FIAtools

FIAtools provides a comprehensive open-source Python ecosystem designed for analyzing USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data. This unified platform integrates several specialized tools, enabling users to manage raw survey plots, perform spatial analysis, simulate forest growth, and interact with data using artificial intelligence. It aims to streamline complex forest inventory workflows, offering robust capabilities for researchers and analysts.

The ecosystem comprises four core components. pyFIA serves as a high-performance Python API for FIA survey data, utilizing a DuckDB backend and Polars DataFrames for efficient querying and post-stratified estimation, ensuring EVALIDator-compatible results for metrics like trees per acre, biomass, and volume. gridFIA focuses on spatial analysis, leveraging Zarr-based storage for BIGMAP raster data, providing 30-meter resolution for 327 species, optimized for localized biomass analysis and species diversity indices across any US state or county.

For growth modeling, pyFVS offers a Python implementation of the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) Southern variant, featuring individual tree growth models for various pine species, capable of generating yield tables and crown competition modeling. Finally, askFIA provides an AI-powered conversational interface, allowing users to perform natural language queries, automate analysis, and generate reports by orchestrating the other tools within the FIAtools ecosystem. This integrated approach ensures seamless interoperability and powerful analytical capabilities.