Forest Health Survey 2024, Minnesota
Go to Section:- Overview
- Data Quality
- Data Organization
- Coordinate System
- Attributes
- Distribution - Get Data
- Metadata Reference
Section 1: Overview
Originator:Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) - Division of Forestry, Forest Health Unit and US Forest Service
Title:
Forest Health Survey 2024, Minnesota
Abstract:
This dataset shows where largescale tree canopy damage was delineated in aerial surveys in 2024. Only forest disturbances were mapped if they were occurring at the time of the flight. Flights occurred from May to August. The following were the most common disturbers, listed from largest area disturbed to smallest area disturbed: spruce budworm, eastern larch beetle, larch casebearer, and emerald ash borer. Several other disturbance agents are not listed. Not included in this dataset are unmapped areas of damage from emerald ash borer in the Twin Cities Metro area and north of the Metro, oak wilt, Armillaria root disease in all tree species, black ash decline, northern hardwood decline, minor defoliation, and other difficult-to-aerially-map tree health problems
Purpose:
The purpose of this survey was to indicate where significant and highly noticeable tree damage occurred. Another purpose of this survey was to monitor general trends in forest health conditions (previous years’ aerial survey data are available through the Forest Health unit of the MNDNR).
Time Period of Content Date:
06/17/2024
Currentness Reference:
June 17 through September 17th time period in which polygons were surveyed aerially
Progress:
Complete
Maintenance and Update Frequency:
None Planned
Spatial Extent of Data:
The northern forested area (Roseau to northeast Todd to Pine to Cook counties) and southeast Minnesota (Dakota to Fillmore and east to the Mississippi River)
The upper forested area of Minnesota
Bounding Coordinates:
-97.23
-89.53
49.37
43.5
Place Keywords:
Minnesota
Theme Keywords:
environment, forest health, tree health, tree damage, snow damage, emerald ash borer, EAB, spruce budworm, budworm, forest tent caterpillar, caterpillar, eastern larch beetle, twolined chestnut borer, bark beetles, insects, diseases, flooding, wind
Theme Keyword Thesaurus:
Access Constraints:
None
Use Constraints:
Use of the data are constrained only by the MNDNR GIS Data License Agreement. See the Distribution Liability section below for a link.
Contact Person Information:
Brian Schwingle,
Regional Forest Health Specialist
Minnesota DNR - Forestry
500 Lafayette Rd
Saint Paul,
MN
55155
Phone: 651-259-5296
Email: brian.schwingle@state.mn.us
Browse Graphic:
Click to view a data sample.
A map of Minnesota showing the results of the 2023 aerial forest health survey. Red polygons represent defoliation, black/gray polygons represent mortality, and orange polygons represent dieback and discoloration.
Section 2: Data Quality
Attribute Accuracy:
Logical Consistency:
Attribute table values are recorded in flight and double-checked afterward for any obvious errors and to ensure consistency. Some polygons were created from ground surveys after flights.
Completeness:
Horizontal Positional Accuracy:
Polygons are generally within 100 meters of actual problems. Most of them were not ground-truthed.
Lineage:
Section 3: Spatial Data Organization (not used in this metadata)
Section 4: Coordinate System
Horizontal Coordinate Scheme:
Universal Transverse Mercator
UTM Zone Number:
15
Horizontal Datum:
NAD83
Horizontal Units:
meters
Vertical Datum:
Vertical Units:
Depth Datum:
Depth Units:
Section 5: Attributes
Overview:
Caveats about this dataset:
- Many major forest problems cannot be identified from aircraft
- Many concerning forest problems at low levels cannot be reliably seen from aircraft
- Dutch elm disease is very common but not surveyed
- Hardwood declines are extremely difficult to see and survey consistently. Decline data is not reliable.
- Declining black ash stands were not surveyed.
- Most polygons are not ground-truthed; Affected locations (polygons) are generally within 100 m of reality
- Major canopy disturbers can be missed if flight timing does not coincide with an ephemeral disturber (e.g. tent caterpillars, frost damage, budworm defoliation, etc.)
- Major canopy disturbers can be missed if they lie farther away from flight transects. Flight transects generally go east-west and there are 3 - 6 miles between transects
- Not all parts of Minnesota are surveyed every year
- Pattern of damage can be scattered or clumped in any given polygon
Detailed Citation:
Table Detail:
2024 Forest Health Aerial Survey - Contains information on damage to forests in 2024| Field Name | Valid Values | Definition | Definition Source |
|---|
| DATE_CREATED | - | The date that the polygon was created | |
| CAUSE_OF_DAMAGE | - | The cause of the damage | |
| DAMAGE_TYPE | - | The type of damage | |
| PERCENT_AFFECTED | - | The percentage of forest cover within the polygon that was showing the damage. (The date that the polygon was created) | |
| Notes | - | Notes made in flight, from ground checks, or from data review sessions | |
| Acres | - | The acreage of the polygon. | |
| HOST | - | The host species with damage | |
Section 6: Distribution
Publisher:
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Publication Date:
04/03/2025
Contact Person Information:
Zeb Thomas,
Spatial Data Systems Administrator
Minnesota DNR - GIS
500 Lafayette Rd
Saint Paul,
MN
55155
Phone: 651-259-5637
Email: zeb.thomas@state.mn.us
Distributor's Data Set Identifier:
env_forest_health_survey_2024
Ordering Instructions:
Please visit the download page for this dataset on the Minnesota Geospatial Commons website using the web link below (Online Linkage). Online Linkage: I AGREE
to the notice in "Distribution Liability" above. Clicking to agree will either begin the download process, link to a service, or provide more instructions. See "Ordering Instructions" above for details.
Section 7: Metadata Reference
Metadata Date:
3/24/2024
Contact Person Information:
Brian Schwingle,
Regional Forest Health Specialist
Minnesota DNR - Forestry
500 Lafayette Rd
Saint Paul,
MN
55155
Phone: 651-259-5296
Email: brian.schwingle@state.mn.us
Metadata Standard Name:
Minnesota Geographic Metadata Guidelines
Metadata Standard Version:
1.2
