The USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program seeks to assess the condition and trend of the forests of the . FIA recently assumed responsibility for all former Forest Health Monitoring program (FHM) plot work on a national level, and is currently active in 32 states. Lichen community monitoring was included in FIA in order to address key assessment issues such as the impact of air pollution on forest resources, spatial and temporal trends in biodiversity, and the sustainability of timber harvesting. The Lichen Community Indicator component of FIA collects data on the epiphytic lichen community (.,.
