Geographic Information Systems or GIS is a system that allows us to display and analyze geographic and tabular data. We use GIS to visualize and give shape to abstract and complex data sets. It enables us to take geographic data such as your property boundary and display it over aerial photography. We can then add tabular data such as a point which represents a tally of trees measured on your property.
GIS enhances forest management by assisting land owners and forest managers to evaluate and analyze the species diversity, age and size of timber, timber density, and volume. We are able to store this data in a geographic information system which allows us to generate forest management plans, prescribe a timber sale, update inventories based on a harvest, and assess for insect and disease threat.
Using FORECON’s timber inventory growth and yield modeling system (TIGER), timber inventories can be grown to estimate future timber volumes. This enables forest land owners and their forest managers to project timber growth and estimate future market values. GIS is an incredible tool used in forest management and can be used to benefit the smallest forest tract to tens of thousands of acres spanning multiple states.
