Brown e-MapScholar teaching case study

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Case study:
Forest management planning

Description

The module consists of six study units, each dealing with a clearly-defined topic, each including independent study, supported by practical computer work and in some cases field work. Each unit requires between one and four hours of student time to complete. As this is an independent study module students work at their own pace. Some graduate students studying for this degree already have a good working knowledge of GIS and they can complete introductory work units very rapidly.

The online tutorials are available from: http://users.ox.ac.uk/~ndbrown/mapinfo/index.htm [opens in a new window].

1. Preparing a base map
Tutorial: An introduction to digital mapping - managing layers and displaying labels.
Practical: Open an OS Land-Line.Plus® tile. Open English Nature Ancient Woodland and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) map layers. Produce a simple labelled boundary map of Little Wittenham Wood. Save the map in a workspace and print it.

2. Using data from paper maps
Tutorial: Vector and raster images. Scanning and digitising.
Practical: Register a raster image of the Little Wittenham compartment map.

3. Linking a database to a map
Fieldwork: Collect information on the species and planting date of all compartments in Little Wittenham wood.
Practical: Open a raster image of a scanned map and trace compartment boundaries. Link each compartment to field data stored in an Excel spreadsheet.

4. Adding attribute data to create a thematic map
Practical: Create a thematic map showing crop types.

5. Using GPS data to refine a map
Tutorial: Global positioning systems in forestry. How a GPS works.
Practical: Import GPS data. Create map layers showing positions of veteran trees.

6. Using a GIS for planning and projections
Tutorial: Using a database to make simple projections (future composition, timber volume production etc.).
Practical: Create a map showing management operations 10 years from now for a single year (areas allocated to planting, thinning, weeding, felling, position of access routes etc.) Produce a summary costing of these operations at current prices.