardwoods

The characteristic types are: beech-birch and maple. 

The associated species are: balsam fi r, Fraser fi r, striped maple, mountain maple, yellow 

buckeye, serviceberry, pawpaw, sweet birch, paper birch, American hornbeam, hickory, 

bitternut hickory, common hackberry, fl owering dogwood, white ash, black ash, green ash, 

American witchhazel, butternut, black walnut, yellow-poplar, cucumber-tree, hophornbeam, 

white spruce, red spruce, eastern white pine, bigtooth aspen, quaking aspen, pin cherry, black 

cherry, chokecherry, white oak, southern red oak, northern red oak, black oak, mountain ash, 

northern white cedar, basswood, American basswood, American basswood, hemlock, eastern 

hemlock, elm, American elm, and rock elm. 

oak bottomland hardwoods

The characteristic types are: bottomland hardwoods and oak.

The associated species are: None.

oak northern hardwoods

The characteristic types are: northern hardwoods and oak-hickory.

The associated species are: American basswood, bigtooth aspen, black cherry, black locust, 

black walnut, blackgum, butternut, common persimmon, cucumber-tree, eastern hemlock, 

fl owering dogwood, paper birch, pin cherry, pitch pine, quaking aspen, sassafras, striped maple, 

sweet birch, sweetgum, tree of heaven, yellow-poplar, and white ash. 

oak northern pine

The characteristic types are: oak-hickory and pine.

The associated species are: None.

oak southern pine

The characteristic types are: oak-hickory and southern pine.

The associated species are: black locust, black walnut, blackgum, butternut, common 

persimmon, fl owering dogwood, oak, pin oak, pitch pine, red maple, sassafras, swamp white 

oak, sweetgum, tree-of-heaven, and yellow-poplar. 

oak yellow poplar

The characteristic types are: oak and yellow-poplar.

The associated species are: American basswood, American beech, bigtooth aspen, 

cucumbertree, eastern hemlock, paper birch, pin cherry, quaking aspen, red maple, sugar maple, 

sweet birch, and yellow birch. 
122 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations

oak-hickory

The characteristic types are: hickory and oak.

The associated species are: striped maple, red maple, sugar maple, buckeye, tree of heaven, 

serviceberry, pawpaw, yellow birch, sweet birch, paper birch, American hornbeam, chinkapin, 

eastern redbud, alternate-leaf dogwood, roughleaf dogwood, fl owering dogwood, common 

persimmon, American beech, white ash, green ash, American witchhazel, butternut, black 

walnut, eastern redcedar, mountain laurel, sweetgum, tuliptree, cucumber-tree, blackgum, 

hophornbeam, sourwood, shortleaf pine, longleaf pine, Table Mountain pine, red pine, pitch 

pine, eastern white pine, loblolly pine, Virginia pine, bigtooth aspen, quaking aspen, American 

plum, black cherry, shingle oak, bluejack oak, turkey oak, chinkapin oak, great laurel, black 

locust, sassafras, gum bully, basswood, eastern hemlock, winged elm, and American elm. 

pine hardwoods

The characteristic types are: northern hardwoods and pine.

The associated species are: American basswood, bigtooth aspen, bitternut hickory, black cherry, 

black hickory, chestnut oak, cucumber-tree, eastern hemlock, gray birch, hickory, loblolly pine, 

mockernut hickory, northern red oak, nutmeg hickory, paper birch, pecan, pignut hickory, pin 

cherry, quaking aspen, red spruce, sand hickory, shagbark hickory, shellbark hickory, shortleaf 

pine, striped maple, sweet birch, tuliptree, Virginia pine, water hickory, and white ash. 

pine hemlock

The characteristic types are: hemlock and pine.

The associated species are: American basswood, American beech, bigtooth aspen, bitternut 

hickory, black cherry, black hickory, chestnut oak, gray birch, hickory, loblolly pine, mockernut 

hickory, northern red oak, nutmeg hickory, pecan, pignut hickory, quaking aspen, red maple, red 

spruce, sand hickory, shagbark hickory, shellbark hickory, shortleaf pine, sugar maple, yellowpoplar, Virginia pine, water hickory, white ash, and yellow birch. 

sand pine-southern scrub oak

The characteristic types are: sand pine and southern scrub oak.

The associated species are: Chapman oak, common persimmon, dwarf live oak, longleaf pine, 

and saw palmetto. 

southern mixed mesic hardwoods

The characteristic types are: Appalachian hardwoods and beech magnolia.

The associated species are: None.

spruce-fi r

The characteristic types are: fi r and spruce.

The associated species are: American beech, northern white cedar, Atlantic white cedar, black 

cherry, cottonwood, eastern hemlock, eastern white pine, gray birch, hemlock, mountain ash, 

mountain maple, northern red oak, paper birch, pin cherry, red maple, red pine, southwestern 

white pine, striped maple, sugar maple, tamarack, western white pine, yellow birch, and yellow 

buckeye. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations 123

spruce-northern hardwoods

The characteristic types are: northern hardwoods and spruce-fi r.

The associated species are: American basswood, Atlantic white cedar, bigtooth aspen, black 

cherry, cucumber-tree, northern white cedar, eastern hemlock, eastern white pine, northern 

red oak, paper birch, pin cherry, quaking aspen, striped maple, sweet birch, tamarack, yellowpoplar, and white ash. 

white pine-hemlock

The characteristic types are: hemlock and pine.

The associated species are: alternate-leaf dogwood, American basswood, American beech, 

American elm, American witchhazel, northern white cedar, balsam fi r, basswood, bigtooth 

aspen, black ash, black cherry, black locust, black oak, blackgum, chestnut oak, fl owering 

dogwood, gray birch, hemlock, hickory, hophornbeam, mountain laurel, mountain maple, 

northern red oak, paper birch, pin cherry, post oak, quaking aspen, red maple, red spruce, scarlet 

oak, shortleaf pine, sourwood, striped maple, sugar maple, swamp tupelo, sweet birch, Table 

Mountain pine, yellow-poplar, Virginia pine, white ash, white oak, white spruce, and yellow 

birch. 

xeric mixed pine-hardwoods

The characteristic types are: oak-hickory and xeric mixed southern pine.

The associated species are: red maple, eastern redbud, fl owering dogwood, common 

persimmon, yellow-poplar, swamp tupelo, blackgum, sourwood, Table Mountain pine, and 

winged elm. 

yellow-poplar bottomland hardwoods

The characteristic types are: bottomland hardwoods and yellow poplar.

The associated species are: maple, boxelder, black maple, red maple, silver maple, buckeye, 

Ohio buckeye, serviceberry, Saskatoon serviceberry, common serviceberry, Allegheny 

serviceberry, pawpaw, birch, yellow birch, sweet birch, river birch, hackberry, sugarberry, 

common hackberry, eastern redbud, Kentucky yellowwood, alternate-leaf dogwood, fl owering 

dogwood, American beech, ash, white ash, Carolina ash, black ash, green ash, silverbell, 

Carolina silverbell, magnolia, cucumber-tree, mountain magnolia, bigleaf magnolia, umbrellatree, sweetbay, tupelo, blackgum, hophornbeam, sourwood, sycamore, American sycamore, 

eastern cottonwood, black cherry, southern red oak, northern red oak, American basswood, 

poison sumac, elm, American elm, slippery elm, and rock elm. 
124 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations

Prescription Forest Type

Prescription forest types are a subset of forest types that occur in nature. Published silvicultural 

studies have mostly been limited to the more common, widespread, and commercially valuable 

forest types. Therefore, NED-2 has established a set of goals based on desired future conditions 

(DFCs) of several well-known forest types, and these are collectively referred to as prescription 

forest types. 

The analysis of specifi c timber goals is governed by the same logic regardless of prescription 

forest type, but there are slight differences in some conditions depending on the forest type. 

NED-2 attempts to map your forest type into one of the prescription forest types as shown in 

Table 5. 

NOTE: Single-species forest types are pure stands with at least 80 percent of the stand basal area 

comprised by that species.

Wildlife Forest Type (HAM)

This is the forest type used for wildlife analysis in NED-2. In evaluating wildlife goals, NED-2 

attempts to map your forest type into one of the Habitat Assessment Model (HAM) (Cleveland 

and Finney 1998) forest types as shown in Table 5. If a forest type is not listed in the table, then 

NED-2 cannot evaluate the wildlife goals for that type.

Table 5. Prescription and wildlife forest types in NED-2.

NED forest type Prescription type HAM type

cherry Allegheny hardwoods NORTHERN HARDWOOD

Allegheny hardwoods Allegheny hardwoods NORTHERN RED OAK

yellow poplar Appalachian hardwoods NORTHERN RED OAK

Appalachian hardwoods Appalachian hardwoods NORTHERN HARDWOOD

oak yellow poplar Appalachian hardwoods NORTHERN RED OAK

southern mixed mesic hardwoods Appalachian hardwoods WHITE PINE/RED OAK/RED MAPLE

yellow poplar bottomland hardwoods Appalachian hardwoods RED MAPLE (WET SITES)

aspen aspen-birch ASPEN

birch aspen-birch BIRCH

aspen northern hardwoods aspen-birch NORTHERN HARDWOOD

aspen pine aspen-birch ASPEN

aspen spruce-fi r aspen-birch SPRUCE-FIR

aspen-birch aspen-birch ASPEN

hemlock hemlock-hardwoods EASTERN HEMLOCK

bottomland mixed hemlock-hardwoods RED MAPLE (WET SITES)

hemlock hardwoods hemlock-hardwoods EASTERN HEMLOCK

beech magnolia northern hardwoods NORTHERN HARDWOOD

beech-birch northern hardwoods BIRCH

maple northern hardwoods RED MAPLE (WET SITES)

northern hardwoods northern hardwoods NORTHERN HARDWOOD

bay-swamp pocosin oak-hickory RED MAPLE (WET SITES)

hickory oak-hickory NORTHERN RED OAK

live oak maritime oak-hickory NORTHERN RED OAK

oak oak-hickory NORTHERN RED OAK

southern bottomland hardwoods oak-hickory RED MAPLE (WET SITES)

southern scrub oak oak-hickory NORTHERN RED OAK

oak bottomland hardwoods oak-hickory RED MAPLE (WET SITES)

oak northern pine oak-hickory WHITE PINE/RED OAK/RED MAPLE

oak southern pine oak-hickory WHITE PINE

oak-hickory oak-hickory NORTHERN RED OAK

other hardwoods oak-northern hardwoods NORTHERN HARDWOOD

(Table 5 continued on next page)
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 4 - Calculations 125

Table 5 (continued). Prescription and wildlife forest types in NED-2.

Forest Type Program

If you want to examine how NED-2 calculates a forest type, you may run an external program 

that calculates forest type using the NED-2 algorithms. Through this program, you may evaluate 

the species composition that resulted in the forest type classifi cation. This program is installed 

with NED-2 and is accessed from the Tools menu.

1. Launch NED-2.

2. From the Tools menu, click NED Forest Type.

3. From the NED Forest Type program, select the Data tab.

4. Find your species and enter basal area values manually. Or, if you prefer, load a stand from 

an existing NED-2 fi le instead of entering basal area values by hand.

5. Click on the other tabs (i.e., Pure, Base) to look for the calculated forest type. The answer 

appears on one of the tabs, depending on the mixture of species entered.

6. On the Base and Mixed tabs, double-click the row of any of the plausible forest types to 

determine the characteristic and associated species for that type. If your stand contains 

one of the characteristic or associated species, it is displayed with the basal area value you 

provided in step 4.

NED forest type Prescription type HAM type

bottomland hardwoods oak-northern hardwoods RED MAPLE (WET SITES)

oak northern hardwoods oak-northern hardwoods NORTHERN RED OAK

Douglas-fi r spruce-fi r SPRUCE-FIR

Engelmann spruce - subalpine fi r spruce-fi r SPRUCE-FIR

fi r spruce-fi r BALSAM FIR

grand fi r spruce-fi r BALSAM FIR

plantation fi r spruce-fi r BALSAM FIR

plantation larch spruce-fi r BALSAM FIR

plantation spruce spruce-fi r SPRUCE-FIR

spruce spruce-fi r RED SPRUCE

spruce-fi r spruce-fi r SPRUCE-FIR

other mixedwoods spruce-hardwoods WHITE PINE/RED OAK/RED MAPLE

spruce-northern hardwoods spruce-hardwoods NORTHERN HARDWOOD

other softwoods white pine WHITE PINE

bottomland conifer white pine BALSAM FIR

cedar white pine BALSAM FIR

loblolly pine-shortleaf pine white pine WHITE PINE

lodgepole pine white pine WHITE PINE

longleaf pine white pine WHITE PINE

mesic mixed southern pine white pine WHITE PINE

pine white pine WHITE PINE

plantation pine white pine WHITE PINE

pond pine white pine WHITE PINE

pond pine pocosin white pine WHITE PINE

ponderosa pine white pine WHITE PINE

sand pine white pine WHITE PINE

southern pine white pine WHITE PINE

xeric mixed southern pine white pine WHITE PINE

longleaf pine-scrub oak white pine WHITE PINE

mesic mixed pine-hardwoods white pine WHITE PINE/RED OAK/RED MAPLE

pine hardwoods white pine WHITE PINE/RED OAK/RED MAPLE

pine hemlock white pine EASTERN HEMLOCK

sand pine-southern scrub oak white pine WHITE PINE

white pine-hemlock white pine WHITE PINE

xeric mixed pine-hardwoods white pine WHITE PINE/RED OAK/RED MAPLE
Chapter 5 - Management Planning

DEFINING MANAGEMENT PLANS

Forest planning involves a cycle of events, starting with establishing goals and measurement 

criteria, analyzing current conditions, testing alternative action plans, possibly refi ning goals, and 

continuing with additional analyses as necessary. The cycle moves into management action with 

the selection of the most appropriate set of treatments and conditions that most nearly satisfy 

landowner objectives. Ideally, the chosen management scenario refl ects the most desirable tradeoffs in outcomes. Through this process you determine what are the most appropriate actions and 

conditions. Eventually, after monitoring and evaluation of management actions, the planning 

cycle starts again. This chapter describes planning as it relates to developing a baseline and 

developing and comparing management plans, also called treatment plans.

Baseline and treatment plan development involve simulation of forest growth and treatment 

(cuttings). Therefore, planning within NED-2 also involves the selection of forest simulation 

models and the design of treatments that can be applied in treatment plans. 

The baseline establishes a starting point from which all management plans begin. Typically, the 

forest stands under management have not been inventoried in the same year. In order to get the 

most realistic assessment of current conditions, NED-2 requires that all stands be brought up to 

date in a common year—a baseline, in which one or more stands are simulated up to the baseline 

year that you have specifi ed. The baseline year is the year in which a NED-2 plan starts. 

The baseline and all treatment plans are developed on a planning grid, with a series of rows 

representing stands, and columns representing years. You will interact with the planning grid to 

select models and treatments and to adjust the number of years in your planning cycle.

The planning grid also displays the results of simulated data for any year specifi ed in your 

management plan. If you have simulated treatments, you may view data before and after 

treatments have been applied, allowing you to adjust treatment parameters where necessary. 

Using the on-screen display, you monitor stand conditions over time (e.g., stems per unit area, 

basal area, volume, biomass, stand diameter). You may want to design treatments to optimize the 

development of conditions within a pre-determined time frame, or you may want to know when 

your objectives are reached by utilizing a minimum number of treatments. For some objectives, 

you may want to know how long a given set of conditions may exist over time. 

In addition to analyzing stand conditions in the planning grid, NED-2 supplies several pre-defi ned 

goals that can be analyzed at various points in time under any simulated management alternative; 

vegetation tables and reports are also available for analysis of simulated forest conditions.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 5 - Management Planning 127

About Simulation

Simulation is of paramount importance in forest planning, because it allows for testing and 

evaluation of alternative management scenarios (plans) without requiring an investment in actual 

treatments, or needing to wait for the forest to grow.

NED-2 does not complete the actual forest simulation per se, but it controls the fl ow of data to 

and from external forest simulation models that are installed with NED-2. 

If your inventory design included multiple plots per cluster, NED-2 establishes one “pseudoplot” 

for each plot type (i.e., overstory, understory, ground cover). A pseudoplot is a single plot, 

generated by NED-2, that represents all the data in a given cluster within a given plot type. 

During the generation of a pseudoplot, NED-2 converts the original subplot data into per-unit 

area values and obtains the average over all subplots. For example, if a given stand has 20 plotclusters (sample points), each with 3 understory plots (subplots) per cluster, NED-2 generates 

20 pseudoplots for the understory data. This is necessary to simplify the data provided to the 

simulator in baseline and treatment plan development. 

Some limitations exist that you should be aware of, mostly pertaining to the use of the Forest 

Vegetation Simulator (FVS) and its model variants. NED-2 may prompt you in the event that any 

of the following conditions occur in your data. It is possible that other limitations may exist that 

have not been uncovered, for which the effect in NED-2 may be unpredictable. 

The following are known limitations regarding simulation of the baseline and treatment plans:

1. You cannot have more than 99 plots in any stand. 

2. You cannot have more than 999 records in one cluster.

3. You cannot have more than 1,350 records for stems ≥ 1 inch diameter at breast height 

(dbh) in the overstory and understory combined. 

4. Only records with growth form = “tree” are simulated by FVS. Records of species with 

growth forms other than “tree” are maintained from year to year without changing size or 

other attributes.

5. Records with growth form = “tree” but of unknown species are simulated as “other 

commercial hardwoods,” to match the requirements of the selected FVS variant. Different 

variants have different species substitutions. For example, NED-2 may substitute unknown 

tree species as “Other hardwood,” “Other softwood,” “Non-commercial,” or even “Other 

juniper” depending on the selected FVS variant. 

6. If NED-2 does not know the species at all, such as when the species remains unknown or 

is an “unknown species,” it is left out of simulation entirely. 
128 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 5 - Management Planning

Defi ning Treatments

Treatments are mostly comprised of cutting specifi cations designed to alter forest structure and 

development as part of an overall management strategy based on predefi ned goals. In order to 

apply treatments within a management plan, you must fi rst establish one or more treatments 

for each simulation model used in your plans. The kinds of treatments available depend on the 

forest simulation model. Establishing a treatment involves selecting one from the list of presupplied standard treatments and accepting the default parameters or modifying the parameters 

as necessary. Inside your NED-2 fi le, NED-2 maintains lists of your treatments according to the 

forest simulation models you have associated with your stands. Once you have established one or 

more treatments, you may apply them in your management plans. 

If desired, you may reuse or share treatments between NED-2 fi les, by exporting your treatment 

defi nitions into external fi les for future access. This saves time and provides for consistent 

simulation of treatment designs across management units.

Getting More Information on Treatment Simulators

The implementation of treatments is controlled by the simulator under which the treatments 

have been selected. The following steps describe how to view a list of plant species (and codes) 

recognized by a simulator, and to obtain more detailed information through web links (subject to 

availability).

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Defi ne Treatments.

3. In the Options Pane, select a forest simulation model under the list of simulation models 

shown to the far left. 

4. In the Work Pane, click the Simulator information tab.

5. Click Visit web site to obtain information about the simulator. If you do not have access to 

the Internet, refer to Dixon (2002).

6. If desired, click Set as default to establish a default simulator for treatment defi nition. 

If the simulator you are viewing is already set as the default, the Set as default button is 

disabled. NED-2 automatically starts with your default simulation model whenever you 

click Defi ne Treatments in the Navigation Pane. This setting does not affect the selection 

of simulators in baseline generation or planning.

Treatments and Implementation of the Cut

It may be easier to design a treatment with some knowledge of how the cut is implemented by 

the simulator. A variety of silvicultural manipulations may be simulated in NED-2, using the FVS 

in the background. Treatments that involve cutting operate under two general approaches for 

the removal of trees. In one approach, referred to as the priority-weighting scheme, FVS assigns 

individual removal priorities to each tree record. In the other approach, which is based on the 

establishment of a group or class of tree records, FVS essentially distributes the removals evenly 

among all trees within the class (Dixon 2002). The latter approach is referred to as a diameterlimit thinning in FVS, as classes of trees are often established for a specifi c segment of diameter 

distribution (Dixon 2002). The FVS diameter-limit thinning is not to be confused with the logging 

practice of diameter-limit cutting.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 5 - Management Planning 129

By understanding the rules by which trees will be removed according to the various treatment 

names, you can decide which approach best approximates the kind of cut you are trying to design.

Treatments using the priority-weighting of individual trees—Under the priority-weighting 

tree removal model, you may modify stand density by selecting a treatment that involves thinning 

from above or below, or using Stand Density Index (Reineke 1933). Generally, each tree record 

is assigned a removal priority according to its diameter and species. Additionally, when thinning 

from below, smaller diameters are given more priority for removal, and when thinning from 

above, larger diameters are given more priority for removal. Trees may be removed until a userset residual has been met, or they may be removed according to a user-set proportion of each 

tree record (cutting effi ciency). Residual targets apply to the defi ned range of tree diameters and 

species and do not necessarily refl ect residual stand conditions. NED-2 treatments and templates 

that follow the individual tree removal model include the following:

• Custom cut 1

• Seed tree

• Shelterwood seed cut

• Thin from below/thin from above

• Thin using stand density index if thinning from above or below

Treatments using classes of trees under the diameter-limit model—This approach distributes 

cutting evenly among a group or class of trees, such as a specifi c segment of the diameter 

distribution, or by limiting the cut to a single species, species group, or all species. Instead of 

assigning a removal priority to each tree as above, cutting occurs uniformly throughout the class 

of trees that meet the diameter and/or species criteria, and cutting is regulated according to a userset residual or a user-set proportion of each tree record (cutting effi ciency). NED-2 treatments and 

templates that allow you to treat classes of trees collectively for removal include the following:

• Custom cut 2

• Clearcut

• Row thinning

• Shelterwood removal cut

• Thin using stand density index if thinning throughout diameter range

For further reading on the simulation of stand manipulations and tree removals, refer to the FVS 

documentation (Dixon 2002).

Treatment Parameters

Once you have selected a treatment, you may customize the treatment according to your needs. 

Treatments are customized according to one or more parameters described as follows. These 

parameters are used by the FVS and have the same meaning regardless of treatment type or 

category, but subtle differences exist in how they are used depending on the treatment type. 

Cutting effi ciency - This is the proportion of trees per unit area represented by a tree record 

that is to be removed in any treatment (Dixon 2002). In NED-2, the default cutting effi ciency 

is 100 percent, meaning all the trees represented by a tree record are removed. Cutting 
130 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 5 - Management Planning

effi ciency must range between 0 and 100 and can be changed to suit your needs. In some 

cases, where residual targets are specifi ed, the simulation model ignores the user-specifi ed 

cutting effi ciency and dynamically calculates a cutting effi ciency necessary to achieve the 

target. For the following treatments, the simulation model does not dynamically adjust the 

cutting effi ciency: thin from above or below, seed tree, custom cut 1, and shelterwood seed 

cut. If the cutting effi ciency is set too low, the simulation model may not be able to obtain the 

user-set residual for these treatments.

Residual basal area (BA) - The target residual basal area per acre/hectare for a given 

treatment.

Residual trees per acre (TPA) - The target residual number of trees per acre/hectare for a 

given treatment.

Species Preference - A numeric value that affects the removal priority for a given species. 

The default value is zero for all species, and values may be positive or negative. The species 

preference infl uences the removal priority of a tree, for those treatments that remove trees 

based on individual tree priorities (custom cut 1, thin from above or below, etc, as described 

in the topic, “Treatments and Implementation of the Cut”). For these treatments only, the tree 

with the largest removal priority is removed fi rst (for example, a tree with a removal priority 

of 10 is removed before a tree with priority 2, and a tree of priority 2 is removed before a tree 

with priority -5, and so on). Thereafter, trees are selected for removal, in descending order of 

removal priority, until the residual density objective is achieved. If a user does not alter this 

parameter, the dbh is used to determine order of removal. If more than one species is being 

assigned a preference value, different preference values may be assigned to each species.

Minimum dbh - The lower boundary of the range of diameters intended for treatment.

Maximum dbh - The upper boundary of the range of diameters intended for treatment.

Stand Density Index (SDI) - The target SDI for a given treatment. SDI is a measure of 

stocking which describes density. Treatments that specify SDI are used in conjunction with 

a cutting control fl ag (see next description). Note that SDI is not to be confused with stand 

relative density as described by Ernst and Knapp (1985). See Stout and Nyland (1986) for a 

comparison of the two measures in Allegheny Hardwood stands. 

Cutting Control - A value that is used only with SDI. It determines which approach to follow 

for removing trees to a desired residual SDI. If the target SDI is nonzero and the cutting 

control value is set to “thin throughout the diameter range” in NED-2, Dixon (2002) explains 

that “...cutting occurs uniformly throughout the specifi ed dbh range until the target is met 

(the cutting effi ciency parameter is ignored and the cutting effi ciency needed to complete the 

thinning is automatically computed by the simulation model).” If the target SDI is not zero 

and the cutting control fl ag is set to “thin from above or below” in NED-2, then the cutting 

effi ciency parameter is used, and trees are removed according to individual tree priorities 

as described in the topic on treatments and implementation of the cut. Dixon (2002) further 

explains that “...if the cutting effi ciency parameter is set so low that the target cannot be 

reached, the cutting effi ciency is recalculated so that the target is met.” 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 5 - Management Planning 131

Adding Standard Treatments

Standard treatments have built-in, pre-defi ned parameters, but these parameters can be adjusted to 

suit your needs. 

 1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

 2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Defi ne Treatments.

 3. In the Options Pane, select a forest simulation model under the list of simulators shown to 

the far left. 

 4. Click the Add treatment button above the list of simulators. 

 5. From the template pick list, select one of the pre-defi ned treatments.

 6. Review the settings (parameters) of the treatment and modify them as needed.

 7. Change the treatment name to one that helps you remember the specifi cs of the treatment 

(optional).

 8. Supply a treatment description (optional).

 9. Double-click on the treatment symbol in the upper right-hand corner to select a different 

image that you wish to use to represent the treatment in the planning grid (optional).

 10. Click OK to accept the treatment. This adds the treatment to the list of available 

treatments under the current forest simulator. Click Cancel if you do not want to accept 

the treatment and wish to exit. Click Reset if you want to continue working on the 

treatment by starting over with the initial treatment parameters.

Adding Custom Treatments

You may customize any of the standard treatments by modifying parameters. Thus, any standard 

treatment can become a custom treatment. However, NED-2 provides a couple of custom 

treatment templates that allow you to adjust parameters to match your desired conditions. These 

custom templates are referred to as custom cut 1 and custom cut 2. 

Editing Existing Treatments in a Treatment Set

Once you have added a treatment to a treatment set, you may modify it at any time. However, if 

you have previously simulated a plan, you will lose all simulated data by modifying the treatment 

parameters.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Defi ne Treatments.

3. Select the forest simulation model that contains the treatment to modify. In the Options 

Pane, the forest simulators are displayed to the far left. Your existing treatments are 

displayed under the simulator. 

4. Under the forest simulator, click once on the name of the treatment to modify.

5. In the Work Pane, from the Treatment information tab, click the Edit Settings button.

6. Adjust the parameters as necessary.

7. Click OK when you are fi nished modifying parameters. Click Cancel if you do not want to 

accept the treatment and wish to exit. Click Reset if you want to continue working on the 

treatment by starting over with the initial treatment parameters.
132 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 5 - Management Planning

Deleting Existing Treatments from a Treatment Set

Once you have added a treatment to a treatment set, you may remove it at any time. However, if 

you have previously simulated a plan that contains the treatment you intend to remove, you will 

lose all simulated data in the stands that contain the treatment.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Defi ne Treatments.

3. Select the forest simulation model that contains the treatment to modify. In the Options 

Pane, the forest simulators are displayed to the far left. Your existing treatments are 

displayed under the simulator. 

4. Under the forest simulator, click once on the name of the treatment to delete.

5. Click the Delete treatment button above the list of simulators. 

6. If you have simulated plans that contain your treatment, NED-2 warns you that it will 

delete the associated plan data. Click Yes if you wish to delete the treatment.

Storing Treatment Defi nitions in an External File

To facilitate sharing or reapplying the same treatment defi nitions among several ownerships, 

properties, or users, you may export treatments to external fi les. This saves time later by allowing 

treatments to be imported into new NED-2 data fi les instead of defi ning the same treatments 

repeatedly.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Defi ne Treatments.

3. In the Options Pane of the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, click Store. The 

Export Treatments dialog opens. Only the treatments in the current (active) NED-2 fi le are 

available.

4. Choose which treatments to store.

5. At the top of the dialog, click File to specify a fi le name and location. If you pick an 

existing fi le, you cannot append to it, and you are prompted to overwrite the fi le. 

External NED-2 treatment fi les have the extension .tkb2.

Importing Treatments

Rather than defi ning treatments repeatedly, you may import treatments from existing NED-2 data 

fi les and from external NED-2 treatment defi nition fi les.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Defi ne Treatments.

3. In the Options Pane of the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, click Retrieve. The 

Import Treatments dialog opens. 

4. Click File.

5. At the bottom of the Open fi le dialog, in Files of type, choose whether to import 

treatments from a NED-2 data fi le (.mdb) or a NED-2 treatment defi nitions fi le (.tkb2).

6. Browse to and select the fi le containing the treatments to import.

7. Choose the treatments to import.

8. Click Add to existing treatments if you want the incoming treatments to be added to 

your existing treatments, or click Replace current treatments if you want to replace all 

existing treatments with the ones you are importing.

9. Click OK.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 5 - Management Planning 133

Choosing Simulation Models

About Growth Models

The processes of forest growth and mortality have been carefully studied in a variety of forest 

types across the continental United States. Researchers have incorporated site information, 

species composition, density, and other factors into models that allow us to simulate forest growth 

and mortality over time. 

A growth model, also called a forest growth and yield simulator, is used to simulate forest growth 

and mortality, and the model you decide to use depends on the forest type and the geographic area 

of a given stand. 

Currently, NED-2 provides the following growth models, which are a subset of the variants in the 

FVS:

Northeast Variant

Southern Variant

Central States Variant

Lake States Variant

Blue Mountain Variant

East Cascades Variant

Inland Empire Variant

Pacifi c Northwest Variant

You should select the most suitable growth model for each of your stands. For any stand, it is 

recommended (though not required) that you use the same growth model in management plans as 

you used to develop the baseline. 

About Regeneration Models

Few practical forest regeneration models are available for simulation. Modeling forest 

regeneration is not a simple task and there are many variables involved. Currently, NED-2 

provides for regeneration of tree seedlings using the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS). You have 

a choice of using FVS (the default selection) or not using any regeneration model. 

Selecting Models

Models are used to simulate forest growth and mortality, and tree regeneration. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Develop Baseline if you are just starting 

the planning process. New management plans inherit the same models for all stands as 

used for the baseline. If desired, you may change models in any management plan, so that 

different plans use different models which also may be different from models used in the 

baseline. To change models in management plans, click Develop treatment plans and 

select the plan to modify.
134 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 5 - Management Planning

3. From either baseline or plan development, double-click in the model column of any given 

stand. This launches the Simulation models dialog. A warning appears stating that if you 

change models, all existing simulated data is erased. NED-2 requires that changes to 

models in the baseline and in management plans require data to be re-simulated. Changing 

models in management plans does not result in changes to the baseline. If you do not wish 

to lose your simulated data, click No, then save a copy of the fi le and then resume with 

model selection. Otherwise, click Yes to continue.

4. From the Simulation models dialog, make a selection from the Growth simulators list.

5. If you wish to apply tree regeneration during growth simulation, check Apply 

regeneration.

6. If you want to refl ect the current model selection for other stands at the same time, check 

Set models for other stands. 

7. From the Simulation models dialog, click OK to accept the changes.

Establishing Default Simulation Models

NED-2 maintains default simulation models that are automatically applied to new stands. The 

only way to review the current default model settings is to examine the simulation models of 

any given stand after you have begun baseline development and before you change any model 

selections. 

Changes to the defaults do not affect existing stands. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Develop Baseline.

3. Double-click in the model column of any given stand. A warning appears stating that if 

you change models, all existing simulated data is erased. Establishing default simulation 

models results in a loss of simulated data. Click Yes to continue. 

4. From the Simulation models dialog, check Make these the default settings for future 

stands.

Establishing a Common Baseline of Data

If a management unit is comprised of several forest stands, and those stands are inventoried over 

a range of years, it is necessary to establish a common point in time—a baseline—from which 

to analyze conditions across the landscape. Having a baseline is critical to be reasonably sure 

that you are working with the most relevant information without having to re-inventory all forest 

stands in your management unit in the same year. 

A baseline can be elaborate or quite simple in design. At a minimum, you must establish a 

baseline year. 

After the baseline has been developed (designed), you must generate a baseline in order to 

complete the baseline establishment process. A baseline is required for analyzing management 

unit goals and simulating treatment plans. 

Even if all your stands were tallied in the same year, a baseline is still required as part of the steps 

in the NED-2 simulation process. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 5 - Management Planning 135

Choosing a Baseline Year

A baseline year is a designated point in time to which all stands will have been brought forward, 

through simulation, in order to establish a common starting point in the planning process. This 

year must be equal to or later than the most recent inventory year among all of your stands. 

In baseline development, a grid of cells (the baseline grid) in the Work Pane shows each stand in 

a separate row. Time in years is represented in columns. NED-2 initializes the baseline grid with 

all the years corresponding to the time when your stands were inventoried. Years are displayed as 

headings at the top of the columns. 

The cells preceding the date when a given stand was inventoried are shaded in dark gray. You 

cannot establish a baseline in any column that has a dark gray cell.

NED-2 automatically establishes a baseline year using the most recent (last) year when any of 

your stands were inventoried. If you are satisfi ed with this year, no further steps are required, and 

you may proceed to baseline generation.

The baseline year is highlighted in yellow at the top of the designated column.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Develop Baseline.

3. If you want to add time beyond the year that NED-2 automatically designated as the 

baseline, click Add Year to add one or more years to the baseline grid.

4. Enter or select a year from the list box that pops up next to the Add Year button. Only the 

latest (most recent) year can be the baseline year.

5. If desired, any year on the grid can be deleted accept years with inventory. To delete a 

year, select the column for that year and click the Delete Year button.

If you have previously generated a baseline, altering the baseline design requires the baseline and 

any plans to be re-simulated.

Historical Treatments in the Baseline

On occasion it may be necessary to refl ect treatments that have occurred in a stand since it was 

last inventoried. As with the development of treatment plans, you also may implement treatments 

in the development of the baseline.

Treatments can be added to any stand in any year after the inventory and before the baseline year.

The choice of treatments available depends on whether you have defi ned any treatments for the 

growth model selected for a stand.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Develop Baseline.

3. Double-click in the cell where you want to apply a treatment to launch the Treatment list 

dialog. If you have already generated (simulated) the baseline, a warning appears stating 

that if you make changes to the baseline design, you need to re-simulate the baseline, 
136 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 5 - Management Planning

and all treatment plans will also have to be simulated. If you do not wish to lose your 

simulated data, click No, then save a copy of the fi le and then resume with treatment 

selection. Otherwise, click Yes to continue.

4. To add a treatment, from the bottom list of available treatments on the Treatment list 

dialog, double-click on the name of the treatment to add. 

5. To remove an existing treatment from the baseline, from the upper list of scheduled 

treatments, double-click on the name of the treatment to remove. 

6. Click OK when you are fi nished.

Generating Baseline Data for All Stands

Generating the baseline requires simulating forest growth and mortality for all stands up to the 

baseline year.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Generate Baseline. NED-2 presents an 

estimation of the time required to generate the baseline. 

3. Click Yes to proceed with baseline generation.

When the baseline is successfully generated, the Options Pane in the left side of the NED-2 

window under baseline development displays the following message: Baseline data has been 

generated. If you attempt to click Generate Baseline after it has already been generated, NED-2 

alerts you that the baseline has already been generated. 

Deleting the Baseline

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Develop Baseline.

3. In the bottom of the Options Pane of the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, click 

Delete baseline. 

4. You are given a warning about invalidating your existing plans, which may be lost and/or 

altered as a result of deleting the baseline. Most assuredly, all simulated planning data 

is erased. If you click Yes, the Baseline deletion options dialog opens. Select one of the 

following options:

Delete everything - Choose this option if you want to completely erase the entire 

baseline and start over. All forest simulation model selections are removed along with 

treatments, non-inventory years, etc. (inventory data will be preserved).

Delete non-inventory years and treatments - Choose this option if you want to keep 

the simulation models, and to reset the baseline year as the most recent year that any of 

the stands were inventoried.

Delete simulation models and treatments - Choose this option if you wish to retain 

all years established on the grid. All forest simulation models and associated treatments 

are removed.

Delete treatments only - Choose this option if you only wish to remove treatments. 

All other baseline design elements remain. (Alternatively, you remove individual 

treatments from the baseline grid as follows: Double-click on the treatment cell, then 

select the treatment name on the Treatment List dialog and click Delete).

5. Click OK to proceed. You need to re-simulate the baseline and all treatment plans once the 

baseline is altered.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 5 - Management Planning 137

Building Treatment Plans

A treatment plan represents the series of intended or desired treatments that you wish to apply 

to all of the stands in your management unit into the foreseeable future, perhaps the next 10 to 

25 years or longer. It is one of several possible management scenarios you are considering in the 

management of your stands. You may establish several plans as a way to compare alternative 

management scenarios. Therefore, the purpose of setting up treatment plans is to test silvicultural 

treatments and evaluate forest growth over time to determine which scenario is most likely to 

create conditions that satisfy your management goals and objectives. 

Adding New Plans

Treatment plans may be added at any time. You may start with an empty plan or copy an existing 

plan and use it as a starting point for a new plan.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Develop Treatment Plans.

3. At the top of the Options Pane, click the Add New Plan button. The Plan information 

dialog opens.

4. If desired, enter a plan name, or accept the default.

5. If desired, enter the plan author and a description of the plan.

To start with a new, empty plan:

6. Make sure the choice at the bottom of the Plan information dialog says Empty plan

(default).

7. Click OK.

To copy an existing plan:

6. Make sure the choice at the bottom of the Plan information dialog says Copied from 

another plan.

7. From the pick list on the right, select one of the existing plans in the current NED-2 fi le.

8. Click OK.

Once the plan is added, you may want to examine the baseline data before developing the plan. 

Click the View Data button in the top-right corner of the Work Pane to proceed. The View 

Data button is relabeled as View Treatments while viewing data. Be sure to click the View 

Treatments button to return to plan development mode.

Plan Author and Description

You may enter a plan author and description to help you remember the specifi c details of the 

plan, perhaps to describe the overall strategy, or to explain the schedule of treatments. A little 

information about the plan may be helpful in the future if you need to recall why certain decisions 

were made in the planning process.
138 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 5 - Management Planning

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Develop Treatment Plans.

3. In the Options Pane, select the plan from the list of plans.

4. Near the top of the Work Pane in the upper portion of the NED-2 window, click the Edit 

plan info button. The Plan information dialog opens.

5. Change the plan name if desired.

6. Enter the plan author and a description of the plan.

7. Click OK.

Establishing a Time Frame

A time frame represents the years in your plan—the planning cycle. If you have more than one 

plan, all plans follow the same time frame, which makes sense because you would not be able to 

compare plans adequately if each plan did not occur within the same time frame. 

The time frame is managed within the planning grid. Each column represents a different year. 

A time frame may include years in the past (historical data and/or treatments), as well as years 

beyond the present. The fi rst year of your plan is automatically assigned to the baseline year that 

you established when you generated a common baseline of data among your stands. This year is 

highlighted in yellow at the top of the column.

The smallest time increment allowed on the planning grid is one year. You may have successive 

years, or you may skip years and only show time in 5- or 10-year increments or other lengths to 

suit your needs. 

For example, if your baseline year was set at the year 2000, and you were working within a 

20-year planning cycle, you could establish time in 5-year increments. Thus, your planning grid 

would have 5 columns, starting with the year 2000 (automatically provided since that would be 

the baseline year), and including the years 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020.

Adding and removing years from the planning grid results in a loss of previously simulated data.

To add years to your time frame:

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Develop Treatment Plans.

3. In the Options Pane, select any plan from the list of plans.

4. Near the top of the Work Pane, click the Add Year button. NED-2 displays a warning 

explaining that adding a year will result in the loss of simulated data in your plans. 

5. Click Yes to proceed.

6. From the Add a year dialog, you can enter a single year, or a series of years at a specifi ed 

increment (10 years is the default).

7. Click OK.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 5 - Management Planning 139

To remove years from your time frame:

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Develop Treatment Plans.

3. In the Options Pane, select any plan from the list of plans.

4. Near the top of the Work Pane, click the Delete Years button. If you have already 

simulated your plan, NED-2 displays a warning explaining that deleting a year results in a 

loss of data which requires you to re-simulate the plan. 

5. Click Yes to proceed.

6. From the Delete years dialog, select the year(s) you wish to remove from the time frame.

7. Click OK.

Deleting Plans

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Develop Treatment Plans.

3. In the Options Pane, select the plan from the list of plans.

4. Near the top of the Work Pane, click the Edit plan info button. The Plan information 

dialog opens.

5. Select the Delete Plan button in the lower-right corner of the dialog.

6. Click Yes if you are sure you want to delete the plan. 

Scheduling Treatments

Adding Treatments to a Plan

Treatments may be scheduled in your plans and then simulated and evaluated to determine the 

effect of those treatments on forest conditions and management goals. You may schedule any of 

the existing treatments that you have defi ned for the simulation models that are associated with 

the stands in your plan. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Develop Treatment Plans.

3. In the Options Pane, select the plan from the list of plans.

4. Double-click in the cell where you want to work with a treatment to launch the Treatment 

List dialog. If you have already simulated the plan, a warning opens stating that if you 

make changes to the plan design, you have to re-simulate the plan. If you do not wish 

to lose your simulated data, click No, then save a copy of the fi le and then resume with 

treatment selection. Otherwise, click Yes to continue.

5. To add a treatment, from the bottom list of available treatments on the Treatment List 

dialog, double-click on the name of the treatment to add. If you aren’t sure about the 

details of a treatment, click once on an available treatment and then click the Parameters

button to review the details of the treatment.

6. Click OK when fi nished.
140 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 5 - Management Planning

Deleting Treatments from a Plan

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Develop Treatment Plans.

3. In the Options Pane, select the plan from the list of plans.

4. Double-click in the cell of the treatment to launch the Treatment List dialog. If you have 

already simulated the plan, a warning appears stating that if you make changes to the plan 

design, you have to re-simulate the plan. If you do not wish to lose your simulated data, 

click No, then save a copy of the fi le and then resume with treatment deletion. Otherwise, 

click Yes to continue.

5. From the top list of scheduled treatments on the Treatment List dialog, double-click on the 

name of the treatment you wish to delete. 

6. Click OK when fi nished.

Scheduling Multiple Treatments in the Same Stand and Year

On some occasions, it may be desirable to schedule more than one treatment in a stand in a given 

year. For example, a clearcut may be followed by tree planting. Other treatments may coincide 

with cuttings, such as herbiciding or trail maintenance, but NED-2 only schedules treatments that 

have been defi ned for the simulation models that are associated with the stands in your plan. 

NED typically displays a treatment symbol in the cell where you schedule a treatment in the 

planning grid. However, when multiple treatments are scheduled, NED-2 displays a count of the 

treatments (e.g., “2 treatments”).

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Develop Treatment Plans.

3. In the Options Pane, select the plan from the list of plans.

4. Double-click in the cell where you want to work with a treatment to launch the Treatment 

List dialog. If you have already simulated the plan, a warning appears stating that if you 

make changes to the plan design, you have to re-simulate the plan. If you do not wish 

to lose your simulated data, click No, then save a copy of the fi le and then resume with 

treatment selection. Otherwise, click Yes to continue.

5. From the bottom list of available treatments on the Treatment List dialog, double-click on 

the name of the treatment you wish to add. 

6. Click OK when fi nished.

Reviewing Treatment Parameters

While you are analyzing a plan, at any time you can quickly review the parameters of any 

scheduled treatments. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Develop Treatment Plans.

3. In the Options Pane, if you are not already viewing a plan, select the plan from the list of 

plans.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 5 - Management Planning 141

4. Right-click in the cell where you want to view the parameters of a scheduled treatment. If 

you have multiple treatments scheduled in the same stand and year, select a treatment in 

list provided. Treatment Parameters are listed at the bottom of the Treatment parameters 

dialog. 

5. If you wish to replace or switch to another treatment, click the Change treatments

button. If you have already simulated the plan, a warning appears stating that if you make 

changes to the plan design, you have to re-simulate the plan. If you do not wish to lose 

your simulated data, click No, then save a copy of the fi le and then resume with treatment 

selection. Otherwise, click Yes to continue.

6. Click on the X in the upper-right corner to close the Treatment parameters dialog. 

SIMULATING MANAGEMENT PLANS

You may simulate plans only after you have successfully generated a baseline.

Simulation is organized by plans and stands. Within a given plan, you may ask NED-2 to simulate 

a single stand, or select several stands to simulate. From the list of stands that you have selected, 

NED-2 simulates one stand at a time until all simulation is complete. NED-2 uses the simulation 

model that you have specifi ed for each stand in your plans.

When you enter the planning function of NED, under Develop Treatment Plans, NED-2 displays 

the current simulation status of your plans together with the plan descriptions. This allows you to 

see which plans have been simulated, as well as how many stands have been simulated in each 

plan. 

Simulation always proceeds from the earliest year on the planning grid to the last year. Thus, you 

cannot select years or range of years to simulate.

 1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

 2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Simulate Treatment Plans. The Plan 

Selection dialog opens.

 3. The Plan Selection dialog is split into two halves. On the left, there is a list of all of your 

current plans that have not yet been simulated. For each plan, an adjacent list of stands yet 

to be simulated also appears.

 4. Select a plan on the left side.

 5. Select the appropriate stands to be simulated (all stands are selected by default).

 6. Click the double right-pointing arrows.

 7. Your selected unsimulated plan appears on the right side of the dialog, under the list of 

selected plans. In this case, none of the stands appear highlighted, but that does not affect 

the simulation. 

 8. Repeat this process as necessary if you wish to simulate multiple plans in one operation.

 9. To change your selected plans or stands, on the right side of the dialog, under the list of 

selected plans, highlight the plans or stands you do not want to simulate and click delete.

 10. After you have selected your plans and stands within each plan, click OK.

 11. NED presents an estimate of the time required for simulation.

 12. Click Yes if you wish to continue with the simulation after reviewing the estimated 

simulation time.
142 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 5 - Management Planning

Simulating Single Stands

It may be advantageous to simulate one stand a time, if you are designing treatments and wish to 

see how they are implemented by the simulator, or if you want to evaluate volume other metrics 

over time in a single stand. Such information may be useful in designing other treatments or in 

deciding a treatment schedule overall. 

The steps for simulating one stand are very similar to the ones described for simulating plans.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Simulate Treatment Plans. The Plan 

selection dialog opens.

3. Select a plan on the left side.

4. Select the appropriate stand to be simulated.

5. Click the double right-point arrows.

6. Your selected unsimulated plan appears on the right side of the dialog, under the list of 

selected plans. 

7. Click OK.

8. NED presents an estimation of the time required for simulation.

9. Click Yes if you wish to continue with the simulation after reviewing the estimated 

simulation time.

Reviewing the Status of Your Plans

You may use this feature to review the history of your plans, and to quickly determine whether all 

of the stands in one or more plans have been simulated

.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Develop Treatment Plans. A list of all your 

plans along with their status is presented in the Work Pane.

3. If you are in the middle of plan development, in the Navigation Pane, click Plans to view 

the list of all of your plans and their status.

EXAMINING SIMULATED PLANS

Viewing Plan Data

Once you have simulated a plan, you can examine the effects of treatments using any desired 

metric, such as board-foot volume, stems per unit area, basal area, etc. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Develop Treatment Plans. 

3. In the Options Pane, select the plan that contains the treatment you wish to view.

4. In the top-right corner of the Work Pane, in the upper-right corner of the NED-2 window, 

click the View Data button.

5. In the top-left corner of the Work Pane, choose a value from the list, such as relative 

density, net cord volume, average dbh, etc. Units appear in the upper-left corner of the data 

grid. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 5 - Management Planning 143

6. Select how you wish to view the data. You may view the data in one of the following three 

ways :

a. Pre-treatment - This option displays the stand as it would appear “untreated” up 

through the year the treatment was implemented. Succeeding years would show 

the effects of the treatment, since those years occur after the treatment has actually 

occurred. In years without treatments, there is no difference between “pre” and “post” 

treatment views.

b. Post-treatment - This option displays the stand as it appears after the treatment has 

been implemented. The main difference with this option is that treatment effects are 

shown in the year that a treatment has been scheduled.

c. Removal - This option shows what quantity was removed by the treatment in a year, 

for any value, such as basal area, relative density, or volume.

7. You can switch to another variable at any time. Recall that you can copy the contents of 

the plan data grid into another program. 

8. Click the View Treatments button to return to the plan development view.

Comparing Plans

You may generate a plan-comparison table that allows you to compare all stands in all plans, for 

a single year in any of your plans. This is a useful way to compare the effects of treatments in one 

plan against a “grow-only” or “do nothing” plan.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Planning.

2. From the list of choices under Planning, click Develop Treatment Plans. 

3. At the bottom of the Options Pane in the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, click the 

Plan Comparison button.

4. In the top-left corner of the Plan comparison table dialog, choose a metric from the list, 

such as relative density, net cord volume, basal area, etc.

5. In the top-right corner of the Plan comparison table dialog, select the year that you wish to 

use for comparison.

6. Select how you wish to view the data, such as Pre-treatment, Post-treatment, or 

Removal. For unsimulated stands, the words “no data” appear beyond the baseline. 

7. Repeat steps 4-6 as needed.

8. When you are fi nished viewing the comparison, close the dialog by clicking on the X in 

the top-right corner of the dialog.
Chapter 6 - Examining the Data

VEGETATION TABLES

Vegetation tables are an alternative to pre-formatted reports. Unlike many reports, vegetation 

tables do not offer an interpretation of your data and no descriptive text appears. Instead, 

vegetation tables provide you with total control in examining your data from a variety of points of 

view. 

You may use tables to analyze conditions within a management unit (e.g., evaluate basal area by 

species for all stands) and within stands (e.g., evaluate the diameter distribution among species). 

If you have simulated data, you may also use tables to compare management plans. Within each 

of these levels (plan, management unit, and stand) several standard table types exist to choose 

from, as well as a custom type for which you completely defi ne all elements of the table. 

Vegetation tables are created by following a series of steps through a table-generation wizard. In 

constructing tables, generally the fi rst step involves fi ltering the kind of data you wish to use, such 

as overstory, understory, live or dead stems, and so on. In succeeding steps, you choose from a 

list of possible values to fi ll the table, which may include inventory variables as well as calculated 

summary variables such as basal area, volume, and stems per unit area, and you decide how you 

want the data organized or presented by choosing values for rows and columns, using variables 

such as plot, species, live/dead, timber quality, product, height class, and so on.

Many NED-2 reports and vegetation tables share the same interface—they are driven by the same 

wizards. If you generated a vegetation table and then immediately selected a report that matched 

the current vegetation table type, the same settings appear in the report settings wizard (though 

they may be changed if desired). 

Descriptions of vegetation tables are provided in the NED-2 Reference Guide, Appendix C: 

Vegetation Tables and Reports (Twery et al. 2011).

How to Launch a Vegetation Table

You can identify a vegetation table by its name, as all tables are listed with a brief title that is 

suggestive of the contents and format of the table. 

Custom tables—If you want to generate a table of your own design, a custom table, those are 

generally listed with the word “wizard” in their title. 

Standard tables—Many vegetation tables may be generated from standard tables that come 

with pre-selected row and column variables. Standard tables are typically listed as “variable A ×

variable B,” and should be interpreted such that variable A appears across the top of the table, in 

a series of column headers, and variable B appears as row headers, in the fi rst column off to the 

left. Therefore, a table such as “Product × Species” would have products (e.g., veneer, grade2 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data 145

sawtimber, fi rewood, pulpwood) across the top, and species down the left side of the table. 

Standard tables follow this convention, and none of them have “wizard” in their title, even though 

all tables are generated by a wizard.

Table families—In the list of vegetation tables to choose from, a custom table wizard and one 

or more related standard tables often occur as a “family” of tables. To refl ect this relationship, 

standard tables that follow the custom table wizards are indented. A custom table can generate 

any of the standard tables that are in the same family of tables. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Analysis.

2. From the list of choices under Analysis, click View Vegetation Tables. 

3. From the Options Pane in the lower-left corner of the NED-2 window, decide whether to 

base your tables on inventory or simulated data. You may choose from inventory, baseline, 

plans, or a plan comparison. 

4. Select a level that matches the analysis you require. Click Management unit to analyze a 

condition across multiple stands, or select a stand if you want to analyze the properties of a 

single stand. 

5. If you have selected a plan, you also need to select a year and a treatment view (i.e., preor post-treatment results). Otherwise, this step is not required.

6. Choose a table type in the upper portion of the Work Pane, by clicking inside the list 

labeled as Table type.

7. After you have selected a table type, follow the steps on the data table wizard. For further 

information, refer to the following topic, “How to Run the Vegetation Table Wizards.”

How to Run the Vegetation Table Wizards

Most tables are generated by following the same general pattern as described below. With the 

exception of plan comparison tables, these instructions generally apply to all tables though 

individual steps will vary. Refer to the individual table descriptions for specifi c details.

When you launch a table wizard, a dialog appears and presents the fi rst of several pages that 

comprise all the necessary steps in building your particular vegetation table. Each page contains 

one or more choices that affect the appearance of your table. Collectively these choices are 

referred to as table settings, or just settings. 

Wizard example

The following example illustrates how to navigate through a vegetation table wizard, with a 

species X plot table (read as “species by plot”) using basal area per acre. The table shows how 

much basal area occurs, by species, for each plot in a given stand. There are a total of three plots 

in the stand, and the plot IDs appear as row headers, in the very fi rst column off to the left side of 

the table. Species appear as column headers across the top of the table. Because this is a custom 

table, if desired, you could have the species in columns and the plot IDs in rows—the choice is 

yours.

This table is generated by using the Table wizard for single stand tables, a custom table type, 

for a given stand.
146 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data

First wizard page: Selecting the data source to use to build your vegetation table.

1. NED-2 refers to the vegetation table that you want to build as a matrix, and in the fi rst 

step you are asked to specify which tables to include in the matrix (see Figure 11). Tables 

refer to the actual database tables in your NED-2 fi le. Thus, in the Data Tables dialog, you 

need to select whether you want to build your table based on the overstory data table, or 

understory (or both), or ground-cover data. You can choose more than one data table to use 

for your vegetation table, but obviously NED-2 does not let you combine tables that do not 

contain similar data.

2. When you click Overstory observations (trees), specify the kind of trees to include, by 

timber quality, and whether or not you wish to include dead trees. If you want to include 

all live trees, click AGS and Crop and UGS. In this example, dead trees are included. 

3. Click Next to continue.

Second wizard page: Choosing a matrix variable.

4. Specify a variable to use to fi ll the cells of the matrix (see Figure 12). This is the value 

on which you want to base your vegetation table. Note that the wizard page displays 

a table diagram, highlighting the relevant area in red to illustrate which portion of the 

vegetation table is being affected by your selection. When you select a variable from the 

Figure 11. Selecting the data source on the fi rst wizard page.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data 147

list on the left side of the wizard page, NED-2 produces a narrative on the right side of 

the page under the table diagram. This narrative describes your variable and the kinds of 

observations to be included in the table.

5. By default, cell values are displayed per unit area. You may choose whether you want your 

table values to refl ect total values (Multiply cell values by stand area) or percentages 

(Each cell value is percent of the grand total). NOTE: If you select percentages, these 

are based on the percentage of the entire stand, and not by plot-clusters or other divisions, 

and the grand total of all rows and columns adds up to 100.

6. Specify the number of desired decimal places for the cell values. You can enter a value in 

the box provided, or click the button that matches your desired precision.

7. Click Next to continue or click Back if you need to change a setting on a previous page.

Third wizard page: Choosing a column variable.

8. Specify a variable for the columns of the vegetation table (see Figure 13). The table 

diagram in the upper-right corner of the wizard page now highlights the column headers. 

Your table values are separated into columns based on the variable you select here. 

Additional choices are possible for some variables. For species, you could choose any of 

the species codes or names, as well as any of the species attributes. In this example, the 

Figure 12. Choosing a variable for the cells of the table on the second wizard page.
148 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data

species common name is selected. The description under the table diagram now includes 

information on the table columns. 

NOTE: If you were to choose diameter at breast height (dbh), instead of species, there are 

three choices in which to display data by dbh, as follows: Midpoint of Range, or Entire 

Range, which allow you to specify your own diameter ranges on the table, or Size Class, 

which automatically establishes columns based on the stand size class. When defi ning 

your own diameter ranges, you must enter the fi rst dbh breakpoint, such as 1 inch. You 

must also enter an interval between size class breakpoints, such as 2 inches. Then you 

must also enter the largest dbh breakpoint you want to include, or check the box Adjust 

last size class to fi t largest dbh, and NED-2 assigns the largest dbh breakpoint for you. 

NED-2 includes all stems that are larger than the largest dbh breakpoint, regardless of how 

you defi ned it. If you specify your own diameter ranges using either Midpoint of Range 

or Entire Range, the number of diameter columns in the table is the same. However, the 

column headings differ. The Midpoint of Range displays in each column the calculated 

diameter midpoints based on the range and interval that you specify. The Entire Range 

displays the minimum and maximum dbh breakpoints based on the range and interval that 

you specify. 

9. Click Next to continue or click Back if you need to change a setting on a previous page.

Figure 13. Choosing a column variable on the third wizard page.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data 149

Fourth wizard page: Choosing a row variable.

 10. Specify a variable for the rows of the vegetation table (see Figure 14). Note that the table 

diagram in the upper-right corner of the wizard page now highlights the row headers. Your 

table values are further separated based on the variable you select here. In this example, 

the Plot ID is chosen. The description under the table diagram now includes information 

on the table rows.

 11. Click Next to continue or click Back if you need to change a setting on a previous page.

Fifth wizard page: Finishing up.

 12. Your vegetation table is ready to build (see Figure 15). If you want to save these settings, 

click on the Save settings button. Click Finish to build your table.

Figure 14. Choosing a row variable on the fourth wizard page.
150 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data

Figure 15. The last page of the vegetation table wizard.

How to Run the Table Wizard for Plan Comparisons

This is the general table wizard that allows you to create a custom plan comparison table of your 

own design. You can also use it to build the standard plan comparison tables. 

Plan comparison tables are not available unless you have simulated at least one management plan.

Step 1 - Decide what you want to compare

On the fi rst page of this wizard, two pick lists are available that contain the same choices—this 

is to allow you to decide whether you want items across the top of the table (columns) or along 

the side (rows). Directly under these lists, a caption appears that is updated whenever you change 

your selection for columns and rows; it provides tips on what you will need to pick once you have 

decided on what you want for columns and rows. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data 151

Compare plans

If you want to display all of your plans in a table, then be sure to select plans for either rows or 

columns. After that, you may choose one of the following:

• If you also select stands, you may choose one variable and one year and then view that 

variable in all of your stands in each of your plans in the same year.

• If you also select variables, you may choose one stand and one year and then view all the 

variables you want in one stand in each of your plans in the same year.

• If you also select years, you may choose one variable and one stand and then view that 

variable in one stand in each of your plans over all years.

Compare stands

If you want to display all of your stands in a table, then be sure to select stands for either rows or 

columns. After that, you may choose one of the following:

• If you also select plans, you may choose one variable and one year and then view that 

variable in all of your stands in each of your plans in the same year.

• If you also select variables = you may choose one year and one plan and then view all the 

variables you want in each of your stands in one plan in the same year.

• If you also select years, you can choose one variable and one plan and then view that 

variable in each of your stands for all years in the plan.

Compare variables

If you want to display multiple variables in a table, then be sure to select variables for either rows 

or columns. After that, you may choose one of the following:

• If you also select plans, you may choose one stand and one year and then view all the 

variables you want in one stand in each of your plans in the same year.

• If you also select stands, you may choose one year and one plan and then view all the 

variables you want in each of your stands in one plan in the same year.

• If you also select years, you may choose one stand and one plan and then view all the 

variables you want for one stand in each of the years in the same plan. 

Compare years

If you want to display all years in a table, then be sure to select years for either rows or columns. 

After that, you may choose one of the following:

• If you also select plans, you may choose one variable and one stand and then view that 

variable in one stand in each of your plans over all years.

• If you also select stands, you may choose one variable and one plan and then view that 

variable in each of your stands for all years in the plan.

• If you also select variables, you may choose one stand and one plan and then view all the 

variables you want for one stand in each of the years in the same plan. 
152 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data

Step 2 - Select variables

• On the second page of the wizard, if you selected variables for either rows or columns in 

step 1, you will be able to pick as many variables as you want. Otherwise, you may only 

select one variable.

• For any given year, decide whether you want to show data prior to any treatments, or after 

all treatments have been applied in that year.

Step 3 - Arrange the order of variables

• This step only occurs if you were allowed to select multiple variables. If desired, drag-anddrop variables within the list shown on third wizard page in order to establish a desired 

order. Top-to-bottom translates into left-to-right.

Step 4 - Finish the wizard

• Click Finish to complete the wizard. NOTE: There is one fi nal step in completing the 

table defi nition that occurs after you have fi nished the wizard. This is explained in the next 

(fi nal) step.

Step 5 - Complete the table defi nition (choose a single plan, stand, or year)

• Immediately after you click Finish in the previous step, a plan table settings dialog 

appears. Complete the table defi nition by choosing a single plan, stand, or year. The 

choices in the fi nal step depend on what you selected for columns and rows in step 1. 

Click OK when you are fi nished, and NED-2 displays the table.

Table Output

Vegetation tables include several additional attributes. Above the table, a descriptive title appears 

that includes the units. To the right of each row, and below of each column, simple statistics (sum, 

mean, minimum, maximum, average, standard deviation, etc.) may be shown as footers. You may 

turn the footer statistics on or off as necessary. 

NOTE: A word of caution is advised regarding table footers. The statistics presented in the footers 

are calculated for the number of rows and/or columns assembled for the table. Sometimes the 

statistics make sense. However, the statistics may not agree with similar values calculated using 

other procedures, and they may even be invalid. This is a side-effect of the manner in which a 

standard format is applied to all table output.

Several options are available after you have built a table.

Table summary—Once you have a table displayed, you can always view a summary of the 

table. The summary describes the table values, units, format, and what kind of data was used to 

populate the table. 

To view the table summary, in the Work Pane, click the Summary button in the top-right corner, 

above the vegetation table.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data 153

Footers—Often a table is displayed with additional statistics that summarize each row and 

column. These values are collectively known as table footers. You may select which values 

to display by clicking the Footers button in the top-right corner of the Work pane, above the 

vegetation table. The Set Row and Column Footings dialog opens.

To display the footers, you must select the Include table-cell statistics (if available) box, for 

both rows and columns in the Set Row and Column Footings dialog. The available footers appear 

in the list boxes at the bottom of the dialog.

For most tables, the choices of row and column footers are often the same, but not always. You 

may select the following options for controlling the display of footers:

• Always show all available - Displays all available footer statistics at the end of a row or 

column.

• Never show any - Prevents the display any of the footer statistics.

• Try to show the following - Allows you to select which footer statistics to display. You 

must place a check by the desired values.

NED-2 retains the selected footers for each table that appears in the pick list in the upper portion 

of the Work Pane. Thus, when you use the pick list to jump from one table to another, NED-2 

remembers the footers that you selected. However, within a given table, if you rerun the same 

table with a different variable, NED-2 reapplies the same footer choices repeatedly. For instance, 

if you run the table wizard for comparing stands, and you select net cubic volume, the footers 

you select for this table are retained if you rerun the table a second time and select above-ground 

biomass. This may result in footers left over from another table, which in some cases might not 

make sense. See the cautionary note on footers in the introductory paragraph of this topic for 

more information.

You may also run vegetation tables as reports instead of screen output. If you elect to generate 

vegetation tables as reports, footer choices are not customizable, and footers are sometimes 

excluded from some reports.

Settings—To review your settings, or to make adjustments to how the table was built, click the 

Settings button in the top-right corner of the Work Pane, above the vegetation table. This button 

re-launches the table wizard for the same table type, where you are able to review or modify 

settings as desired.

Copy the table—You may copy the entire table, including footers, onto the clipboard for use in 

another program such as Microsoft Excel. 

1. From the Edit menu, click Select All, or click inside the table and press the Ctrl key and 

the letter A simultaneously (Ctrl+A).

2. From the Edit menu, click Copy, or press the Ctrl key and the letter C simultaneously 

(Ctrl+C).

3. Switch to another program, and paste the table using Edit-Paste, or press the Ctrl key 

and the letter V simultaneously (Ctrl+V). If you intend to paste the table into a word 

processor, it is recommended that you fi rst paste the table into a spreadsheet program and 

then copy the table from the spreadsheet into the word processor.
154 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data

Fast Data Switching When Viewing a Table

NED automatically stores your vegetation table settings when you fi nish building a table, and 

maintains a record of all the most recent table settings for each table type. When you switch from 

one table type to the next, the table wizard retrieves your most recent settings from the last time 

you built a table of that type.

Fast data switching—While you are viewing an existing vegetation table within a given data 

level (i.e., the management unit level in inventory, baseline, and in your plans; or a stand within 

a single management unit, within the baseline, or among plans), if you jump within that data 

level in the Options Pane you can instantly view the vegetation table for any similar item without 

proceeding through the table wizard again. For example, assume you have 10 stands in your 

inventory, and you wish to examine all of them using the same table design, such as “basal area 

per acre by diameter and species.” After you build the table for one stand, you are able to switch 

from one stand to the next without re-running the table wizard each time. In another example, you 

could examine “net cubic volume by species in each stand” and examine how volume changes 

over time among all of your plans. As long as you stay within the same data level, NED-2 

displays the results automatically—you can see the contents of the vegetation table change just 

as quickly as you switch from one item to the next. However, if you try switching levels, such as 

going from management unit to stand data, the wizard loads the settings from the previous table 

design but NED-2 does not automatically display the vegetation table, and the fast data switching 

halts. In this case, you will have to rerun the wizard.

Storing and Retrieving Table Settings

If you have invested a considerable amount of effort in designing a table and you do not want to 

forget your settings, you can store your table settings for future use. Table settings are associated 

with a specifi c table type. Thus, in order to reload your previously stored table settings, you need 

to remember the table type under which your favorite table settings are stored. Table settings can 

be retrieved when you re-launch the wizard that corresponds to your table type. 

You may store your settings when you are on the last page of a vegetation table wizard, and the 

saved table specifi cations can be retrieved on the fi rst page of the table wizard of the same table 

type. 

Storing table settings

1. On the last page of the table wizard, click the Save settings button.

2. From the Table specifi cations dialog, in the New name fi eld, enter a brief name that 

adequately describes your table settings.

3. Click OK.

If you have previously stored any table settings, they also appear in the table specifi cations dialog. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data 155

Retrieving table settings

1. On the fi rst page of the table wizard, click the Load settings button. 

2. From the Table specifi cations dialog, in the list under Settings from Last Wizard Use, click 

on the name that identifi es the settings that you wish to reapply in the current table wizard.

3. Click OK.

Reports provide a way for you to summarize your data and determine current conditions of 

inventory data as well as future conditions of simulated data. The format of NED-2 reports is 

fi xed and unchangeable, but often the content of reports is not fi xed. Such reports are denoted 

with an asterisk (*) in the report name when you are reviewing the list of available reports in the 

Work Pane. 

NED-2 reports should not be confused with the NED-2 vegetation tables. NED-2 reports typically 

offer explanations or interpretations of results, and may contain multiple tables, whereas NED-2 

vegetation tables do not provide interpretation and generate one table at a time.

The content of reports generally falls into two categories: summaries and analyses. Most 

summaries are condensed tables that allow you to evaluate conditions for a variety of purposes, 

but usually no interpretation of the data is provided. Examples of reports that fall under this 

category are listed under the headings, General Information and Vegetation Tables (reports 

that generate tables). NED-2 offers a variety of analyses that are designed to provide guidance 

or interpretation of the data. Such interpretation is based on the general opinion of subject matter 

experts for typical situations. Your personal evaluations may sometimes differ. Examples of 

reports that analyze and offer interpretation are listed under the headings Resource Narratives, 

Spatial Reports, and Goal Analysis.

Reports are available at three levels: Plans or Plan Comparisons, Management Unit, and 

Individual Stand. A few report names may be duplicated across levels, but the organization and 

the amount of detail are different. 

Generating reports requires at least two steps. The fi rst step is to select which reports you wish to 

create. Technically, no limit exists to the number of reports that can be selected at any given level. 

In reality there may be only a few reports that you need. During the fi rst step you build a list of 

reports that you wish to generate. The second step involves the generation of one or more selected 

reports. You generate a report from the list of your selected reports in order to create output and 

view the report. 

The output of reports is in HTML format, which can be opened in any commercially available 

web browser. If desired, you may copy the contents of reports from the browser and paste 

them into a word processor if you would like to rearrange the structure and provide your own 

formatting. 
156 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data

List of Reports Available

The following list represents the reports available in NED-2, as described in the NED-2 Reference 

Guide, Appendix C: Vegetation Tables and Reports (Twery et al. 2011).

Plan reports

 Plan summary

 Predicted timber product yield

 Predicted stand development

 Plan comparison of variables

Management unit reports

General Information

 Identifi cation Data

 Species List

 Variable List

 Stand Comparison Table

 Stand Adjacency List

 User Preferences

 Plant Species Values

Vegetation Tables

 Table Wizard for Comparing Stands (Select Contents)

 Table Wizard for Management Unit Totals (Select Contents)

 Species X Stand (Select Contents)

 Species X Size Class (Select Contents)

 Size Class X Stand (Select Contents)

 Overstory Vegetation Summary

 Understory Vegetation Summary

 Ground Vegetation Summary

 Biomass Tables

 Carbon Storage

Resource Narratives

 Ecology Narrative

 Timber Narrative

 Visual Quality Narrative

 Water Narrative

 Wildlife Narrative

Goal Analysis

 Selected Goal List 

Spatial Reports

 Forest Type Patch Analysis

 Size Class Patch Analysis

 Forest Type and Size Class Patch Analysis

 Canopy Closure Patch Analysis
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data 157

Stand reports

Overstory Statistics

General Information

 Identifi cation Data

 Species List

 Stand Variable List

 Overstory Plot Variable List

 Overstory Observation (Tree) List

 Overstory Tree Log List

 Understory Plot Variable List

 Understory Observation Variable List

 Ground Plot Variable List

 Ground Observation Variable List

 Transect Variable List

 Transect Observation Variable List

Vegetation Tables

 Vegetation Table Wizard (Select Contents)

 Species X Diameter (Select Contents)

 Product X Species (Select Contents)

 User Code X Species (Select Contents)

 Product X Diameter (Select Contents)

 User Code X Diameter (Select Contents)

 Height Classes X Species (Select Contents)

 Plot Cluster X Species (Select Contents)

 Timber Tables (Select Contents)

 Dead/Down Summary

 Ground Vegetation Summary

 Overstory Species Composition and Diversity

 Understory Species Composition and Diversity

 Ground Species Composition and Diversity

 Biomass Tables

 Carbon Storage

Resource Narratives

 Ecology Narrative

 Timber Narrative

 Visual Quality Narrative

 Water Narrative

 Wildlife Narrative
158 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data

Selecting Reports

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Analysis.

2. From the list of choices under Analysis, click Generate Reports.

3. In the Work Pane, open up or expand (click “+” symbol) the desired level for which you 

wish to generate a report (Plans, Management Unit, or Stands). 

4. Open up or expand the general report heading to view the list of available reports 

under that heading. For instance, under Management Unit Reports, open up General 

Information.

5. When you fi nd a desired report, select it with a single mouse click. For instance, select 

the report Stand Comparison Table in order to compare similar data across stands in the 

management unit.

6. In the Work Pane, click the left-pointing arrow in the top-left corner of the window to 

select the report. 

7. If the report is marked with an asterisk (*) then you are able to customize at least some of 

the report contents. If this occurs, you are immediately presented with a dialog of choices, 

suitable for the chosen report, when you select the report using the green arrow in step 6. 

If there is no asterisk for the report, this step is skipped.

8. If you have simulated data (projected forest growth beyond the most recent inventory year 

of any of your stands) you are given an opportunity to specify for which years you want 

to generate the report. An example of the available choices for simulated data is shown in 

Figure 16.

9. Check the boxes in each year for which you want to view your report. For all years in a 

plan, two boxes are available for before and after effects of treatments (if any) in the given 

year. The box on the left side of each pair indicates pre-treatment (“pre”) data, and the 

box on the right side indicates post treatment (“post”) data. Even if you have implemented 

multiple treatments in a given year, “pre” and “post” refers to the condition of the data 

before or after all treatments collectively.

 10. When you have specifi ed all of the points in time as desired, click OK to fi nish.

Unselecting Reports

To remove a report from the list of reports that has already been selected:

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Analysis.

2. From the list of choices under Analysis, click Generate Reports.

3. In the Options Pane, open up or expand (click ‘+’ symbol) the desired data (e.g., Inventory, 

Baseline) and then open up the desired level (Plans, Management Unit, or Stands) that 

contains the report you wish to unselect.

4. When you fi nd the report, select it with a single-mouse click.

5. In the Work Pane, click the right-pointing arrow in the top-left corner of the window to 

unselect the report.

6. In some cases, you are presented with a series of check boxes for each stand as well as for 

simulated data in which you have selected the report previously. You must uncheck the 

appropriate boxes in order to unselect the report for those items. Click the Clear all button 

to unselect all boxes in one step. After unchecking the boxes, click OK.

7. In the Options Pane, the report disappears from the list of selected reports. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data 159

Figure 16. Choosing the years in which to generate a report.

Generating One Report at a Time

Generating reports in this manner allows you to view one report at a time. 

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Analysis.

2. From the list of choices under Analysis, click Generate Reports.

3. A report cannot be generated until it has been selected. You may see which reports have 

been selected by viewing the Options Pane. Reports that you have previously selected 

will appear in boldface type. If necessary, expand the levels in the Options Pane to see the 

selected reports.

4. To generate a report, double-click on the name of the report in the Options Pane. NED-2 

builds the report and displays it in your default web browser. 

Generating Multiple Reports at Once

After selecting several reports, you may generate them all at the same time, or you may generate 

two, three, or as many reports as desired.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Analysis.

2. From the list of choices under Analysis, click Generate Reports.

3. At the top of the Options Pane, click the Generate All button. All of your selected reports 

are displayed in a table. 
160 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data

4. To generate any specifi c report, you must enter a fi le name for the report. You can enter 

your own names in the File name column provided for each report in the table, or click 

the Generate names for all reports button to have NED-2 generate report fi le names 

automatically for you. Reports without fi le names are not generated.

5. All reports are created in the same output folder as shown on the dialog. To change this 

location, click the Output folder button and specify the desired folder.

6. If desired, check the Delete existing fi les in the output folder box to have NED-2 delete 

all existing report fi les in the output folder. This does not delete other kinds of fi les—only 

those ending with an .html extension. Even if this box is unchecked, NED-2 overwrites 

any fi le with the same name as newly generated reports.

7. To review the specifi cations of any of the reports, double-click in the Specifi cations 

column of the desired report.

8. When you are ready to generate all of the reports for which you have provided fi le names, 

click OK.

9. NED generates the reports and provides an index page in your default web browser with 

links to all of the requested reports. Click the links to view the desired reports.

Adjusting Table Sizes on Reports

NED-2 reports are formatted to fi t on a standard 8.5 × 11-inch (216 × 280-mm) sheet of paper. As 

a result, the tables generated for reports are generated with a default of six columns in order to fi t 

on the printed page. If a table requires more than six columns, additional columns are written in 

the space below (six columns per section) until all columns have been displayed.

For many uses, the default setting of six columns per table is appropriate. However, you can 

change this setting to suit your needs.

To adjust the table sizes on reports:

1. From the Tools menu, click User Settings.

2. Click Display Settings.

3. If you want the NED-2 report writer to limit the number of columns, check the box 

Limit tables in reports... and enter the maximum number of columns you desire. For an 

unlimited number of columns in the reports, uncheck the box Limit tables in reports....

4. Click OK.

Working with Report Sets

You may store a set of reports for re-use in other NED-2 fi les. This saves effort by reducing the 

amount of time it might take to redefi ne the same reports repeatedly. Also, this allows you to set 

aside groups of reports suited for special projects or analyses.

Report sets are stored in an external fi le ending with a .NEDReports extension. Report settings 

are intended to be stored in a generic manner so that they can be re-applied to any fi le regardless 

of the number or content of plans and stands. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data 161

Creating Report Sets

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Analysis.

2. From the list of choices under Analysis, click Generate Reports.

3. At the bottom of the Options Pane, click the Store button. This launches the Select reports 

dialog. If you do not have any reports selected currently, the dialog does not open. You 

must fi rst select some reports.

4. Specify a fi le name for your report set, by clicking the Pick File button. Browse to the 

desired folder, and enter an appropriate fi le name.

5. In the table of reports, place a check mark in the box next to the desired reports. If you 

want to include all reports, click the Select all button.

6. You may review the report settings for customizable reports by clicking a report name and 

then clicking on the Report settings button. For non-customizable reports, the Report 

settings button remains disabled.

7. Click OK when you are ready to build the report set, which is created in a fi le ending with 

a .NEDreports extension.

Retrieving Report Sets

You may retrieve reports from a report set fi le (.NEDreports) or from any existing NED-2 (.mdb) 

fi le.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Analysis.

2. From the list of choices under Analysis, click Generate Reports.

3. At the bottom of the Options Pane, click the Retrieve button. This launches the Select 

reports dialog.

4. At the top of the Select reports dialog, click the Pick fi le button.

5. Under Files of type at the bottom of the dialog, select NED report fi les to retrieve reports 

from external report-set fi les, or select NED-2 data fi le to retrieve reports from an existing 

NED-2 fi le.

6. In the table of reports, place a check mark in the box next to the reports you wish to 

retrieve. If you want to include all reports, click the Select all button.

7. You may review the report settings for customizable reports by clicking a report name and 

then clicking on the Report settings button. For non-customizable reports, the Report 

settings button remains disabled.

8. Click OK when you are ready to retrieve the reports into your NED-2 fi le.
162 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data

GENERATING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) DISPLAYS

NED-2 uses Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.’s (ESRI’s) ArcGIS (ArcMap) 

to display a map of your selected goals and stand-level values. The creation of the GIS map 

(shapefi le) is handled separately and is not performed by NED-2. The role of NED-2 is to join 

your selected goals and values with the stands identifi ed in your shapefi le, to provide color-coding 

of the values, and to launch the display. 

Generally, GIS map data is represented on one or more layers, where each layer provides detail 

that can be viewed separately or in conjunction with information from other layers. Thus, each 

value (e.g., basal area, board-foot volume, relative density) and each goal (e.g., “focus on boardfoot production,” “provide habitat for eastern screech owl”) that you select are displayed on 

separate layers. As described in ArcMap, within the Display Tab of the Data Frame in the 

far-left side of the ArcMap window, existing layers are listed in the order they are drawn from 

top to bottom. The layers at the top of the list draws over those listed below them. 

In addition to inventory data, a GIS display can be created for any plan and year that has been 

simulated—where each layer encapsulates the data in a different view of the management unit. 

The GIS display can include layers for either all of the years in a single plan or all of the plans in 

a single year. For years that include treatments, layers for both the pre- and post-treatment views 

are included. You can easily switch between different layers in the GIS display to see the effects 

of treatments or to compare the values of variables across different years or plans. 

What is required?

1. You must have an existing shapefi le (.shp) with geographic data for your management 

unit. 

2. Your shapefi le must have a column (i.e., a database fi eld) that identifi es each stand in the 

management unit, and the name of this fi eld must be “stand_id.” Then, each stand name in 

the shapefi le must match the stand name that occurs in the corresponding NED-2 data.

3. NED-2 supports ArcGIS-ArcMap, version 8.x or 9.x. ArcGIS-ArcMap is available as a 

commercial product and is not distributed as part of NED-2. 

How to Generate a GIS Display

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Analysis.

2. From the list of choices under Analysis, click Generate GIS Display. When you request 

a GIS display, NED-2 verifi es that ArcMap is installed on your system. You must already 

have ArcMap installed and tested (all license issues resolved, etc.) in order to generate a 

GIS display through NED-2. If a proper version of ArcMap is not found, NED-2 notifi es 

you with a warning and stops. 

3. If successful in fi nding ArcMap, NED-2 asks if another ArcMap session is already 

running. Answer No if ArcMap is not already running and you are ready to proceed. 

Attempting to generate a GIS display while ArcMap is already running may cause 

problems in NED-2. Thus, only one ArcMap session can be open at a time. When 

prompted, if you answer Yes, NED-2 does not generate a GIS display and it stops. 

4. If you answered No and are ready to proceed, NED-2 opens the GIS selection dialog as 

shown in Figure 17.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data 163

Figure 17. NED-2 GIS selection dialog.

5. At the top of the dialog, in the Analysis selection area, choose what point in time on which 

to base your display. You may select more than one. For instance, under the Include: area, 

you may check Inventory and Baseline to view your variable(s) in the year of your tally 

and in the baseline year. If you have simulated one or more plans, the Select analysis type

pick lists are also available. In the list on the left, pick Single plan with multiple years to 

compare your variable(s) in all years of a given plan, and select a plan in the second list. 

Or, if you wish to compare data across your plans within a single year, pick Single year 

with multiple plans in the fi rst list, and choose a year in the second list.

6. In Variable and goal selection area, variables and goals are selected by moving them from 

the lists of available goals and variables located on the left to the list of selected items 

located on the right. Items are moved between the two boxes by using the double rightpointing and left-pointing arrows. To aid in fi nding the desired item, the items available 
164 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data

for display are divided into three categories: goals, stand characteristics, and inventory 

characteristics. Inventory characteristics include the variables describing the vegetation 

on a stand, whereas stand characteristics cover the non-vegetative variables such as 

physiography and site information. Only the goals that have already been selected in 

planning are available for GIS analysis selection. You may switch between categories by 

using radio buttons. Changing categories does not affect items already selected.

7. Click OK when you have fi nished selecting variables and goals for display.

8. The next step is to specify the shapefi le (.shp fi le) on which you wish to base the display. 

NED-2 launches the Open shape fi le dialog to allow you to browse to and select the 

shapefi le. 

9. Once you have specifi ed the shapefi le, NED-2 performs a goal analysis if any goals have 

been selected, and starts up ArcMap and then launch a dialog where you must specify 

which goal or variable to view fi rst. You can only view one variable or goal at a time. 

 10. Click OK after you have selected the initial goal or variable to view, and ArcMap 

produces the display.

 11. If you want to save your ArcMap project (.mxd fi le), be sure to save it with a name that 

you will easily remember. NED-2 always creates each ArcMap project with the same name 

and will overwrite any existing fi le with that name.

Establishing GIS Data Ranges for Numeric Values

Whenever you choose a NED-2 goal or variable to display in ArcMap, the dialog as shown in 

Figure 18 appears. If your variable is of the NUMERIC type, you have some control over the 

establishment of data ranges. 

At present, only equal interval partitioning of data is supported. This is a classifi cation scheme 

whereby the range of attribute values is divided into equal-sized subranges. You select the number 

of classes into which the data is partitioned. In Figure 18, the number of classes is set to “5,” and 

you can select any whole number greater than one. 

If you attempt to select the range for the partitions, using your own custom minimum and 

maximum values, the custom ranges cannot be implemented in ArcMap because this functionality 

is not working properly. It is strongly recommended that you retain the default data minimum and 

maximum. 

To modify the data ranges at any time:

1. During a current NED-2 - ArcMap session while a given variable or goal is already in 

display, locate a small toolbar window with the caption NED Renderers as shown below:

2. Select the third icon from the left (the square with a blue triangle covering half of the 

icon). If you mouse over this icon, a tooltip bubble displays “Select Field (NED).” This 

launches the Choose stand variable to show dialog, as shown in Figure 18.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data 165

Figure 18. NED-2 GIS variable selection dialog.

3. Enter a different number of classes if desired.

4. Do not attempt to change the label range, using custom min or max; the functionality for 

making changes to the label range is not working properly. You should retain the default 

data min and max for label ranges.

5. Click OK.

Switching Layers in the ArcMap Display

If you have other (non-NED) layers associated with the same shapefi le in ArcMap, you may 

switch between layers by using the checkboxes in the layer headings within the Display Tab of 

the Data Frame on the far-left side of the ArcMap window. Multiple layers can be selected, but 

only the top layer is visible. To avoid confusion, it is advisable to select only one layer at a time.

Changing layers can cause a problem updating the legend, and the legend may disappear. If this 

occurs, locate a small toolbar window with the caption, NED Renderers, as shown below: 
166 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data

Select the second icon from the left (resembling a pen) to redraw the legend. If you mouse over 

this icon, the tooltip bubble displays “Modify Legend (NED).” 

Switching Variables During a GIS Session

After you have generated a GIS display in ArcMap, if you had started the session with multiple 

variables and goals, you need to follow these instructions to switch from one variable or goal 

to another. If you need to view a variable or goal that you did not already select, then your only 

alternative is to close ArcMap and start another GIS session with the variables you need. 

1. During a current NED-ArcMap session while a given variable or goal is already in display, 

locate a small toolbar window with the caption NED Renderers as shown below:

2. Select the third icon from the left (the square with a blue triangle covering half of the 

icon). If you mouse over this icon, the tooltip bubble displays, “Select Field (NED).” This 

launches the Choose stand variable to show dialog (see Figure 18).

3. Choose the desired variable from the list on the left.

4. Click OK. ArcMap redisplays the map using the new variable.

Labeling Features in ArcMap

Features such as stands, roads, rivers and ponds can be labeled in the ArcMap display. For 

example, if you do not see stand labels, you can add them to any layer as follows:

1. Right-click on the layer heading within the Display Tab of the Data Frame in the far-left 

side of the ArcMap window.

2. Click Label Features from the pop-up menu to turn on the display of the labels.

If different labels are desired:

1. Right-click on the layer heading within the Display Tab of the Data Frame in the far-left 

side of the ArcMap window.

2. Click Properties from the pop-up menu. 

3. Click the Labels tab. 

4. In the Label fi eld, choose a desired label, such as “INVENTORY.STAND_ID” to label 

each stand with the stand name. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data 167

STAND VISUALIZATION SYSTEM (SVS)

The Stand Visualization System (SVS) (McGaughey 1997) is used to generate images depicting 

stand conditions represented by a list of individual stand components such as trees, shrubs, and 

down material, using detailed geometric models. SVS is optional software that is distributed with 

NED-2. During the installation of NED-2, you may choose whether you wish to install SVS. 

The images generated by SVS provide useful, visual representations of current stand conditions 

as well as the effects of various management alternatives. 

SVS uses two types of data: a tree list and plant form defi nitions. The tree list describes the 

species, size and location of each component (tree, snag, plant, log, or special object) in a stand. 

Typically, the location of stand components is generated from the model, unless you supply 

coordinates for each component and input the data directly into SVS. NED-2 generates the tree 

list in the format of Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) output, which is converted by SVS into a 

tree list for display. Plant form defi nitions describe the appearance of each species and, optionally, 

the appearance of individuals exhibiting different growth forms within a species. Users can 

change plant form defi nitions using the SVS tree designer to better adapt SVS to their stand 

conditions.

The minimum data required in a tree list includes a simple stand table containing species, dbh, 

height, and the number of plants per unit area.

In order to generate an image in SVS, NED-2 requires simulated data (i.e., a baseline and any 

plans). The SVS feature in NED-2 does not work for inventory data and the image will look like 

cut stumps; similarly, if the baseline year is the same as the inventory year for a stand, the image 

will look like cut stumps for the baseline year. This is because no height and crown data can be 

computed for a stand until growth has been simulated. 

SVS provides the following capabilities:

• Displays individual plant and log components realistically;

• Displays stand characteristics to communicate the overall structural diversity present 

within a stand;

• Differentiates between stand components using different plant forms, colors, or other types 

of marking;

• Displays overhead, profi le and perspective views of a stand;

• Provides a mechanism to defi ne plant forms and colors based on species, growth form, and 

plant position within the canopy; and

• Provides tabular and graphical summaries of stand information.

Generating a Stand Display

You must have SVS installed on your computer before you can generate a display. If you did not 

install SVS when you installed NED-2, try re-running the NED-2 installation, and select SVS 

only. If you are not sure, try looking for the SVSSetupFiles folder under the NED-2 folder in the 

location where you installed NED-2. In the SVSSetupFiles folder you may run the setup.exe fi le 

to install SVS.
168 NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data

Currently, NED-2 generates an SVS display only for simulated data. That is, you must at least 

establish a baseline prior to running SVS. The baseline must be at least one year later than the 

most recent year of inventory in any of your stands.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Analysis.

2. From the list of choices under Analysis, click Generate SVS Display.

3. Choose a stand from the list of choices.

4. For a display method, select by plan to view your stand in all years within a single plan, 

or select by year to compare your stand among different plans in the same year.

5. For choose a plan or year, select a plan if your display method is by plan, or select a year 

if your display method is by year.

6. Click the Display button.

7. Some SVS windows appear: 

• The fi rst window displays the source tree list fi les that your display is based upon. Click 

OK to continue.

• The second window is a temporary splash screen that displays the SVS version and 

author, and then goes away automatically. Click OK to dismiss this window before it 

automatically disappears. 

• The third window is the SVS display window, where you can view image(s) of your 

stand (see Figure 19) according to the criteria chosen above. This is the active SVS 

window where you can adjust the view, modify the appearance of the trees, and other 

picture-oriented settings. 

8. If there are multiple views of data, click the navigation buttons (First, Previous, Next, 

and Last) to move between the views. Brief descriptions of the stand, plan and year are 

provided immediately to the left of the navigation buttons at the bottom of the image 

display window. 

Once SVS is running, you may keep the SVS window(s) open even if you quit NED-2.

Figure 19. Viewing a stand in SVS.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Chapter 6 - Examining the Data 169

VIEWING STAND SNAPSHOTS

At any time, you may view your data in “read-only” mode, by viewing what is referred to as 

“stand snapshots.” A snapshot is a view of your data at various points in time during the planning 

cycle. For any given stand, you may view a snapshot of your original inventory data or simulated 

data such as the baseline or any year on the planning grid.

This feature is most useful when you need to view multiple variables of simulated data 

concurrently. If you only need to view one variable at a time, and you wish to compare plans 

side by side, refer to the Management Planning chapter, specifi cally the section, “Examining 

Simulated Plans,” where it describes how you can compare plans as well as view the results of 

simulation in all years of a single plan.

Viewing Data along the Planning Cycle

Simulated snapshot data is presented as a series of discrete simulation actions (or simulation 

steps) that were applied to each stand, under each plan, according to the years on the planning 

grid. Simulation steps are identifi ed by a brief name (such as a treatment ID) along with the 

year in which they occurred. For each year on the planning grid, all stands contain a growth and 

mortality simulation step, identifi ed as a growth treatment (e.g., “2010 grow”). Any treatments 

you prescribed follow the growth step, and are identifi ed separately according to the name of 

your treatment preceded by the year (e.g., “2010 shelterwood seed cut”). This refl ects the manner 

in which simulation occurs—stand growth from the preceding year on the planning grid is 

accumulated prior to the implementation of your treatments in the current year.

When viewing snapshots of your implemented treatments (those involving cutting), you may see 

which trees have been removed during a simulated cut by checking the stems per unit area. For 

trees that have been removed in the year of the cut, the stems per unit area are zero.

Stand snapshots are viewed in the same manner as you would view your data during inventory 

entry/edit. The only difference is that this view is read only—you cannot edit the data.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click Analysis.

2. From the list of choices under Analysis, click View Stand Snapshots.

3. If you wish to organize your data by stands, in the bottom of the Options Pane, click 

Stands at root, or, if you wish to organize your data by plans, click Plans at root.

4. In the Options Pane, select the stand and the year in which you wish to view the data, such 

as inventory, baseline, or another year.

5. In the Options Pane, select the level (i.e., overstory, understory).

6. To view specifi c variables in the table, in the Work Pane, click the Confi gure button in the 

upper-right corner of the window.
Glossary

abiotic factors—The non-living components that make up or interact with a community or 

ecosystem.

acre—A unit of measure describing surface area. One acre contains 43,560 square feet. A football 

fi eld (without the end zones) is 45,000 square feet—slightly larger than an acre. The inside of a 

professional baseball diamond is about 1/4 of an acre.

advance regeneration—Young trees that have become established naturally in a forest before 

regeneration methods are applied. In other words, the regeneration is present in advance of any 

treatment.

aesthetics—The science or study of beauty, as well as the theory or understanding of the 

perception of the environment by all the senses.

age class—The trees in a stand that became established at, or about, the same time. The range of 

tree ages in a single age class is usually less than 20 percent of the expected age of that class.

air pollution—The chemical compounds and emissions in the air that may damage the foliage of 

some trees.

association—A naturally occurring collection of plants and animals with similar needs for 

sunlight, warmth, moisture, shelter, and nutrients growing together. They function together to 

cycle energy, nutrients, and water; also called a community.

average annual income—The amount of money received over the course of a rotation divided 

by the number of years in that rotation; also called periodic income. For example, there is an 

even-aged stand that will be regenerated when it is 110 years old. The sale of wood products from 

a thinning at 65 years yields $5,000, a thinning at 85 years yields $6,500, and a regeneration cut 

yields $30,000. The income from each sale is added and then the total is divided by the length 

of the rotation: $5,000 + 6,500 + 30,000 = $41,500; $41,500/110 years = $377.27 each year. 

Therefore, the average annual income would be $377.27.

average diameter—Average stand diameter; The average diameter at breast height (dbh) of 

stems among samples in a stand. Based on the simple average (arithmetic mean) dbh of all stems 

> 1 inch. Other measures of stand diameter in NED-2 include merchantable diameter, medial 

diameter, and quadratic mean diameter.

basal area (BA)—The area of the cross section of a tree’s stem at 4 1/2 feet above ground, or 

breast height, in square feet. Basal area of a forest stand is the sum of the basal area’s of the 

individual trees in the stand. It is usually reported in square feet of BA per acre and is used as a 

measure of stand stocking, stand density, and stand volume.

Best Management Practices—Procedures and treatments that lessen soil erosion, sedimentation, 

stream warming, movement of nutrients, and visual quality during or following activities 

that alter the land.biological diversity—The variety and abundance of species, their genetic 

composition, and the communities, ecosystems, and landscapes in which they occur. Also, the 

variety of ecological structures and functions at any one of these levels.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Glossary 171

biological diversity— The variety and abundance of species, their genetic composition, and the 

communities, ecosystems, and landscapes in which they occur. Also, the variety of ecological 

structures and functions at any one of these levels.

biotic factors—The living components of a community or ecosystem.

board-foot volume—The amount of wood products expressed as the number of boards 1 foot 

wide by 1 foot long and 1 inch thick that are sawn from logs.

breeding cover—The cover required by animals to successfully produce offspring. 

broad-leaved plant—A tree or shrub of the botanical group Angiospermae. This term is often 

applied literally to trees and shrubs with wide leaves as opposed to those with needle-like leaves.

buffer strip—An area of land that is left relatively undisturbed to lessen impacts of treatments 

next to it. Common examples include visual buffers used to screen the view from roads, and 

stream side buffers used to protect water quality.

bulk wood product—A product made of wood chips or wood fi ber, as opposed to boards or 

lumber. Bulk wood products are most often measured in cubic feet or tons.

canopy—The continuous cover of branches and foliage formed collectively by the crowns of 

trees. 

canopy closure—The degree of depth and closeness of branches and leaves of individual crowns 

to other crowns. It is expressed as a percentage of the maximum depth and closeness possible.

canopy density—The amount, compactness, and depth of branches and leaves of the crowns of 

trees.

catastrophic event—The occurrence of damaging agents such as insect outbreaks, drought and 

ice storms that appear suddenly and without warning. Events can be extensive and severe, but 

usually last for a short period of time.

Clean Water Act—A Federal law passed in 1972 and since amended, designating forests 

and silvicultural activities such as logging as nonpoint sources of water pollution. To comply 

with the Act, most states have established best management practices to control erosion and 

sedimentation, stream warming, and movement of nutrients into forest streams.

clearcutting—An even-aged silvicultural technique involving the removal of all stems in the 

stand. Strip cutting is a form of clearcutting.

cold-water fi sh—Fish that are very sensitive to and intolerant of warm water. They include 

salmonids such as brook trout.

commercial treatment—Any activity producing forest products that have at least enough value 

to cover the direct costs of the activity.

conifer—Trees, mostly evergreens, bearing cones and needle-shaped or scale-like leaves. 

corridors—Corridors are usually linear patches or connections between similar patches, that 

differ from the elements on either side. Corridors can function as habitat for some species 

(especially species that live in edge habitats), serve as conduits or routes of movement between 

patches, or act as barriers to movement across the matrix.

crop tree—Any tree selected to provide a specifi c benefi t such as mast, dens, veneer, or 

sawtimber. Crop trees are usually selected when they are young.
172 NED-2 User’s Guide: Glossary

crown—The part of a tree or woody plant bearing living branches and foliage.

cubic-foot volume—The amount of wood products expressed as the number of cubes 1 foot wide 

by 1 foot long and 1 foot high that are in a log or stem.

cumulative effects—An effect initiated by an event that was tied in time or space to other 

events (e.g., one straw broke the proverbial camel’s back, but only because many straws had 

already been piled on). Cumulative events can be additive (e.g., straws on the camel’s back) or 

compounded (involving more than one process). For example, increased frequencies of high fl ood 

events, debris torrents, and dam-break fl oods can adversely affect aquatic habitats and bury lowgradient stream reaches in debris. The occurrence of such events are not only due to severe storm 

conditions but to the effects of land management activities such as timber harvesting practices, 

road density, construction and maintenance standards, and conversion of land cover from forests 

to other land uses.

cutting cycle—The planned interval between treatments in forest stands. 

damaging agent—Any one of various factors that injure trees. They include some insects, 

diseases, wildlife, abiotic factors, and human activities.

dead and down material—Any dead branches, tree trunks, or stumps that are on the ground.

deformity—The abnormal development of a tree’s shape, caused by damaging agents or too 

much shading. Tree trunks can be crooked or swollen, branches can be unusually forked or bent, 

and wood can be of inferior quality.

den tree—A living tree that has holes in the trunk, or stem, from broken branches and decay, or 

hollow trunks; a cavity tree.

diameter at breast height (dbh)—Diameter at breast height; the diameter of the trunk of a tree 

measured at 41/2 feet above ground level. It is measured on the uphill side of the tree.

diameter class—An interval of sizes of trees or logs; or the trees and logs themselves that fall 

into such an interval.

dieback—The death of branch tips and loss of foliage in the upper and outer areas of tree crowns. 

Trees usually recover in several years by producing new branches. Various damaging agents can 

cause tree crowns to die back.

disease—Any departure from the normal functioning of a plant caused by some type of persistent 

damaging agent.

drought—A period of dryness that is associated with low soil moisture and inability of plant 

roots to obtain adequate water for growth. Droughty conditions often predispose trees to other 

problems that also cause damage.

ecosystem—A spatially explicit unit of the Earth that includes all organisms along with abiotic 

components (Christensen et al. 1996). Ecosystems are volumetric segments of the Earth, large 

and small, nested within one another in a hierarchy of spatial sizes (Barnes et al. 1998).

escape cover—The cover used to avoid a predator or other danger.

evapotranspiration—The conversion of water into water vapor which is then released into the 

air. The water can pass from plants (usually leaves) into the air or be evaporated from open water 

or the soil. Plants convert water to vapor to cool the surface of leaves.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Glossary 173

even-aged stand—A stand containing trees in the main canopy that are within 20 years of being 

the same age. Even-aged stands sometimes are designated by age-class (10-year-old stand, 40-

year-old stand) or broad size-class: seedling stand (most trees are < 1 inch dbh); sapling stand 

(trees 1-4 inches dbh); poletimber stand (trees 5-10 inches dbh); and sawtimber stand (trees > 10 

inches dbh).

even-aged system—A planned sequence of treatments designed to maintain and regenerate a 

stand with one age class.

felling—Cutting or uprooting standing trees, causing them to fall to the ground.

fi shery—A fi sh habitat maintained or created for sport or commercial fi shing. Some examples of 

habitat criteria include ample food sources, favorable temperature, shelter such as woody debris 

and rocks, and optimal levels of dissolved oxygen and chemicals.

forest—A plant association characterized by trees and other woody vegetation, growing more 

or less closely together. Also, a group of stands under single ownership or manager. Forest 

management includes silviculture, and also involves activities such as road construction, fi re 

protection, pest management, regulating the cut of timber products, maintenance of wildlife 

habitat conditions, inventory, boundary maintenance, and recreational and aesthetic planning.

forest benefi t—Any of the things that you receive from a plant community dominated by trees 

that increase the community’s value to you. These things may include beauty, solitude, biological 

diversity, habitats for species of special concern, water quality or quantity, wildlife, wood 

products, and income.

forest community—A naturally occurring collection of plants dominated by trees, and the 

animals associated with them, that have similar needs for sunlight, warmth, moisture, shelter, and 

nutrients growing together. They function together to cycle energy, nutrients, and water.

forest condition—Generally, the current characteristics of forested land including but not limited 

to cover type, age arrangement, stand density, understory density, canopy density, and forest 

health.

forest cover type—A category of forests based on the kind of trees growing there, particularly 

the composition of tree species. Forest cover types are often referred to as forest types, cover 

types, stand types, or types.

forest developmental stage—The age, condition, and degree of maturity of a forest community. 

For example, even-aged stands develop from seedlings to saplings to poles to large diameter trees, 

and the community changes as the trees grow. Uneven-aged stands have at least three different 

developmental stages in each stand.

forest health—The condition of a community of trees in relation to past, present and potential 

effects of damaging insects, diseases, abiotic factors, wildlife and human activities.

forest opening—An area where trees have been or will be absent from the plant community.

fungi—Organisms that reproduce by spores, and are not able to produce their own food. Fungi 

obtain nutrients from other living or dead organisms. 

geographic range—The area, or region, where a native species occurs naturally.
174 NED-2 User’s Guide: Glossary

groundwater—Water found in unblocked pores and fractures in bedrock and other geologic 

material. Groundwater can occur in soils that are permanently saturated. Groundwater may be 

held in place for long periods of time or move slowly down slope by gravity. Groundwater is 

usually obtained from wells and may contribute to streamfl ow by surfacing at lower elevations.

group selection—An uneven-aged silvicultural technique involving the removal of trees in 

groups usually 1/10 to 2/3 acre in size, but sometimes up to 1 to 2 acres on large properties. 

Group selection can be applied in combination with single-tree selection between groups.

growth loss—A reduction in expected height and/or diameter increase. Many factors infl uence 

tree growth including available growing space, water, nutrients, amount of shading, and effects 

from damaging agents.

hardwoods—Woody angiosperms, broadleaf trees, that are distinguished from softwoods 

(gymnosperms) by the presence of vessels in the wood and broad leaves; hardwood is the wood 

of broad-leaved trees. 

herbaceous plants—Plants with non-woody stems that normally live only one growing season. 

Herbaceous perennials have persisting root systems or other underground structures such as 

bulbs. These plants can sprout stems each growing season for several years. In forest understories, 

these include wildfl owers and ferns.

herbicide—Any chemical preparation used to kill or inhibit the growth of certain plants, 

particularly herbs, or their spores or seeds. This term generally includes arboricides which are 

specifi c for trees and other woody plants.

home range—The area in which an individual animal normally confi nes itself to obtain food and 

cover.

horizontal diversity—The degree of complexity of the arrangement of plant and animal 

communities, and other habitats across a large area of land.

hydrologic function—The ability of vegetation, soils, and bedrock to accept rain water and 

snowmelt and convert it to soil water, runoff, groundwater, or evaporation. The hydrologic 

function in well-established forest communities is excellent and provides a maximum opportunity 

for storing moisture and minimal overland fl ow.

hydrology—The study of the movement and storage of water in the natural and disturbed 

environment. Also, the condition of the water resource at some specifi ed point in time.

importance value—A value that indicates the infl uence of a species in a community. It is 

computed by adding together the values for relative abundance, relative frequency, and relative 

dominance and dividing by three to obtain an importance percentage. Although often used, it 

has the disadvantage of giving similar results for species that have different combinations of the 

independent measures of infl uence.

improvement cut—A cut in an uneven-aged stand, designed to upgrade the quality or species 

composition. No rotation age is specifi ed for uneven-aged stands. Instead, a very general 

maximum tree size is chosen, and residual stands after cutting are defi ned by maximum tree size, 

stand density, and stand structure—diameter distribution, proportion of sawtimber, etc.

insect—Insects associated with forests are represented by numerous species, and have a wide 

range of ecological roles. Most insects do not damage trees, but some do. They eat leaves, suck 

sap, bore through bark and wood, and introduce microorganisms that cause diseases.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Glossary 175

interior species—Species found only or primarily away from the perimeter of a landscape 

element. Species commonly requiring or associated with interior habitat conditions.

intermediate cuttings—Silvicultural cuttings applied in the culture of even-aged stands and are 

normally noncommercial (no products sold) or commercial thinnings (timber sold), designed to 

favor certain species, sizes, and qualities of trees by removal of competitors. Thinnings designed 

to grown quality timber commonly maintain a closed canopy; however, low-density thinning 

(50-70 percent residual crown cover) can be used to hasten diameter growth and stimulate 

understory development for wildlife purposes. At rotation age, the stand in considered to be 

mature, and a regeneration cutting is applied to produce a new stand.

intermediate product—Any wood product recovered from intermediate treatments.

intermediate treatment—Any treatment or “tending” designed to enhance growth, quality, 

vigor, and composition of the stand after seedlings are established and before mature trees are 

regenerated. For example, thinning is an intermediate treatment.

landing—A cleared area in the woods where logs are gathered to load onto trucks for shipment to 

a processing plant. Usually, it is along a road.

landscape elements—The basic, relatively homogeneous ecological elements or units, whether 

they are of natural or human origin. Examples include forests, rivers, fi elds, roads, wetlands, 

hedgerows, lakes, and farmyards.

leaf litter—Fallen organic matter including recognizable leaves, needles, branches, bark, and 

stems, that accumulate on the forest fl oor. Leaf litter protects the underlying organic and mineral 

soils against the impacts of raindrops. It prevents erosion and promotes rapid infi ltration of rain 

and snowmelt into the soils.

logging—The felling and removal of logs and other wood products from forest stands.

lop—Cutting branches of trees that are standing, felled, or fallen. 

maintenance costs—Costs that are associated with owning and caring for a piece of land. They 

include taxes, and upkeep of other resources such as roads.

management unit—A group of forest stands managed as a unit to provide a single package of 

benefi ts.

mast tree—A tree that produces nutlike fruits such as acorns, beechnuts, hickory nuts, seeds of 

certain pines, cherries, apples, samaras. Hard mast trees include acorns, beechnuts, and hickory 

nuts. Soft mast trees include cherries, apples, and samaras (on maple and ash trees). Mast trees 

are an important food source for wildlife.

matrix—The matrix is the dominant landscape element on a landscape in which smaller 

differentiated elements (patches) are embedded. It is commonly highly connected throughout the 

landscape.

mature tree—A tree that has reached the age where its growth declines or decay begins to 

increase. Also, a tree is mature when the benefi ts begin to decline, as in its ability to produce mast 

or the value of its wood.
176 NED-2 User’s Guide: Glossary

medial diameter—The average of the diameter or size-class midpoints of a stand, weighted 

by the proportion of basal area in each size class or diameter. Approximately the same as the 

diameter at the midpoint of the basal area distribution. Medial diameter is favored by some (over 

both simple average and quadratic mean diameters) because it better refl ects the size of the crop 

trees and is less infl uenced by small understory trees. See average diameter for more information.

merchantable diameter—The average stand diameter (arithmetic mean) of the merchantablesized trees (> 5.5 inch dbh) in a stand. See average diameter for more information.

mortality—The death of trees. In forests, it is a normal process that occurs when trees are old, 

crowded, or when they have been severely damaged by some agent. Mortality of some trees offer 

benefi ts to remaining trees and to wildlife. However, extensive mortality in a forest interferes with 

its expected development and desired uses.

native plant—A species that naturally occurs in a given location where its requirement for light, 

warmth, moisture, shelter, and nutrients are met.

natural forces—The factors that infl uence the development of a forest, including the soil, 

climate, and damaging agents.

NED—A computerized decision support model developed by the U.S. Forest Service for 

forest managers to provide assistance on integrated resource management. NED-2 is a tool to 

incorporate wildlife habitats, visual and scenic qualities, wood production, water quality and 

quantity, and ecological aspects in forest planning and development of silvicultural treatments. In 

early versions of the software, including NED/SIPS and NED-1, the NED-2 acronym was rooted 

in the concept of a “Northeastern Decision Model.” As the geographic scope as well as our set of 

collaborators expanded, the name has remained but with expanded applicability that includes the 

temperate forest zone of the eastern United States. 

NED/SIPS—NED/SIPS was the initial product of the development of NED. The computer 

program, subtitled Stand Inventory Processor and Simulator (SIPS), provided an effective means 

of creating, managing, and analyzing forest inventory records at the stand level. Its user-friendly 

interface relieved the pain of entering and editing stand inventory data, and once data are entered, 

a host of analytical tools were available to help understand the data. A variety of reports could 

be generated describing the vegetation structure, timber value, and economics of the stand. 

The user could apply any of a set of standard treatments to the stand or design a customized 

cutting scheme, and utilize one of the four incorporated stand growth simulators to show what 

the stand may look like in the future. Major SIPS features included access to four growth and 

yield simulators using the same data fi le format (NE TWIGS, SILVAH, OAKSIM, and FIBER), 

overstory summary tables for common measures of stand characteristics (i.e., density, species 

composition, volume), and economic analyses of incomes and expenses over the planning 

horizon.

net present value—The gross value minus costs at one point in time, generally the present.

non-commercial treatment—Any activity that does not produce at least enough value to cover 

the direct costs of that treatments.

nonpoint source pollution—Pollution that stems from a source that is spread out over the land. 

Nonpoint sources include runoff from silvicultural treatments, agricultural activities, waste water 

management and some construction activities. The actual pollutants may vary considerably.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Glossary 177

nutrient—Elements, and other chemical substances, that enhance biological activity. Nitrogen, 

phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur are some of the nutrients necessary for plants to grow.

old growth—A forest community that is very old, generally with several age classes older than 

80 years.

outbreak—Unusually large populations of insects or diseases that cause damage. Outbreaks vary 

in size, frequency and duration depending on the particular insect or disease and environmental 

conditions.

overland fl ow—The portion of rain or snowmelt that fl ows over the surface until it reaches a 

stream channel. It is not absorbed by the soil. Overland fl ow in forests is rare unless leaf litter and 

organic horizons of the soil have been severely disturbed or mineral soils have been compacted.

overmature—A stage in a tree’s life when it has declined in vigor and is no longer growing due 

to old age.

overtopped—A condition or position where a tree’s crown is completely covered by the crowns 

of one or more of its neighboring trees. An overtopped tree’s crown is entirely below the general 

level of the canopy and does not receive any direct sunlight either from above or from the sides.

patch—A patch is a relatively homogeneous area that differs in some way from its surroundings 

(e.g., woodlot in a corn fi eld, conifer plantation in a mixed-deciduous forest).

peak water fl ow—The instantaneous maximum fl ow of water, often occurring as the result of an 

intense storm, snowmelt, or a combination of both.

pest suppression program—A collection of methods used by forest managers to control 

outbreaks of damaging insects and diseases. These methods usually involve aerial spraying of 

pesticides or biological materials to reduce pest populations and minimize damage to the forest 

resources.

photosynthesis—The formation of starches and other carbohydrates from carbon dioxide, water, 

and sunlight in cells containing chlorophyll, or green colored cells in plants. 

plantation—A forest stand in which most trees are planted or established from seed sown by 

people. Typically, planted trees are in rows, with equal spacing between each tree in a row and 

between rows. 

pole—A tree, usually young, with a dbh that is larger than 4 inches and smaller than 8 to 11 

inches.

pollutant—A resource out of place.

prescribed burn—The application of fi re in forested or other areas, usually under specifi c 

conditions of weather and fuel moisture, to control vegetation for silvicultural purposes or to 

reduce hazards.

prescription—The specifi c instructions for controlled applications of silvicultural treatments 

based on information about the stands to which they apply. 

province—Provinces cover areas on the order of ten-thousands of square miles. Provinces are 

characterized by broad vegetation regions and soil orders, which conform to climatic subzones 

controlled primarily by continental weather patterns such as length of dry season and duration 

of cold temperatures. The climatic subzones are extensive areas of similar potential natural 

communities as mapped by Kuchler (1964).
178 NED-2 User’s Guide: Glossary

q-factor—Also called q-ratio. Represents a geometric progression of increasing numbers of trees 

with decreasing diameters (Smith 1986). For example, using 2-inch diameter classes, if the q-ratio 

is 1.2, the number of trees in the 6-inch diameter class will be 1.2 times the number of trees in the 

8-inch diameter class.

quadratic mean diameter—The average stand diameter based on the tree of (arithmetic) 

mean basal area for all stems with a dbh > 1 inch. Weighted upward by the contribution of trees 

of larger diameter. Has historical signifi cance because foresters were interested in the tree of 

“average volume” (arithmetic mean volume per tree). If a forester knew what the average tree 

volume was, then they could count the number of trees in a stand, and multiply that number by 

the average tree volume to compute stand volume. According to Curtis and Marshall (2000), in 

regular even-aged stands the average volume per tree is closely related to the average basal area 

per tree, which is the same as the quadratic mean diameter. Stocking charts also use quadratic 

mean diameter because of the direct relationship between number of trees, basal area, and 

quadratic mean diameter. See average diameter for more information.

quarantine regulation—Federal, state and local laws that restrict the movement of plants or 

their products that may contain or promote damaging insects and diseases. These restrictions are 

intended to limit the spread of pests outside their current range.

regeneration—The seedlings and/or saplings in a new forest stand or age class. Natural 

regeneration originated from seeds, sprouts, or root suckers. 

regeneration cuttings—Silvicultural cuttings designed to naturally regenerate the stand by 

providing for seedling (or vegetative stems) establishment or development, or both. Two evenaged techniques include; clearcutting and shelterwood, and two uneven-aged techniques include: 

single-tree selection and group selection. 

regeneration method—A cutting method by which a new age class is created. These methods 

include clearcutting, seed tree, shelterwood, single-tree selection, and group selection; also called 

reproduction method.

relative abundance—The amount (abundance) of a given species, using any kind of measure, 

divided by the total abundance of all species. The sum of all species’ relative abundances must 

equal unity (1.0). Relative abundance can also be expressed as a percentage, in which the total 

relative abundance of all species adds up to 100. If basal area is the measure of abundance, 

relative abundance is often termed “relative dominance” and is calculated by dividing the total 

basal area of a species by the total basal area of all species. The relative number of stems is 

another measure, commonly referred to as “relative density” among ecologists. In the practice 

of forestry, a separate concept of relative density has evolved. See “relative density” for further 

information.

relative density—An index of crowding for forest stands, also called the tree-area ratio; a 

measure of the absolute stand density expressed as a ratio to the density of some reference level. 

The reference level is usually the stand density of a fully stocked stand for a particular species 

composition, site, and method of treatment.

residual spacing—The distance between trees that remain in the forest after a silvicultural 

treatment.

resting cover—The cover used when animals are roosting or sleeping.
NED-2 User’s Guide: Glossary 179

riparian area—The area where the transition between streams, or other bodies of water, 

and forest vegetation occurs. Riparian areas usually have unique plants, animals, and soil 

characteristics. The boundaries of riparian areas are not always clearly defi ned. Riparian areas 

require special care to protect the quality and habitats of streams.

roost—To sit, rest, or sleep on a pole, tree, or protected place on the ground. Roosting is a term 

used mostly in reference to birds.

rotation—The planned interval of time between treatments that regenerate a stand.

runoff—Surface streamfl ow leaving a watershed. Sources of runoff are precipitation falling in 

the channel, overland fl ow (rare in forested areas), and subsurface water exiting from soils and 

bedrock. In this user’s guide, runoff is synonymous with streamfl ow.

sapling—A tree, usually young, that is larger than a seedling but smaller than a pole-sized tree. 

Size varies by region, but a sapling is usually taller than 6 feet and with a dbh between 1 and 4 

inches.

sawlog—A log suitable in size and quality to be milled in to lumber of any size. Usually sawlogs 

are at least 8 inches in diameter after the bark is removed.

sawtimber—Trees large enough to be cut into sawlogs.

scale—A reference to the relative size of things. Or, size in comparison with its environment, a 

human fi gure, or the landscape. The human scale, or the size of people, is a standard reference for 

the size of all things in our culture.

scenic quality—The positive and negative visual characteristics of the natural landscape.

section—Sections are broad areas of similar geomorphic processes, stratigraphy, geologic 

origin, drainage networks, topography, and regional climate. Sections cover areas on the order 

of thousands of square miles; also used to denote a portion of a township in a public land survey, 

where an individual section measures one mile on a side (80 chains), forming a square, equaling 

approximately one square mile or 640 acres.

sedimentation—The accumulation of organic and mineral soil particles and rocks in streams and 

water bodies due to erosion. Sedimentation often accompanies fl ooding. The application of best 

management practices will usually protect against sedimentation during and after treatments.

seed tree—A tree that produces seed. Seed trees are usually mature and high in quality. 

seedling—A tree grown from a seed. Usually the term is restricted to trees smaller than saplings, 

or less than 6 feet tall or with a dbh smaller than 1 inch.

semi-woody plant—Plants with stems that reach nearly full size and become somewhat woody in 

one growing season; subshrubs. They commonly grow additional shoots but not additional layers 

of wood in following years. Such stems normally live only a few years, and are replaced by new 

stems growing from a persistent root system. These include brambles. 

shade intolerance—The relative inability of a plant to become established and grow in the shade.

shade tolerance—The relative capacity of a plant to become established and grow in the shade.

shelterwood—An even-aged silvicultural technique involving the removal of the understory and 

lower crown canopy trees to allow the new stand to regenerate under shade. Subsequent removal 

of the overstory in one or several cuts.
180 NED-2 User’s Guide: Glossary

silvicultural system—A planned process whereby a stand is tended, and re-established. The 

system’s name is based on the number of age classes (for example even-aged or two-aged), and/or 

the regeneration method used (for example, shelterwood, crop-tree, or selection).

silvicultural treatment—A process or action that can be applied in a controlled manor according 

to the requirements of a prescription or plan to a forest community to improve real or potential 

benefi ts.

silviculture—The art, science, and practice of establishing, tending, and reproducing forest 

stands with desired characteristics.

single-tree selection—An uneven-aged silvicultural technique involving the removal of trees 

singly or in groups of two or three, which maintains a continuous canopy and an uneven-aged or 

uneven-sized mixture.

site—The combination of biotic, climatic, topographic, and soil conditions of an area; the 

environment at a location.

site conditions—The site conditions representative of a stand are sometimes designated by soil 

factors (parent material, texture, drainage, or soil series), or by direct measurements such as site 

index—the height of the dominant/codominant trees at a base age of usually 50 years.

skid trail—A path or minor road in the woods that is followed when skidding logs from the 

stump to the landing.

skidding—The act of moving felled logs from their stumps to a landing by dragging or sliding.

slash—Branches, twigs, and leaves of trees left on the ground after a treatment.

snag—A standing dead tree without branches, or the standing portion of a broken-off tree. Snags 

may provide feeding and/or nesting sites for wildlife.

softwoods—A term describing both the wood and the trees themselves that in most cases have 

needles or scale-like leaves (the conifers); gymnosperms. 

soil properties—The combination of chemical and physical factors which infl uence the 

movement of moisture into, through, and out of soils. Examples include infi ltration capacity, 

porosity, bulk density, soil depth, and water-holding capacity.

soil water—Water held between soil mineral and organic particles. This water is susceptible to 

evaporation, plant uptake, lateral fl ow into streams, and downward fl ow into groundwater.

species composition—The collection of plant species found in an area. Composition is expressed 

as a cover type, or a percentage of either the total number or the density, or volume of all species 

in that area. 

species diversity—The number of different plants and animals, and other life forms, coexisting in 

a community.

species richness—The number of different species present in an area.

stand—An area of trees of a certain species composition (cover type), age class or size class 

distribution and condition (quality, vigor, risk), usually growing on a fairly homogeneous site. 

The trees are suffi ciently uniform in spacing, condition, age arrangement and/or forest type to be 

distinguished from neighboring stands. The conditions of the site are relatively uniform, including 

soil properties, water drainage, slope, exposure to weather, and productivity. Stands of fi ve acres 

and larger commonly are recognized, though minimum stand size depends upon size of ownership 

and intensity of management. 
NED-2 User’s Guide: Glossary 181

stand composition—The collection of plants, particularly trees, that are found in a stand.

stand condition—The number, size, species, quality, and vigor of trees in a forest stand.

stand density—A quantitative measure of the proportion of area in a stand actually occupied by 

trees. This is an absolute measure rather than a relative measure, or percentage.

stand structure—The arrangement of trees of different sizes and ages in a stand.

stewardship—The wise management and use of forest resources to ensure their health and 

productivity for the future with regard for generations to come.

stocking—A subjective indication of the number of trees present on a stand compared to the 

optimum number for your desired outcomes expressed as a percentage. 

stream fl ow—Flowing surface water formed by a combination of precipitation intercepted by the 

stream channel, and moisture passing over or through soils and bedrock. Stream fl ow is generally 

confi ned to a well-defi ned channel, except during fl ooding or in exceptionally fl at topography.

stream warming—The heating of stream water by sunlight. The forest canopy covering streams 

can be managed to either protect against or encourage stream warming.

succession—A gradual and continuous replacement of one kind of plant and animal community 

by a more complex community. The environment is modifi ed by the life activities of the plants 

and animals present thereby making it unfavorable for themselves. They are gradually replaced 

by a different group of plants and animals better adapted to the new environment.

sustainable—The indefi nite and steady supply of something. 

terrestrial—Of or pertaining to the land as distinct from air or water.

territory—A defended area in the home range of an animal, particularly during the breeding 

season.

thinning—The removal of some trees to improve and enhance the vigor and growth of other 

trees. Thinning enhances forest health and allows you to recover any excess of potential mortality.

thinning interval—The period of time between successive thinning treatments, usually used in 

connection with even-aged stands.

threatened and endangered species—Plant or animal species with limited abundance and 

distribution and in danger of disappearing due to lack of suitable habitat and/or other factors.

travel cover—The cover that allows animals to move from one area to another without being 

detected.

understory—The small trees, shrubs, and other vegetation growing beneath the canopy of forest 

trees and above the herbaceous plants on the forest fl oor. 

uneven-aged stand—A stand with trees in three or more distinct age classes, either intermixed 

or in small groups, growing on a uniform site; a stand containing trees of several 20-year-age 

classes. These stands generally contain trees of many sizes (seedling through sawtimber) due to 

the range in age as well as differences in growth rate among species.

uneven-aged system—A planned sequence of treatments designed to maintain and regenerate a 

stand with three or more age classes.

veneer—A thin sheet of wood of uniform thickness, produced by rotary cutting, slicing or 

sawing.
182 NED-2 User’s Guide: Glossary

vertical diversity—The extent to which plants are layered within an area. The degree of layering 

is determined by three factors: 1) the arrangement of different growth forms (trees, shrubs, vines, 

herbs, mosses and lichens); 2) the distribution of different tree and shrub species having different 

heights and crown characteristics; and 3) the number of trees of different ages.

virus—Microorganisms that are not able to produce their own food. They obtain nutrients from 

other living or dead organisms. The study of tree viruses is relatively new, but several have been 

identifi ed. They infect leaves or roots, and may contribute to tree death.

visual and scenic qualities—A category of aesthetic factors associated with forests that includes 

qualities like big tree appearance, plants with special characteristics, permanent openings, and 

concern for the visual effects of disturbance and slash after treatments.

visual quality—The positive and negative visual characteristics of anything you see.

warm-water fi sh—Fish are tolerant of high water temperatures often found in larger bodies of 

water, such as rivers and lakes. An example is large-mouth bass.

water quality and quantity—A category of factors associated with forests that includes intensive 

protection of water quality, riparian areas, wetlands, and fi sheries; and the amount of water that 

fl ows from the forest.

water yield—The distribution and total quantity of runoff, usually considered over some 

specifi ed period of time. Water yield may be characterized by total volume of runoff and fl ow 

duration curves.

watershed—An area of land through which precipitation is redistributed into components of the 

hydrologic cycle, including evaporation, groundwater, and streamfl ow. A watershed is all the land 

giving rise to streamfl ow at a selected point in a stream channel; the area drained by a river or 

stream and its tributaries.

wetland—In the absence of a single, universally recognized defi nition, a wetland is a land/water 

ecosystem characterized by periodic inundation. The soils developed under the infl uence of 

saturation. It supports plants and animals adapted to these conditions.

wildlife cover—Hiding places that provide animals with protection from weather, predators, or 

other dangers. Specialized types of cover include breeding cover, escape cover, resting cover, and 

travel cover.

wildlife habitat—The combination of environmental factors, such as food, water, cover, and 

their spatial distribution that a given species needs to survive and reproduce in a given area. Each 

species has unique habitat requirements.

wildlife pest—Animals that cause excessive damage to trees by eating leaves, twigs, buds, bark, 

or roots.

woody debris—The larger woody branch and stem wood (greater than 1 inch in diameter) that 

has fallen either naturally or as a result of logging. Woody debris in water is an important layer 

for aquatic organisms and a source of shelter for fi sh.

woody plants—Plant species with persistent stems capable of growing an additional sheath, or 

layer, of wood and bark each year for the life of the plant. These include trees, shrubs, and woody 

vines (grapevines).
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Twery, M.J., Knopp, P.D., Thomasma, S.A., Nute, D.E. 2011. NED-2 Reference Guide. Gen. 

Tech. Rep. NRS-86. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 

Northern Research Station. 
190 NED-2 User’s Guide: References

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Index

A

add new plan 137

add new stand 45

add treatment 131-132, 139

add year 138

adding variables to the grid 21

adjacency (stand) table 46-47

adjust last size class to fi t largest dbh 148

analysis (goal) 18

ASCII data import 79-80

B

balanced size classes 12

between plot transect data 61

browsed folder history 10

buildings 62

C

calculation parameters 94

clusters 26, 47

coarse woody debris 61

colors in NED 9

compare plans 143

confi gure

 about data grids 21

 adding variables to the data grid 21

 modifying order of data grid items 22

 removing variables from data grid 22

converting NED-1 data 75

copy data to clipboard 22

credits (NED) iv-vi

cubic-foot volume 99

custom variables 48-49

D

data

 between plot transect 61

 confi gure 21

 displaying in vegetation tables 144

 getting starting with entering 24

 ground-cover plot 59

 management unit 44

 overstory plot 51-53

 plant species 63

 stand 45

 understory plot 57-59

data entry

 getting started 24

 plot layout example 27

 shortcuts 50

 working with grids 21

data grid 21-23

dead and down material 61

debris (woody) 61

default values

 about defaults 23

 establishing 23

delete stand 45

delete year 139

diversity 108

 species 110

E

ecology goals, introduction 14

edit plan info 137

enter data 24, 50

entire range, diameter display 148

For defi nitions of additional terms not found in the index, see the Glossary.
192 NED-2 User’s Guide: Index

F

fi eld procedures 32

footers 153

forest type algorithm

 about 112

 program 125

G

general species information 63

generate all 159

generate GIS display 162

generate SVS display 167

getting started 24

GIS 162

goal analysis 11, 18-19

goal selection process 16

goal set 19

grades, product 53

grid display 21

ground layer 59

ground-cover observation 60

ground variables 41-43

H

HAM forest type 124

hardware and software requirements 6

height 29-32, 54

height classes 30

I

import stands 45

importing data 17, 68, 75-81, 132

importing other data 79

inventoried species only, display 66

inventory procedures 32

inventory variables 32

M

management unit data 44

management unit variables 33

metric units 8

midpoint of range, diameter display 148

model selection 133

N

NED 

 about 1

 credits iv-vi

new data fi le 24

new goal set 19

new plan 137

new stand 45

O

observation

 dead and down 61

 ground 59

 overstory 52

 understory 58

overstory plot 52

overstory plot data 51

overstory plot variables 37-39

overstory threshold dbh 95

P

plans at root 169

plant species 63

plant species richness (management unit) 108

plots 26-29

procedures (inventory) 32

product grades 53

R

removing variables from the data grid 22

report list 156

report selection 158

report table widths 160

reports 156-161

requirements 6

S

search for a goal 17

selecting goals 16

selecting reports 158

shuffl e plots 46

similarity 108

simulation model 133
NED-2 User’s Guide: Index 193

size class 51

size class variations 51

size classes 51

species diversity 108

species options 63

stand adjacency 46-47

stand and tree size classes 51

stand variables list 34-36

Stand Visualization System 167

stands at root 169

SVS display 167

system requirements 6

T

table confi gure 25

table width (reports) 160

tables, in reports 158

tables, vegetation 144

timber goals, introduction 12

timber species information 65, 73-74

transect 61

transect variables 43-44

treatment parameters 129, 139

treatments 128-132, 137

tree and stand size classes 51

tree data 51

tree observation 52

tree size classes 51

type (forest) 112, 124

U

understory 57

understory plot data 58

understory plots 58

understory threshold dbh 95

understory variables 39-41

units 8

user code, species 65

user-defi ned variables 48

V

variables, inventory 32-44

vegetation tables 144

view data 142

view stand snapshots 169

visual goals, introduction 13

volume 99

 board-foot 101

 cubic-foot 99

W

water goals, introduction 13

what is NED? 1

who developed NED iv-vi

wildlife goals, introduction 14
Printed on recycled paper

Twery, Mark J.; Knopp, Peter D.; Thomasma, Scott A.; Nute, Donald E. 2011. 

NED-2 User’s Guide. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-85. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 193 p. 

[CD-ROM]

This is the user’s guide for NED-2, which is the latest version of NED, a forest 

ecosystem management decision support system. This software is part of a 

family of software products intended to help resource managers develop goals, 

assess current and future conditions, and produce sustainable management 

plans for forest properties. Designed for stand-alone Windows-based personal 

computers, NED-2 integrates a variety of forest management tools into a single 

environment. These tools include databases, growth and yield models, wildlife 

models, geographic information systems (GIS), visualization tools, and others. The 

software is distributed with an online help system and a printed user’s guide. This 

user’s guide provides guidance for use of the software and a basic introduction to 

the principles and calculations used in NED-2. A reference guide with more detailed 

explanations of the models, equations, and rules that underlie the software is 

available separately. The NED-2 software and related documentation is included 

on the CD-ROM and also may be downloaded from http://nrs.fs.fed.us/tools/ned/

products/ned2/.

Key words: decision support, forest management, multiple objectives, 

 ecosystem management, growth simulation, desired future 

 conditions, alternative comparisons, goal evaluation, 

 eastern North America.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities 

on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, 

familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, 

or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not 

all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 

communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s 

TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, 

Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call 

800-795-3272 (voice) or 202-720-6384 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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