Abstract
 Using GIS for Selecting Trees for Thinning Track: Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management Author(s): I-Kuai Hung, Ben McNally, Kenneth Farrish, Brian Oswald Thinning removes tress from a stand to regulate the level of site occupancy and promote subsequent stand development. Before thinning is applied, foresters determine the amount of growing stock to leave, the spatial distribution of these residual trees, and the criteria used to select trees to cut. In this study, a small loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantation was surveyed through a complete tree tally, recording the coordinates of each individual tree. The dataset was then processed in a GIS program composed in ARC Marco Language (AML), applying a moving quadrant system to superimpose over the study area. In each quadrant, tree attributes including DBH (nearest 0.1 inch), height (nearest 0.1 ft.), basal area (ft2 A-1), and density (trees per unit area) were populated as determining factors for tree selection. A 3D visualization before and after thinning was created with a goal of equal distribution of trees across the stand. I-Kuai Hung Stephen F. Austin State University Forestry Box 6109, SFA Station Nacogdoches , TX 75962 US Phone: 936-468-2464 Fax: 936-468-2489 E-mail: hungi@sfasu.edu Ben McNally Stephen F. Austin State University Arthur Temple College of Forestry Box 6109, SFA Station Nacogdoches , TX 75962-6109 US Phone: 936-468-1180 E-mail: z_mcnallybc@titan.sfasu.edu Kenneth Farrish Stephen F. Austin State University Arthur Temple College of Forestry Box 6109, SFA Station Nacogdoches , TX 75962-6109 US Phone: 936-468-2475 E-mail: kfarrish@sfasu.edu Brian Oswald Stephen F. Austin State University Arthur Temple College of Forestry Box 6109, SFA Station Nacogdoches , TX 75962-6109 US Phone: 936-468-2275 E-mail: boswald@sfasu.edu |
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