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Abstract
An Ecosystem DSS Using ArcGIS for Integrated Forestry and Military Training
Track: Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management
Author(s): Larry Capelle, Mark Books, David Buckley, Ken Bunzel
Fort A.P. Hill, a 76,000-acre U.S. Army training installation located on the coastal plain of Virginia, has recently completed development of an ArcGIS software based Ecosystem Decision Support System (DSS). The DSS uses ecosystem management guidelines to develop stand prescriptions, apply growth and yield projections, and plan forestry activities to achieve desired military training objectives. This is being accomplished while still growing commercial timber, protecting endangered/threatened species and cultural resources, managing for a wide variety of forest types and wildlife habitat, protecting and enhancing (expanding) unique ecosystems, and preventing soil erosion.
The problem of how to spatially distribute forest stand prescriptions to achieve a wide variety of goals that often compete with each other is being addressed by the use of the DSS. Forest treatment prescriptions are being developed based on a myriad of data parameters such as military training objectives, current and past forest stand data, growth and yield models, wildlife habitat models, insect and disease models, site criteria and location of threatened species and cultural resources, forest health monitoring data, and land form features. The goal of this system is to preserve and enhance biodiversity while maintaining sustainable forest resources. Most important, the priority is to preserve and improve the land to support the Fort A.P. Hill military training mission.
This paper will review the design and development approaches of the DSS, from initial prototyping in ArcView 3.2 to current operational implementation with the new ArcView 8.1 software. Design issues will be discussed focusing on the integration of the core Ecosystem DSS components, such as the USFS Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) growth and yield model, silvicultural prescription generation and allocation tools, landscape structure analysis (FRAGSTATS), fire incident modeling (Farsite), 3D visualization (WCS Visual Nature Studio), and the analysis of Tactical Concealment Areas. A demonstration will be provided.
Larry Capelle
Fort A.P. Hill, Dept. of the Army
DPW Environmental and Natural Resources
19952 N.Range Rd
Fort A.P.Hill , VA 22427-3123
USA
Phone: 804-633-8409
Fax: 804-633-8443
E-mail: larry_l_capelle@belvoir.army.mil
Mark Books
Fort AP Hill, Dept. of the Army
DPW Environmental and Natural Resources
19952 N.Range Rd.
Fort A.P. Hill , VA 22427-3123
USA
Phone: 804-633-8409
Fax: 804-633-8443
E-mail: mark_a_books@belvoir.army.mil
David Buckley
Space Imaging
Director, GIS Solutions
2000 S. College Ave., Suite 300
Fort Collins 80526
USA
Phone: 970-490-5900
Fax: 970-490-2300
E-mail: dbuckley@spaceimaging.com
Ken Bunzel
SIS EM