Assessing large-scale surveyor variability in the historic forest data of the original U.S. Public Land Survey

Manies, K. L.; Mladenoff, D. J.; Nordheim, E. V.

Abstract:

The U.S. General Land Office Public Land Survey (PLS) records are a valuable resource for studying pre-European settlement vegetation. However, these data were taken for legal, not ecological, purposes. In turn, the instructions the surveyors followed affected the data collected. For this reason, it has been suggested that the PLS data may not truly represent the surveyed landscapes. This study examined the PLS data of northern Wisconsin, U.S.A., to determine the extent of variability among surveyors. We statistically tested for differences among surveyors in recorded tree species, size, location, and distance from the survey point. While we cannot rule out effects from other influences (e.g., environmental factors), we found evidence suggesting some level of surveyor bias for four of five variables, including tree species and size. The PLS data remain one of the best records of pre-European settlement vegetation available. However, based on our findings, we recommend that projects using PLS records examine these data carefully. This assessment should include not only the choice of variables to be studied but also the spatial extent at which the data will be examined.

Genre:

Article

ProdID:

70024311

Citation Author:

Manies, K. L.; Mladenoff, D. J.; Nordheim, E. V.

Citation Contributing Office:

Citation Datum:

Citation Day:

Citation Edition:

Citation Editor:

Citation End Page:

1730

Citation Issue:

Citation Keywords:

Citation Language:

English

Citation Larger Work Title:

Canadian Journal of Forest Research

Citation LatN:

Citation LatS:

Citation LonE:

Citation LonW:

Citation Month:

Citation No Pagination:

Citation Number Of Pages:

Citation Online Only Flag:

Citation Phsyical Description:

Citation Projection:

Citation Public Comments:

Citation Publisher:

Citation Series:

Citation Series Code:

Citation Series Number:

Citation Search Results Text:

Assessing large-scale surveyor variability in the historic forest data of the original U.S. Public Land Survey; 2001; Article; Journal; Canadian Journal of Forest Research; Manies, K. L.; Mladenoff, D. J.; Nordheim, E. V.