Quality Assurance Aspects of the Joint USA - Canada North American Sugar Maple Decline Project

摘要

The North American Sugar Maple Decline Project was implemented in 1988 in response to concerns about the condition of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) in the United States and Canada. Data collection for the project involved at least 15 federal, state, and provincial crews from seven states and four provinces. The response measurements included four subjective measurements of tree crown conditions: branch dieback, foliage transparency, foliage discoloration, and dwarfed foliage. The results from the project show that quality assurance activities can quantify the quality of data for subjective measurements. In addition, quality assurance procedures can improve data quality over time.