DESERT SHRUBWOOD INVENTORY METHOD 
Vasily Zhirin 
Centre of Ecology and Forest Productivity Problems 
Russian Academy of Sciences 
69, Novocheriomushkinskaya Street 
Moscow, 117418, Russia 
ISPRS Commission VII / Working Group 6 
ABSTRACT 
The method of desert shrubwood inventory is based on multistage sampling of forest foundation data. 
Taking into consideration a close interconnection of desert shrubwoods with sand geomorphology, 
valuation sites (strata), which means lands, having homogeneous sand relief type are taken as primary 
economic units. Strata borderlines are well identified in Russian high resolution space photographs 
(10m). On the basis of selective large scale aerial black-and-white photographs (1:1500-1:2000) a 
detailed valuation shrubwood characteristic is compiled. The optimal number of aerial photos all over the 
inventory object is computed with account of strata areas and variance of the most valuation index, and 
photos distribution is provided with stratified systematic sampling design. Takiro into account desert 
vegetation peculiarities in structure and high protective properties of shrubwoods, the absolute density 
(area sum of crown projections) is taken as most important valuation index. Other indices are included: 
species composition, average diameter of shrub crowns, the number of shrubs per 1 ha, site index class, 
total stock, overgracing etc. Basing on inventory results of sand shrubwoods and estimate of state nature 
rangelands a map set is compiled. It includes the maps, which show species distribution of shrubwoods 
and sand relief types or reflect the degree of sand securance with vegetation. For example, the number of 
shrubs per 1 ha can be used as one of the criteria for wind erosion state of sands. Such areals, having less 
than 50 shrubs per hectare, show the danger of shifting sands development and certain measures must be 
taken to secure them. 
The method was tested many times under shrubwoods inventory in the desert regions of the former 
USSR. 
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