Modern Methods for Enhanced Produktivity
The provision of new methods for stand-wise or single tree-wise forest management is one of the first results of the Virtual Forest. Based on a newly developed IT-infrastructure and due to the combination of terrestrially acquired geo-data and remote sensing data, the forest planner is equipped with a new tool for an efficient initial survey and for the periodic control and update of the data.
Based on the results from classification of tree species among usage of difference heights (surface model minus terrain model), image data as well as property data, similar parts of the forest are summarized to so-called forest segments. Those are precise in terms of agricultural area boundaries, so they can directly be assigned to a forest owner. For further diversion, e.g. of site parameter, again nearby forest segments are simultaneously generalised to stand units or so-called subdivisions.
On the basis of classification of tree species and the division of a forest, for each stand unit basic stand attributes are directly defined by remotely sensing data (at present tree species, forest growth class per tree species, part of area per tree species, top height per tree species as well as stocking level in total), out of what than further attributes as average height, stem number, b.h.d. and store per each tree species are derived by using effective charts. The same goes for statements of location.To this, for each subdivision composed by stand units the actual height and altitudinal zone, land forms, slope direction and slope gradient as well as water budget and nutrient class are calculated or rather taken from a digital site classification developed by the Landesbetrieb Wald & Holz
