More information on FIA indicators is available. Use of FIA protocols would allow a park to compare their data to areas outside the park, both locally and regionally. This helps to put park data in context and allows comparisons to be made both spatially and temporally. By adding the spatial dimension, problems may be identified earlier than if only the temporal dimension were available. FIA protocols provide information relevant to park management issues, such as monitoring invasive species, forest insect and disease issues, structure and composition of understory vegetation, and fuel loading.
Quality assurance is an important part of the program.