10 - Advanced applications in forestry and natural resource management

Abstract

The advanced applications in this chapter of the book provide readers and students an opportunity to see how geographic information systems (GIS) can be used to address complex land management issues. In the first case study, an analysis is conducted of the riparian areas contained within a large national forest in Pennsylvania. The intent of the exercise is to understand not only how much land area is contained in the riparian areas, but also what types of forests are found there. The second case study involves an assessment of the recreational opportunity spectrum (ROS) areas within a national forest in Minnesota. Here, the road system plays a major role, as the rules that define recreation classes are highly dependent on the distances land areas are to different types of roads. The third case study involves an assessment of the forest fertilization options for a portion of a national forest in South Carolina. In this example, the type of vegetation (age, species, etc.) and the type of soil on which the vegetation is growing are factors that help one understand the appropriate areas that could be fertilized. The final case study uses a land cover database, again in the national forest in Pennsylvania, to estimate the area within each compartment occupied by specific forest cover types. These case studies bring together many of the techniques that are described in previous chapters of the book and illustrate the potential for GIS to assist foresters and natural resource managers in making sound decisions.