Recent Changes to the Northeast Variant of the Forest Vegetation Simulator and Some Basic Strategies for Improving Model Outputs

Abstract

Abstract The northeast variant of the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS-NE) produces output that is of considerable use to forest managers in the northeastern United States. Designed to be relatively easy to use and requiring modest data inputs, FVS-NE is readily available at no cost and is well documented. However, as with all models, users need to appreciate model limitations and have realistic expectations. The purpose of this field note is to present some strategies for improving the reliability of predictions from FVS-NE.