Modellering, DSS, simulering, optimering

Applications like forest inventory and forestry planning, planning of fellings, optimization of harvesting and accounting processes, improvements of timber logistic, evaluation of damaging events etc. are expecting a realistic virtual illustration of the real forest. Within this project the preconditions for building up a single central database – the Virtual Forest - describing the extensive area of North Rhine-Westphalia are constructed. This database contains a mathematical description of biological and technical aspects of the real forest in different detailing (e.g. forest and single-tree consideration) and different precision. Apart from available terrestrial data and a digital site classification, developed by the Landesbetrieb Wald und Holz NRW, the Virtual Forest is based on remote sensing data and information derived thereof. It applies newly developed algorithms on well-known data formats: for single tree identification laser data and aerial images are used, tree species classification uses images and area segmentation is based on raster and vector data. Thus, a comprehensive survey ranging from inventory to forest growth to logistics can be provided. The Virtual Forest provides all stored data in a new 4D geo-data infrastructure while using standardised interfaces. All data (basic data, derived data, technical data, etc.) can also be used by third (programmes, users). Furthermore, a meta-data catalogue answers questions as “Which data of a certain area and/or to a specific subject are placed in which format, which exactness and which actuality at what costs at which place?” Appropriate safety concepts secure the data access as well as the data itself. The consequent consideration of the factor “time” transforms the 2D- or rather 3D- into a 4D-GIS based on a 4D geo-data infrastructure – the basis for a “time machine”. This enables the user to look at the forest at different (historical or future) conditions. The Virtual Forest serves as a foundation for abstracts of different economy units, which are from case to case both business and economically profitable, and with it for the management of larger amounts of wood at lower costs.

The overall goal of BayWIS was the construction of a GIS-supported information system which supports the Bavarian Forest Administration in fulfilling their tasks through recording, information, planning and analysis tools.
BayWIS therefore needs to supply and administrate professional forest data with and without special reference together with geo-basic-data and relevant professional data of other offices centrally and redundance-free.
BayWIS is directly connected to the constant optimization of professional task processes.

Qualitative goals of BayWIS are to supply a highly professional, employee-, forest owner-, customer- and citizen-friendly information & communication support. Thereby, the public conception of the completion of tasks of the forest administration is improved and the acceptance through the appliers is increased. Thereby, cost decreasing effects might be possible through the extensive bundling of the information & communication support of all tasks in the forest administration.

In March 2011, the company INTEND Geoinformatik GmbH won the tender for the project with their product WebLine Mobile (WLM). WLM is based on the mobile framework MobileADF of the company ESRI and the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF).  For BayWIS, WebLine Mobile was extended by an online-component. When using the offline version, the program relies on a local to be synchronized mapcache. In the online version, it uses the direct requests of the map pictures to the ArcGIS server. Therefore, the complete amount of geodata (incl. open geospatial consortium (OGC)-services) is available online in the statewide extent.

The basic idea is the processing of natural and financial data for typical forest stands and selected forest treatment alternatives after previous simulation calculations. Thereby, the question initially was limited to the depiction of the alternatives “thinning” or “without thinning”.

This prototype can be complemented with additional indicators; other areas and forest treatment strategies and therefore more data should be added and furthermore more risk integration has to be done

The sorted single tree data then were condensed to coefficients via MS Access queries. The coefficients contain information about the arising amounts of wood of the simulated treatments or rather the timber stock of the remaining stands – sorted into sorts of wood and simulation period. After feeding the data to the consultation support system, a connection to current prices for timber and timber harvesting costs was established. Based on the data from the second National Forest Inventory, the stratification of the area of the Bavarian “Tertiäres Hügelland” and the compilation of simulation stocks was carried out. Using the forest growth simulator Silva 2.2, the simulation stocks were updated once without treatment and once updated according to a thinning scheme. In the next step, the results of the simulation runs (single tree data for the remaining and the outgoing stock) were sorted according to regional sorting criteria using the sorting program BDat 2.0.

The project aims to use new technologies to make the wood sales system economical and dynamic, and to fluidize information to increase wood mobilization and get forest owners involved in management.
Two tools have been developed:
- a computerized wood auction sale system coupled with an online sales platform: SYLVATRADE system
- a digital GIS data sharing platform for optimized management accessible to all stakeholders (owners, managers, buyers) called NEOSYLVAQ.

In the long term, the expert firm Coudert wishes to organise wood sales exclusively online.

The computer sales tool (SYLVATRADE tool) is a platform created from a database to generate standardized batch records and edit contracts. It is associated with the NEOSYLVAQ cartographic platform to give the buyer an overview of the lots, the location and outline of each lot on cartography, access and itineraries and finally facilitates the organization of lot visits.  
At the time of the sale the buyer has several information on the lot on his digital tablet: geographical situation, cadastre, surface, species,... A quasi immediate computer processing makes it possible to display the best offer and its amount to the whole room. The computerized management makes it possible to treat approximately 90 000 m3 of wood in 2 hours. Sales balances can be carried out by computer and quickly by species, volume class, and geographical unit.  The group sales can be followed either remotely on the Internet, or in a room on digital tablets. The results of the offers appear in real time and the contractual documents are published during the sale and are signed electronically at the exit of sale.

Spatially explicit GIS-method and a collection of tools to assess the energy wood biomass availability and transport costs at regional level to any given end-use location. In the process the technical harvesting biomass potential, local competing demand and the wood resource balance are assessed. The transport costs from the grid of supply points can be viewed as a function of transport distance. Also, different future growth and demand scenarios can be included into calculations thus providing a valuable decision support to investors of energy wood industry.

Most customer projects differ from every other project in some respect. Calculation methods need more or less adjustment.

Results from the analysis: 1. Numerical (GIS) maps of biomass potential for any given timber assortment, biomass demand and wood resource balance (e.g. balance of small trees, see picture above).
2. Graphs depicting transport costs as a function of distance. 3. Spreadsheets of the result data used for graphs. 4. Summary report of the results for the customers.

For more information, see the reference.

Public administrations directly manage a road network on forest land that in many cases is longer than the general road network itself.
Wood transport is a key factor in the value chain of wood mobilization.
There is therefore a need for reliable knowledge of this network, so that resources can be optimised and rationalised in terms of maintenance and improvement, that is to say, the rationalisation of the processes of inventory, planning, programming and control of the work on these tracks must be emphasised.

The lack of digital cartography with sufficient quality in rural areas is a constant in most territories. Together with a certain delay in the application of technologies in the sectors that operate in this area, they make these areas a priority objective on which to concentrate this type of effort.
This cartography allows to plan more effectively the operations related to the harvesting and transport of wood, from the forest to the industry.

Since 2009, Cesefor has directed and developed the project co-financed by the Regional Government of Castilla y León and the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Within the framework of this project, more than 50,000 km of rural roads have been inventoried and more than 33,000 equipments have been collected, forming a continuous network connected to the road network with extensive qualitative information on forest areas.
The information has been collected by GPS, attaching the necessary qualitative information in each case.
Specific cartography has been distributed to environmental agents, fire extinguishing media dependent on the Junta de Castilla y León and the digital information is available at the Junta de Castilla y León.
A specific navigator has also been developed for rural roads, since due to the special characteristics of this network it is necessary to know the existing restrictions, either by type of vehicle or state of the tracks.