Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.; EWP), is an ecologically and economically important tree throughout New England and the Northern forest ecosystem. Various biotic and abiotic stresses cause degradation to EWP-dominated stands. Accurate data on EWP-stand structure are important to assess stand health and resilience to various stresses, including drought. The live crown ratio (LCR) is one of the key indicators of EWP-stand structure that has been understudied at a landscape level using remote sensing data. Moreover, the canopy density (indicated by leaf area index; LAI) and crown diameter (CD) are two additional indicators of EWP-stand structure.

This study aims to quantify the relationship between multiple structural attributes leading to the development of a new EWP-stand health index or resilience map. The proposed study aims to conduct field surveys to collect structural attributes data at the plot level in three NSRC states (Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont). The field data will be used to develop regression models using remote sensing data, which will be applied for wall-to-wall mapping of various structural attributes. The derived structural attribute layers will be integrated to develop the health index or resilience map. The study will exchange collected and available field data on EWP-stands in the New England area with the US Forest Service (USFS) and Maine Forest Service (MFS), as well as remotely sensed derived EWP structural map on LCR, which is unavailable to date. The generated spatial layers will be hosted on a WebGIS platform for public accessibility to support stand management activities.