Tool For Forestry Research Articles

Evaluation of Two-Dimensional DBH Estimation Algorithms Using TLS

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) has become a vital tool in forestry for accurately measuring tree parameters, such as diameter at breast height (DBH). However, its application in Mexican forests remains underexplored. This study evaluates the performance of five two-dimensional DBH estimation algorithms (Nelder–Mead, least squares, Hough transform, RANSAC, and convex hull) within a temperate Mexican forest and explores their broader applicability across diverse ecosystems, using published point cloud data from various scanning devices. Results indicate that algorithm accuracy is influenced by local factors like point cloud density, occlusion, vegetation, and tree structure. In the Mexican study area, the Nelder–Mead algorithm achieved the highest accuracy (R² = 0.98, RMSE = 1.59 cm, MAPE = 6.12%), closely followed by least squares (R² = 0.98, RMSE = 1.67 cm, MAPE = 6.42%), with different outcomes in other sites. These findings advance DBH estimation methods by highlighting the importance of tailored algorithm selection and environmental considerations, thereby contributing to more accurate and efficient forest management across various landscapes.

Accuracy and Precision in Urban Forestry Tools for Estimating Total Tree Height

Background: Urban tree inventories are fundamental to the monitoring and management of urban forests. Various handheld tools and methods exist to conduct tree mensuration, ranging from the simple stick method to laser rangefinders. This study examines the accuracy and precision of the stick method, clinometer, and laser rangefinder, and introduces tree type (i.e., conifer versus broadleaf) comparisons of accuracy and precision. Methods: Measurements were taken from 127 trees comprised of 85 (66.9%) broadleaf and 42 (33.1%) coniferous trees. Trees were distributed across 4 urban land use types: park, golf course, street, and trail system. A drone-mounted measurement tape was used to determine true height. Results: Measured heights ranged from 4.67 m to 25.71 m (x̄ = 13.19 m). Measurements from the stick method yielded statistically similar results to both the rangefinder and clinometer methods. The methods had a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.991 (N = 3). Accuracy was highest for the rangefinder and lowest for the stick method. Precision was greatest between the rangefinder and the clinometer. Root-meansquare error (RMSE) and percent error were highest for the stick method and broadleaf trees for all 3 measurement methods. Conclusions: The findings indicate greater accuracy and precision across all tools when measuring conifers. The rangefinder was similar in accuracy to the clinometer, with notable changes in accuracy when using the stick method.

Usefulness and Need for Digital Technology to Assist Forest Management: Summary of Findings from a Survey of Registered Foresters

AbstractKey components of a digital forestry program (digital tools, databases, and decision-support systems) can be of great importance in the management of forests today. A general lack of knowledge of the needs of forest managers and landowners for components of digital forestry has been hypothesized. A survey regarding digital forestry tools was conducted of registered foresters from five USA states (Alabama, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, and North Carolina). Registered foresters may be private landowners or those working for organizations that meet the requirements for licensure in a state. Of the registered foresters who identified as nonindustrial private landowners, roughly half currently do not use digital technologies for forest management efforts. Of the registered foresters who identified as employees of forestry organizations, about 80% use digital technology in the management of their organization’s forests. Geographic information systems technology was the most important, followed by inventory systems, databases, and field-ready smartphone applications. Those registered foresters who had not used digital technologies in the past suggested that their usefulness for the management of their property and their lack of awareness of potential options were likely reasons for not using digital technologies.Study Implications: From surveying five eastern states in the United States, we found that forest landowners are not current users of technology, whereas those associated with forest organizations are more apt to use technologies when managing their forests. Desirable technologies used by both private landowners and forestry organizations include geographic information systems and smartphone applications, whereas those working for forestry organizations also desired inventory systems and databases. Current technology gaps were also identified.

Resource communication: New forestry tools for natural beech forests in northwestern Spain

Aim of study: Although beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests in north-western Spain constitute c.a. 40% of the total area occupied by the species in the whole country, no growth or yield studies have been carried out regarding these forests. The specific objective of this study was to elaborate yield tables and stand density management diagrams for the beech forests.
 Area of study: Asturias and León provinces (NW Spain).
 Material and methods: Sample plots (n=112) were established in natural beech forests, and 60 dominant trees were felled for sampling. The Asturias Government Forest Service provided data on another 351 felled trees. Yield tables and stand density management diagrams (SDMDs) were elaborated to estimate tree volume and biomass in the study area for the first time.
 Main results: These forests are more productive than expected. Although they are currently not managed for forestry purposes, they could be managed again in the future and the tools are now available for this purpose.
 Research highlights: The study generates new user-friendly tools to manage beech forests in northwestern Spain. These tools will also enable simulations to be conducted to determine the potential carbon storage or the capacity of the stands to sequester atmospheric carbon.

Ecological and economic management tools in forestry

The importance of this article is related to the development of new policies for the management of the forestry business. The emergence of new business practices requires a revision of existing business management systems or the acquisition of new unique management skills. This article highlights the key ecological and economic management tools in forestry, identified as a result of the study of the works of domestic and foreign authors, as well as the provisions of regulatory legal acts. The developed environmental and financial forestry management tools make it possible to consider both industries and economic entities for the impact on the environment, aimed at the prospects for the creation of a certain entity. Upon completion of this work, important environmental and economic management tools were adopted that will contribute to the formation of a management idea for forestry. When modeling the ecological and economic management of forestry, a rational option for regulating the instruments was chosen, which would bring the system to the desired state. It was concluded that it is necessary to maximize the coefficients regulating the instruments of environmental and economic management of forestry. It is also necessary to improve the environmental audit and insurance, the legislative mechanism, the introduction of trade rights in certain territories.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Initialize and Calibrate Landscape Models: A Case Study in the Mediterranean Mountains

The use of spatially interactive forest landscape models has increased in recent years. These models are valuable tools to assess our knowledge about the functioning and provisioning of ecosystems as well as essential allies when predicting future changes. However, developing the necessary inputs and preparing them for research studies require substantial initial investments in terms of time. Although model initialization and calibration often take the largest amount of modelers’ efforts, such processes are rarely reported thoroughly in application studies. Our study documents the process of calibrating and setting up an ecophysiologically based forest landscape model (LANDIS-II with PnET-Succession) in a biogeographical region where such a model has never been applied to date (southwestern Mediterranean mountains in Europe). We describe the methodological process necessary to produce the required spatial inputs expressing initial vegetation and site conditions. We test model behaviour on single-cell simulations and calibrate species parameters using local biomass estimations and literature information. Finally, we test how different initialization data—with and without shrub communities—influence the simulation of forest dynamics by applying the calibrated model at landscape level. Combination of plot-level data with vegetation maps allowed us to generate a detailed map of initial tree and shrub communities. Single-cell simulations revealed that the model was able to reproduce realistic biomass estimates and competitive effects for different forest types included in the landscape, as well as plausible monthly growth patterns of species growing in Mediterranean mountains. Our results highlight the importance of considering shrub communities in forest landscape models, as they influence the temporal dynamics of tree species. Besides, our results show that, in the absence of natural disturbances, harvesting or climate change, landscape-level simulations projected a general increase of biomass of several species over the next decades but with distinct spatio-temporal patterns due to competitive effects and landscape heterogeneity. Providing a step-by-step workflow to initialize and calibrate a forest landscape model, our study encourages new users to use such tools in forestry and climate change applications. Thus, we advocate for documenting initialization processes in a transparent and reproducible manner in forest landscape modelling.

Applications of GIS-Based Software to Improve the Sustainability of a Forwarding Operation in Central Italy

Reducing potential soil damage due to the passing of forest machinery is a key issue in sustainable forest management. Limiting soil compaction has a significant positive impact on forest soil. With this in mind, the aim of this work was the application of precision forestry tools, namely the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Geographic Information System (GIS), to improve forwarding operations in hilly areas, thereby reducing the soil surface impacted. Three different forest study areas located on the slopes of Mount Amiata (Tuscany, Italy) were analyzed. Extraction operations were carried out using a John Deere 1410D forwarder. The study was conducted in chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) coppice, and two coniferous stands: black pine (Pinus nigra Arn.) and Monterey pine (Pinus radiata D. Don). The first stage of this work consisted of field surveys collecting data concerning new strip roads prepared by the forwarder operator to extract all the wood material from the forest areas. These new strip roads were detected using a GNSS system: specifically, a Trimble Juno Sb handheld data collector. The accumulated field data were recorded in GIS Software Quantum GIS 2.18, allowing the creation of strip road shapefiles followed by a calculation of the soil surface impacted during the extraction operation. In the second phase, various GIS tools were used to define a preliminary strip road network, developed to minimize impact on the surface, and, therefore, environmental disturbance. The results obtained showed the efficiency of precision forestry tools to improve forwarding operations. This electronic component, integrated with the on-board GNSS and GIS systems of the forwarder, could assure that the machine only followed the previously-planned strip roads, leading to a considerable reduction of the soil compaction and topsoil disturbances. The use of such tool can also minimize the risks of accidents in hilly areas operations, thus allowing more sustainable forest operations under all the three pillars of sustainability (economy, environment and society).

Special issue in honour of Prof. Reto J. Strasser - The JIP-test as a tool for forestry in times of climate change

Replicate common gardens of Italian and Greek provenances of Quercus ilex, Q. pubescens, and Q. frainetto seedlings were established in 2017 in Italy, Greece, and Germany (here: also Q. robur) to assess their potential for plantations for future climate scenarios. The JIP-test was applied on saplings (2016) and in the summers of 2017-2019 to assess the efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatus. Seedlings from the nurseries differed in the tested JIP parameters from older plants in the field. Further, considerable inter-annual and between-sites variability of the parameters occurred. Q. pubescens revealed the most stable behavior across time and site, with the Greek provenance usually showing higher values of performance index and the probability of electron transport beyond QA- than the Italian provenance. In the German sites, Greek Q. pubescens revealed higher values of most of the tested JIP parameters than the local species, Q. robur.

Sistema de crecimiento y rendimiento maderable para plantaciones de teca (Tectona grandis L. f.) en Campeche, México

Los modelos dinámicos de crecimiento y rendimiento maderable son importantes para tomar decisiones en el manejo forestal. Estos modelos predicen la dinámica futura en función de atributos del rodal y son herramientas prácticas para aplicar silvicultura en la planeación del manejo de bosques naturales y plantaciones. En México, teca (Tectona grandis L. f.) es de importancia maderable en plantaciones comerciales; sin embargo, las herramientas de este tipo para el manejo técnico y científico son limitadas. Se desarrolló un sistema de crecimiento y rendimiento maderable (Scrm) explícito para plantaciones de teca establecidas en Campeche, México. El Scrm se conformó de ecuaciones dinámicas de diferencia algebraica ajustadas al utilizar información dasométrica de una red de parcelas permanentes con remediciones. La selección de cada componente del Scrm se basó en un análisis de la bondad de ajuste y en una inspección gráfica para comparar la similitud entre el patrón generado y la tendencia observada, se buscó un balance entre consideraciones estadísticas y tendencias biológicas de crecimiento. La mortalidad se determinó a través de la densidad de plantación inicial y fue sensible al índice de sitio. Se seleccionaron sistemas de crecimiento tipo Schumacher para el área basal y el volumen. A la edad del turno planeado a 19 años y con un índice de sitio de 18 m, se estimaron rendimientos de 152.75 m3 ha-1, 136.86 m3 ha-1 y 113.12 m3 ha-1 para toda la plantación en general, para la densidad de 1250 plantas por hectárea (pl ha-1)y para la densidad de 816 pl ha-1, respectivamente. El Scrm generado permite estimar el volumen total con corteza por hectárea bajo las condiciones locales específicas de establecimiento, de manejo silvícola y de calidad de sitio de las plantaciones de teca analizadas.

Analysis of Hard Facing Material Designed for Application on the Forestry Tools

Analysis of Hard Facing Material Designed for Application on the Forestry Tools

E-praxis: A web-based forest law decision support system for land characterization in Greece

This paper presents “e-praxis”, a Web-based Decision Support System (DSS), to assist the land Characterization Acts (CA) issuing process, performed by the Greek Forest Service (GFS). The issue under investigation is the characterization of specific or wider land areas as sylvan (forest ecosystem in general) or not, based on the applicable legislation and the fundamental principles of Forest Ecology. The proposed DSS is a web application that bases its operation and functionality on a model built for the decoding of the relevant Forest Legislation and utilizes the “Rule-Based Reasoning” technique for the design and implementation of the decision model. Programming languages such as PHP, HTML and JavaScript were employed for the development of the application. The main goal of the DSS is the simplification -and to the possible extent - automation of the process together with the reduction of the required examination time. “E-praxis” also aims to document the decision process based on objective criteria so as to combat bureaucracy and potential corruption. The use of the application by the GFS can save time that can be committed to other significant tasks and strengthen the objectivity in decision making. The proposed DSS could also be exploited as a consultation tool for freelance foresters-scholars, be used as a training tool for newly appointed foresters of the GFS and as an educational tool for Forestry and Legal sciences students.

Research of process overcoming obstacles by tillage tools

The patterns of interaction between tillage tools and obstacles in forest soils (stumps, roots, stones) are important for the development of specialized forestry tools. They largely determine the type of a tool, tool geometry and modes of operation. In this study, the process of overcoming obstacles with a tillage tool using the method of multibody dynamics (MBD) was studied. For this purpose, CAD SolidWorks and a software program for engineering calculations SolidWorks Motion in which a virtual test bench was created was used. The forces applied on the standard, experimental and disk cultivator tillage tools were studied in various interactions with an obstacle. Studies have shown that in frontal interaction with an obstacle an experimental tillage tool has power characteristics similar to a disk cultivator, and in lateral interaction they are similar to the standard one. It provides reliable in overcoming obstacles with a small mass. Laboratory studies were conducted in the soil channel to test the simulation results. On the basis of the results of the experimental test the differences of the theoretical and practical values of traction resistance of a cultivator section were established during the overcome of an obstacle. For the experimental tillage tool, the differences in the maximum values at the entrance to the stump are 3.9%, for the disk, 1.7%.

Evaluation of Some Parameters of Hard Surfacing Treatment of the Functional Surfaces of Forestry Tools

Abstract In this paper we discuss the possibility of increasing service life of tools used in forestry for mulching of undesirable forest growths. In a heterogeneous working environment in which they are operated, such tools are subjected to constant abrasion and impact loading. There are several ways how to extend their service life and operational fitness. One of these is hard surface treatment, or hard surfacing of their functional surfaces. In our experiment, we chose suitable hard surfacing materials and applied these on the sample materials using the MMA and MAG welding. The hard surface was applied in an one layer. Subsequently, we performed hardness tests, microscopic analysis of the structure of the basic material and the hard surface and evaluation of the fusion penetration of the base material with the hard surfacing weld. Fusion is crucial as it determines the cohesiveness of the weld and base materials and thus also the actual extension of the service life of the tools.

Methodological accounting tool for Climate and Energy Planning in a Norwegian municipality

Abstract The aim of this study was to propose a methodology to support the production of Climate and Energy Plans in Norwegian municipalities by analyzing whether locally available woody biomass, specifically forest logging residues, within the municipality (in this case, Fredrikstad), could cover the demand for heating in municipality buildings over the next 20 years. Three different tools, a geoprocessing tool for forestry (GEOSKOG), a methodology for environmental assessment (Life Cycle Assessment) and a tool for processing geographical data (Geographical Information System), were used in combination with energy data related to municipal buildings. The goal was to quantify the share of energy end-use (heat) that could potentially be replaced by bioenergy from forest logging residues and to calculate the potential GHG benefits from this substitution. The annual heating demand for municipal buildings in Fredrikstad currently heated by electric and oil boilers was 9.3 GWh. The potential annual GHG savings from the bioenergy substitution of fossil fuel (oil) boilers and electric boilers (Norwegian and Nordic electricity mix) equaled 292 tonnes CO2-eq, 95 tonnes CO2-eq and 535 tonnes CO2-eq respectively.

Reference and control plots – a useful tool for forestry?

AbstractIn the current age, the increased need for the restoration of forest ecosystems necessitates a better understanding of natural processes. Forest stands that are affected only by natural processes and disturbances can serve as references and controls for comparison with cut or otherwise managed forests. Such a comparison may help us determine, whether our sylvicultural practices actually pursue the goal of sustainable development. It is also important to use uniform terminology across the world to facilitate sharing of experiences and results. Creating reference and control stands in every ecoregion will provide a rich scientific basis for comparison with managed forests and allow us to design and apply restoration methods more effectively.

Precision forestry: riferimenti concettuali, strumenti e prospettive di diffusione in Italia

Abstract: Recent advancements in informatics and communication technologies have led to an increasing employment of analytical and communication tools in forestry, including data from satellite, airborne, unmanned aerial vehichles, global positioning systems, and many sensors, devices and other geospatial tools. Precision forestry enables highly repeatable measurements, actions and processes to manage and harvest forest stands, simultaneously allowing information linkages between production and wood supply chain, involving resource managers and environmental community; all these factors are contributing to the wider goal of sustainable forest management. In this report, we review the most recent advances in the precision forestry applications and tools, with particular reference on advanced forest inventory, decision support systems, precision forest harvesting, and wood traceability. We discuss the opportunities and challenges towards implementing precision forest practices in forest management and planning and forest industry in Italy.

A generalized interregional nonlinear mixed-effects crown width model for Prince Rupprecht larch in northern China

Crown width is a tree variable that is commonly used as an important predictor in forest growth and yield models that serve as decision-support tools in forestry. Here, we developed a generalized interregional nonlinear mixed-effects individual tree crown width model using data from 3369 Prince Rupprecht larch (Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr.) trees on 116 sample plots that were distributed across the two most important regions in northern China. Because measurements from the same sample plot were highly correlated with each other, random effects at the levels of both sample plots and stands with different site conditions (blocks) were used to develop a two-level nonlinear mixed-effects crown width model. To describe the interregional variability of crown width between the regions, a dummy variable, which accounts for region-specific differences, was introduced into the model. The results showed that the two-level interregional nonlinear mixed-effects crown width model accurately described the regional variability of crown width for Prince Rupprecht larch in northern China. Modeling the random effects at the block level alone led to significantly high correlations among the residuals. However, these correlations decreased significantly when the random effects were modeled at both the block and sample plot levels. Measuring the crown width of four randomly selected Prince Rupprecht larch trees per sample plot is recommended for localizing the mixed-effects crown width model and precisely predicting the crown widths of the remaining trees on each plot.

Climate influences on the maximum size-density relationship in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stands

The maximum size-density relationship (MSDR) reflects the boundary site occupancy and the self-thinning line for a given species, being a useful tool in forestry. Studies focusing on the MSDR often do not cover the whole distribution of the studied species, which results in different boundaries for a given species in different regions. A common MSDR is lacking for the increasingly demanded large-scale studies. However, this information is important where silvicultural responses must be prioritized among monospecific stands or where comparisons among maximum and relative stand densities between and within species are required.For the purposes of this study, we used data from 9911 sample plots located in Scots pine and European beech monospecific stands. Both of these species are of considerable importance and widely distributed throughout Europe. The data came from National or Regional Forest Inventories of five European countries (Austria, Germany, France, Spain and Poland) and therefore were distributed across a wide range of climatic conditions.The main aim of this study was to determine whether the MSDR of these species depends on environmental variables and to develop a MSDR model for each species that explain this variability along a climate gradient.The resulting models showed that both parameters of species boundary lines were climate-dependent, but that the pattern of variation differed between species. Hence, the higher the humidity, the steeper the MSDR (more negative exponent) and the higher the intercept for beech, while in the case of pine, the higher the humidity, the straighter the MSDR and the lower the intercept. According to these models, the stand density indices, for a reference diameter of 25cm, varied with the humidity in a different way for each species. Consequently, the ratio between the two species increases with humidity, although it also depends on stand diameter.These results are in accordance with the yield level theory and could contribute to the development of more precise silvicultural guidelines and growth models based on the self-thinning line. Moreover, they are of particular importance in the discussion of growth and the effects of mixing on mixed species stands.

Numizmatika kao edukativno-promidžbeni alat u šumarstvu

The article discusses the role of the forestry topics in numismatic, ie money, one of the most important features of the sovereignty of every country. First part of the article deals with the historical emergence of the concept of money and numismatics. Special emphasis is placed on the Croatian currency kuna, which can serve as an educational and promotional tool in forestry. There are numerous examples from Croatia, but also from other countries, of motifs on the banknotes and coins which are raising awareness that we need to preserve the protected plant and animal species, and better management of forestry. Article also provide guidelines for the further promotion of forestry through this unique the communication channel.

Individual tree basal area growth models for Chir pine (Pinus roxberghii Sarg.) in western Nepal

The individual tree growth models are important decision-making tools in forestry. Age dependent and age independent individual tree basal area growth models were developed for Chir pine ( Pinus roxberghii Sarg.) in one of the western districts, Rukum district, in Nepal. Data from thirty-five destructively sampled trees, which were representative of all possible stand densities, site productivities, age classes, and size classes of Chir pine forests in the district, were used. Sample trees were felled and diameters and ages were measured on the cut surface of the stump (at 30 cm above the ground). Since measurements from the same stump of a tree were strongly correlated, the autoregressive error structure modelling approach was applied while specifying the model in order to reduce bias. All parameter estimates of the models were significant ( P 0.86). Residual graphs showed no serious systematic bias for all observed age classes and diameter classes. The age independent growth model showed relatively better fit statistics ( R 2 = 0.8751, RMSE = 4.8494) than