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Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Tools

ForestERA tools are developed for use in the ArcGIS environment (ESRI, Redlands, CA) and require the Spatial Analyst extension. Stakeholders indicated in initial ForestERA outreach efforts that ArcGIS was their preferred environment because their organizations already owned the software and had spatial analysts trained in its use.

ForestERA Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) tools can be used side by side with the complete spatial analysis functionality already available in ArcGIS and extended by third party developers. In addition, many stand alone programs, such as FRAGSTATS 3 for calculating landscape metrics, are compatible with Arc GRID files (ForestERA SDSS generates files in this format).

ForestERA tools are being developed with Visual Basic and ArcObjects for use on the ArcGIS platform. The ForestERA extension adds a tool bar to ArcMap with a series of buttons. When clicked, the buttons open interfaces that allow the user to work his way through the multi-criteria decision making process. Additional functions specifically developed for charactering the size and type of treatment are coded in dynamic link libraries (DLLs) and added to the tool bar. A documentation feature allows the user ready access to detailed information for using each extension component. In addition, we are developing tools that will allow users to run our wildlife, fire behavior, invasive plant and forest treatment models independently.

In addition to facilitating users in developing forest management scenarios and testing cumulative effects easily and quickly, the tools add functionality to current off-the-shelf GIS software by incorporating spatial techniques not previously available. These techniques improve the way management requirements and user preferences for forest management are represented spatially. The tool components allow users to:

• Identify potential areas for management focus by selecting from ForestERA or user-supplied criteria, such as high fire hazard and proximity to communities (see Figure 1 above).
• Design various forest treatment scenarios for potential management focal areas and test and compare the cumulative effects of these modeled treatments on fire behavior and wildlife habitat.
• Predict fire hazard and behavior across the landscape.
• Predict wildlife habitat quality for various species/taxa across the landscape.
• Map the spread of invasive plant species.

See also

Vegetation modeling tools
Fire modeling tools
Habitat modeling tools
Watershed modeling tools
Treatment modeling tools
Social Science evaluation tools

Last updated February 11, 2005