Determining an optimum inventory route for an areal object: the case of forest inventory in Finland

Henna Etula,Harri Antikainen

doi:10.11143/8210

Abstract

Normal 0 21 false false false FI X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:Table Normal; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Times New Roman,serif;} In recent decades, routing based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has become a major branch of technology, which has been used especially in applications related to transport and logistics. However, in terms of the development of methods, routing in a cross-country environment is more difficult, and hence research into it has been relatively scarce. This is particularly true in the context of complex routing problems involving visits to several locations. A typical example of a problem of this kind is field inventory, which is a data collection procedure used in many application areas, particularly those related to environmental research and the management of natural resources. This study presents a problem in which an efficient inventory route is determined for an areal object, such that the area visible from the route meets a prescribed threshold, while maintaining the shortest possible route. Although this problem, referred to here as the Areal Inventory Problem (AIP), is closely related to a multitude of routing and location allocation methods known in the context of GIS, none of them is very well-suited for solving the AIP. This study describes a general solution procedure for the AIP, and introduces an implementation of a heuristic algorithm that can be used to solve a real-world AIP within a reasonable time frame. The proposed approach is demonstrated with actual data related to field inventory practices carried out by the Finnish Forest Centre.

Highlights

The determination of optimum routes is a line of technology, which has become an essential part of modern society, mostly used in logistics, fleet management, and private transport
(1) the route goes through n points, (2) the coverage C of the route is equal to or greater than C_enough, where (3) the visible area of the polygon to be inventoried (P) is created by buffering the inventory route and the observation points with the buffer width Buf and, resulting in a buffer polygon B, (4) the buffer polygon B is intersected by polygon P, in order to produce the visible area (BI_area) inside the polygon and (5) the coverage C of the route is calculated by dividing BI_area by the surface area of P
This study has presented the Areal Inventory Problem (AIP), which attempts to find a route for an areal object, such that the area visible from the route meets a prescribed threshold, while maintaining the shortest possible route

Summary

Introduction

The determination of optimum routes is a line of technology, which has become an essential part of modern society, mostly used in logistics, fleet management, and private transport. Besides the commercial or public sector applications, it is well established in scientific research, manifested by the vast amount of studies considering accessibility, traffic simulation and site selection problems, which all involve the search for optimum routes. While the central role of these enabling factors cannot be disputed, it is important to realize that the route search methods and representations used in routing applications date back to at least the 1950s, or even earlier.

24 Henna Etula and Harri Antikainen

Solution procedure

Findings

Conclusions