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Sara A. Goeking

Sara A. Goeking
Forest Inventory and Analysis National Program Manager
Washington Office
860 N 1200 E
Logan, UT 84321
United States
Phone
703-605-4177
0000-0001-5448-1119

Current Research

My work leverages Forest Inventory & Analysis (FIA) data to address current and future management challenges, to provide transparency and accountability to the public and Congress, and to advocate for FAIR data principles so that FIA data and analyses are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Repeatable.

Past Research

My research has developed spatially explicit analyses and novel applications of FIA data that enhance our understanding of forest dynamics such as mortality, disturbance, and land use/land cover change. Research projects have included:

  • International outreach and tech transfer - In addition to my ongoing work with FIA data, I periodically serve temporary assignments with USFS International Programs and represent the US Forest Service and SilvaCarbon to the Global Forest Observations Initiative. I provide technical assistance to other countries in the areas of data quality assurance (quality assessment and quality control, or QA/QC), definition of forest monitoring objectives, field data collection, and analysis/reporting.
  • Linking forest dynamics with water resources - This work combines ground-based FIA measurements with remote sensing and hydrologic data to study the effects of forest disturbance on ecohydrologic processes. Our goal is to evaluate the effects of observed and projected future forest dynamics on water availablity, both for downstream users and for forests.
  • Whitebark and limber pine monitoring across the western US - This ongoing work capitalizes on the spatial and temporal representativeness of the FIA dataset to assess high-elevation 5-needle pines throughout their US ranges. Previous results indicate that the distribution of whitebark pines is far more widespread among mixed-composition stands – particularly the lodgepole pine forest type – than in pure whitebark pine stands, and that mortality has outpaced growth for both whitebark and limber pine in recent years.
  • Comparison of historical vs. current forest conditions - To understand how forests have changed over the recent decades and continue to change, I developed methods for comparing historical (periodic) versus current (annual) forest inventories, with a focus on differences among various forest types and land management groups.
  • Fire effects - Several FIA analysts are collaborating to quantify the effects of fire on basal area among various forest types.
  • Field data collection - I was fortunate to serve as an FIA field crew leader when I first came to the Forest Service. My work with the RMRS-FIA Data Collection Team also involved streamlining and expanding the scope of FIA Pre-field workflows so that we now collect basic land use, land cover, and tree canopy cover data on all FIA plots.
  • Riparian forest restoration - This collaboration involved multiple stakeholders who developed recommendations for restoration of riparian forests in Utah. The results of the collaboration will be published as a guide for land owners and managers who want to implement riparian forest restoration projects.
  • Riparian vegetation and sandbar monitoring - Prior to joining FIA, most of my work focused on spatial analysis of riparian vegetation and sandbar storage in the Colorado River basin, and analysis of multi-temporal surveys and historical air photos to quantify past and current responses to hydroelectric flow regulation in a historical context.

Research Interest

I am interested in all things geospatial, because nearly all ecological and hydrological processes vary spatially across the landscape. Past research has applied modelling and remote sensing tools to expand the utility of our rich forest inventory dataset to multiple forest values, such as water resources, with a focus on disturbance effects on hydrology in the semi-arid Western US. Current work focuses on forests throughout the entire U.S.

Why This Research Is Important

Forest managers, and others who value our forests, rely on good science to provide high-quality data on the condition and trends in forests across all lands. FIA provides that information. A tremendous strength of the FIA dataset is the size and spatial representativeness of the sample. The spatial and temporal intensity of FIA's plots allow us to provide forest information that is statistically robust and representative at the landscape level. FIA functions as the nation's forest census by collecting mountains of data, and FIA specialists strive to interpret those mountains of data as an information landscape that can be easily seen and interpreted by the public.

Education

  • Utah State University, Ph.D., Watershed Sciences, 2022
  • Utah State University, M.S., Forest Ecology, 2003
  • Utah State University, B.S., Environmental Studies and Plant Science, 1996

Professional Organizations

  • Publications Committee member,  American Geophysical Union (AGU),  2023 - Current
    The committee provides input into the overall strategy for peer-reviewed journals and books, recommends policies that support AGU’s publishing goals, ensures the appointment of journal Editors-in-Chief, and reviews annual performance of journals and scientific publishing. The committee also supports advancement of AGU's goals of inclusivity, sustainability, and open science (i.e., FAIR science that is findable, accessible to all, interoperable, and reproducible). Committee membership operates on rotating two-year terms.
  • Member,  American Water Resources Association,  2021 - Current
  • Member,  American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS),  2020 - Current
  • Member,  American Geophysical Union (AGU),  2018 - Current
  • Member,  Society for Conservation GIS,  2015 - Current
  • Member,  Society of American Foresters (SAF),  2010 - Current

Awards & Recognition

  • 2022 Editors’ Choice Award by the American Geophysical Union journal Water Resources Research, 2023
    The paper "Variable streamflow response to forest disturbance in the western US: A large-sample hydrology approach" was chosen by WRR Editors for extremely high quality and significance. This award is presented to the top 1% of all papers in WRR.
  • Chief’s Award for outstanding efforts toward International Influence, 2023
    The Women in Forest Carbon Initiative draws upon the experience and expertise of women across the agency who serve as mentors and recognizes the importance of gender equality in forestry and Forest Service support for climate change activities globally.

Other Publications

Citations of Non-Forest Service Publications

  • Schmidt, J.C., Topping, D.J., Rubin, D.M., Hazel, J.E., Jr., Kaplinski, M., Wiele, S.M., and Goeking, S.A., 2007. Streamflow and sediment data collected to determine the effects of low summer steady flows and habitat maintenance flows in 2000 on the Colorado River between Lees Ferry and Bright Angel Creek, Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007-1268, 79 p. [http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1268/].

  • Grams, P.E., J.C. Schmidt, D.J. Topping, and S.A. Goeking, S., 2004. The degraded reach: rate and pattern of bed and bank adjustment of the Colorado River in the 25 km immediately downstream from Glen Canyon Dam. Technical report to the USGS Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, 111 p.

  • Goeking, S.A., 2003. Long-term dynamics of riparian vegetation, and their relation to hydrology and geomorphology, along the Green River in the Uintah Basin. Master’s Thesis, Utah State University, Logan.

  • Goeking, S.A., J.C. Schmidt, and M.K. Webb, 2003. Spatial and temporal trends in the size and number of backwaters between 1935 and 2000, Marble and Grand Canyons, Arizona. Technical report to USGS Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, 15 p.

  • Schmidt, J. C., S.A. Goeking, D.J. Topping, D. Rubin, B. Lockwood, J.E. Hazel, M. Kaplinski, S. Wiele, and M. Franseen, 2003. Stream flow and sediment data collected to determine the effects of low summer steady flows and habitat maintenance flows in 2000 on the Colorado River between Lees Ferry and Bright Angel Creek, Arizona. Technical report to the USGS Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, 54 p.

  • Schmidt, J.C., D.J. Topping, S.A. Goeking, H. Sondossi, J.E. Hazel, and P.E. Grams, 2002. System-wide changes in the distribution of fine-grained alluvium in the Colorado River corridor between Lees Ferry and Bright Angel Creek, Arizona, 1980s to 2001. Technical report to the USGS Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, 86 p.

  • Birchell, G.J., K. Christopherson, C. Crosby, T.A. Crowl, J. Gourley, M. Townsend, S. Goeking, T. Modde, M. Fuller, and P. Nelson, 2002. The levee removal project: assessment of floodplain habitat restoration in the middle Green River. Final report. Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program Project CAP-6-LR. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Salt Lake City. 257 pages + appendices.

Data and Tools

Last updated February 27, 2024