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Forest or shrubland structure is the spatial distribution of vegetation (live
and dead) both vertically and horizontally on the landscape. Prior to European
settlement, forests in the Central Coast were characterized by heterogeneous
spatial patterns replete with individual large trees, gaps, and tree clumps of
various sizes – patterns that were shaped by recurrent fire and other
disturbances. After a century-plus of fire exclusion, timber harvesting, and
other land-use practices, the predominant trend across Sierran forests is that
they have become denser, with an ingrowth of small, shade-tolerant trees and
less structural heterogeneity.

The Forest Structure Element is described by four metrics in the RRK: density
of large trees, canopy layer count, canopy vegetation height, and canopy
vegetation cover. Large tree density was selected to represent resilience for
the structure element. Condition scores range from +1 to -1 representing more
favorable to less favorable conditions, respectively.

* Metric Name: Element representation: Structure   

* Unit Of Measure: Condition score, +1 to -1  

* Translation: Where is forest and shrubland structure most resilient?