Forest Inventory: Updating with GPS

Introduction

Forest inventories are never complete. It seems there are always data errors to correct, new data to add, or existing data to change. Expanding and updating forest inventories is an ongoing, never-ending process.

Sources of new data vary, and as a result, updating methods vary somewhat as well. Existing paper maps, imagery, light detection and ranging (lidar), and Global Positioning System (GPS) are common data sources for expanding and updating forest inventories.

While GPS data and imagery are perhaps the most common sources of update information, forest managers also commonly use various online sources of geographic data to assist in updating forest inventories. Federal, state, and provincial agencies are common sources of online data, often made available for access or download free of charge. Good examples are Minnesota (http://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/index.html), Nova Scotia (http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/forestry/GIS), and New Brunswick (http://www.snb.ca/gdam-igec/e/2900e.asp).

Also, Esri's ArcGIS Online (http://www.arcgis.com) provides free access to a number of map and image services.  A Google search using "online GIS data sources" turns up many more useful sites.

How, though, do forest managers access and deploy these various sources of geographic data in keeping their forest inventories current; in particular, how is GPS used?

Location

A small 1,400-hectare (ha) woodlot in the Acadian-New England forest region of North America

Time to complete the lab

Approximately 3 hours

Prerequisites

A basic working knowledge of GIS and ArcGIS software in particular Experience using ArcGIS Explorer would be helpful too. Familiarity with the Woodlot geodatabase inventory is essential.

Data used in this lab

A personal geodatabase of several feature classes for a small (1,400 ha) woodlot in the Acadian-New England forest region of North America. All data is NAD83 datum with New Brunswick Double Stereographic projection, unless otherwise stated. GPS track data in the WGS84 geographic coordinate system is also used.

About this Lab

Title: Forest Inventory: Updating with GPS

Author: Glen Jordan

Level: 2, development

Requirements: ArcGIS 10 or 10.1, ArcGIS Explorer

Keywords: imagery; GPS; digitizing; accessing GIS map service; image services; feature classes; buffer; features; overlay

File: F01d_InventoryUpdateGPS.doc (ArcGIS 10), F01d_InventoryUpdateGPS_2013.doc (ArcGIS 10.1)

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