2004 User Conference

2004 Program

Presentations

 
An Integrated Data Management Approach to Forest Health Issues

Bart Wagner and Justin Grieves, Data Management Consultants, Refined Logic Inc.
Brad Layton, VP Operations, Pro-tech Forest Resources Ltd. / Blackstone Software Inc.

There will be a demonstration of the software in the GIS Lab after afternoon coffee.

Sheldon Croden, Corporate Account Development, ACD Systems - The Digital Imaging Company

Canvas 9 Advanced GIS Mapping Edition Software

Sheldon Croden, Corporate Account Development, ACD Systems - The Digital Imaging Company

Canvas 9 Advanced GIS Mapping Edition makes tasks that might require hours, even days of work - or simply could not be accomplished with other technical illustration or graphics applications - easy to complete. The program includes a host of professionally engineered GIS capabilities to target the more sophisticated needs of mission-critical GIS projects that demand precise visualization, annotation, editing, filtering, and import or export of GIS data. This presentation will explore the program's advanced features and provide the audience with an overview of how Canvas 9 Advanced GIS Mapping can assist them with their daily tasks.

Using multi-date Landsat imagery to describe seasonal phenology in a northern mountain ecosystem

Roberta J. Lay, David D. Gustine, and Roger D. Wheate, Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, UNBC

Change in vegetation phenology may be a key determinant to the movement behaviour of large mammals. Numerous studies have found the seasonal differences in multi-temporal Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values to be important to the explanation of movement for species such as barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti); however, these studies have typically relied upon coarse resolution NDVI information (i.e., 250-1000m). It is necessary to capture patterns of vegetation change at a finer scale to identify the importance of phenology in habitat selection and movements of large mammals with limited intra-season movement areas (e.g., grizzly bears (Ursus arctos), woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou)). The Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) onboard the Landsat satellites, capture multi-spectral data at 30m resolution. Because of the limited satellite overpass schedule, however, these data are less frequently available and consequently more likely to be contaminated by clouds. Fourteen TM and ETM+ images were used to generate NDVI images during the growing season for three years (2001-2003). We used multiple regression techniques to predict NDVI values for areas of missing data under clouds in order to produce a continuous NDVI surface. We assessed the success of various models containing multiple terrain inputs and found the combination of vegetation species (derived by supervised image classification of TM data with overall accuracy 77%) and elevation to be the best predictor of NDVI across the landscape. Model performance was highest for images collected during peak vegetation greenness (maximum NDVI). Predicted NDVI was used to assess change in peak and rate of vegetation greenness. This information is being used as an input to model the habitat selection of woodland caribou, Stone's sheep (Ovis dallei stonei), moose (Alces alces) and grizzly bears and is being compared to predation risk as a determinate of woodland caribou calf survival in northeastern British Columbia.

Applications of GIS in Health Geography: Fine Tuning Estimates of Geographical Accessibility in Northern BC

Authors: Jessica McGregor, Neil Hanlon and Scott Emmons

Presenter: Jessica McGregor, Undergraduate in the Geography Program, UNBC

In 2002, the B.C. Ministry of Health Services established provincial guidelines for geographical access to emergency care. According to the Standards of Accessibility and Guidelines for Provision of Sustainable Acute Care Services, [a]ccess will be provided to emergency services on a 24/7/52 basis within a one hour travel time for 98% of residents within the [health authority] region (p.5). The calculation of travel time in this document, however, is based on the crude method of aerial, or as-the-crow-flie, distance estimation. Using GIS techniques and an open source network distance calculator, this study will determine whether provincial standards of emergency care access are met in northern British Columbia when using digitally referenced road network data to estimate distance and travel times. The presentation will also discuss other applications of web-based GIS tools developed at UNBC for doing rural and remote health services research.

OziExplorer GPS Mapping Software

Mark Sunstrum, RPF, Sunfor Consulting Inc.

OziExplorer GPS Mapping Software can be considered as “enabling” software for GPS units. Upload/download data, use geo-referenced maps, and export position data to reports and to your mapping department. OziExplorer, combined with GPS units, is a very cost effective solution to gathering, or to navigate to, position points. OziExplorer uses raster-based mapping and costs less than $120.

Mark is also giving a one-day workshop on OziExplorer on Thursday June 3 in the GIS lab at UNBC. The cost is $150. More information is available on the Workshops page.

Nodal approaches to local data management

Scott Emmons, Senior Lab Instructor in GIS/RS, UNBC

UNBC is a 'university in the north for the north'. Those who teach and perform research in the GIS lab have taken this setiment to heart, and we are involved with many regional groups in using GIS as a medium by which community information exchange can be realized. This talk illustrates the relationship we have with other spatial data holders, such as the North West Data Sharing Network, and the technology used in these projects.

Through the use of map serving technologies we have made it possible for researchers at UNBC and other groups to upload, view, manipulate and download data. We are incorporating international standards like those of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Open GIS Consortium and open source technology such as University of Minnesota's Mapserver during development.

What's New in Spatial Manipulation of Forest Data

Michael Verschoor, Forsite Consultants Ltd.

Part One:
Overview of the eziLink document submission tool for creating properly formatted XML/GML documents that can be directly uploaded into the Electronic Submission Framework (ESF) to make tenure (FTA) and silviculture (RESULTS) submissions to the BC Ministry of Forests.

Part Two:
Tracking, analyzing and and reporting activity, cost and feature data in a spatial environment using MapTrak in conjunction with the ForTrak Forest Management System.

Visualization & First Nations

David Balcaen, Viewscape3D Graphics Ltd.

Native use of GIS visualization yields surprise result....Scene visualization is usually undertaken to envision the future, to see the results of a proposed development, logging, or building plan. It allows the various stakeholders, proponents, opponents, regulators, funders, neighbours, and anyone who cares to easily understand the plan GIS data is the backbone from which the body of the model is built. David will describe the process and software Viewscape3D Graphics Ltd. has devised to convert GIS data to 3D models. When used for First Nations forestry referrals, a surprise result appeared that no one expected which is pushing the technical bounds of scene visualization technology. The presentation will demonstrate the software, the process and the benefits achieved.

The Northwest Data Sharing Network: A First Nations, Industry and Government Partnership

Don Morgan, Executive Director, Northwest Data Sharing Network, Smithers, BC

A shared data access and management facility, the Northwest Data Sharing Network, has been established in north western BC. The network is based on a culture of cooperation amongst resource agencies, forest companies and First Nations. North western BC is somewhat isolated from major centres in BC and has had to develop and maintain organizational bodies, such as the Northwest Data Sharing Network.

The Northwest Data Sharing Network is a not-for-profit society made up of land use organizations in the Lakes District, Bulkley Valley and Hazeltons. The land use organizations include forest industry, First Nations and provincial government agencies. The Northwest Data Sharing Network has partnerships with the University of Northern British Columbia, Northwest Community College and the Bulkley Valley Centre of Natural Resource Research and Management. The mission of the Northwest Data Sharing Network is timely, co-ordinated, co-operative, and innovative use of the geo-spatial data sets to reduce ownership data costs and improve decision-making about land use in our region.

The network enables long term resource and species assessment and monitoring. Helping to meet the needs of forest stewardship through Sustainable Forest Management indicator management, land use plan implementation and monitoring, species at risk, and First Nations land based interests and communication. Collaborative relationships are maintained through a local governance structure. Trust and relationships between participants is maintained through good governance. Members benefit by sharing information management and monitoring methodology and costs. They pool resources to conduct projects of joint interest through the Data Sharing Network and coordinate activities amongst forest company participants, with the provincial government, and with First Nations.

Trends in GIS

Dwaine Froment, Senior Account Manager, ESRI Canada Ltd.

Dwaine Froment is a Senior Account Manager with ESRI Canada Ltd. Dwaine has been with the company for 10 years and in GIS and mapping for 15 years. Over that period he has seen remarkable change in the industry. GIS will continue to grow and evolve. Its evolution will be based on a series of fundamental GIS characteristics as well as computing and Internet trends. He will discuss some of the important factors that exert an influence.

Beetle Detection Mapping using film based methods

Dick Mynen, GIS Manager, Geomatics Department, TDB Forestry Consultants

Detecting Mountain Pine Beetle Using Remote Sensing

Darin Brooks, Remote Sensing Manager, Kim Forest Management Ltd.

The basis for any direct control or predictive modeling of the spatial distribution of mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosa (Hopkins), relies heavily on the detection and delineation of red attacked trees. Historically, fixed wing aerial sketch mapping and helicopter equipped with GPS have been the two techniques most widely used in overview detection. More recently, colour aerial photography and satellite imagery have been cautiously used in this process. In 2001/2002, a preliminary study was conducted by Kim Forest Management Ltd. to examine the use of high-resolution satellite imagery (IKONOS 4-meter multispectral resolution) in the detection of mountain pine beetle attacked red trees. The preliminary study yielded promising results. However, a more detailed research study, through the funding of the FII Program, was conducted in 2003 to generate statistics that directly report on the spatial and spectral accuracy of the use of satellite imagery in red tree detection and delineation.

An Integrated Data Management Approach to Forest Health Issues

Bart Wagner, Justin Grieves, Data Management Consultants, Refined Logic Inc.
Brad Layton, VP Operations, Pro-tech Forest Resources Ltd. / Blackstone Software Inc.

With ever increasing attention being paid to forest health issues such as beetle infestations, forest fire management and tree related disease, woodlot licensees and related stakeholders are now, more than ever, looking for improved ways to leverage existing data stores so they may rapidly make sound management decisions based on solid data.

Until recently, many decisions have been derived from fragmented and incomplete information. Stand managers have had to rely on information drawn from a number of disparate data sources and assemble the information in a manner to best address their requirements. Although this approach has arguably provided suitable results, the overall process has been inefficient, time consuming and tedious.

In order to facilitate their responsiveness to numerous forest health issues, organizations of all sizes are moving towards integrated data management systems that significantly reduce the time of data assimilation, improve data quality, and facilitate distribution. The Pest Management Operations Information System (PMOIS) is an example of one such implementation.

Web mapping with ESRI's ArcIMS and .NET

Bill MacKay, Professional Services Manager, INFORM - Network for Management Systems

Presentation explores the development features and benefits gained by developing ArcIMS web sites with .NET. Advantages of this development environment include gains in performance, security, and efficiency of development. 3 examples of ArcIMS sites developed in this environment will be given.

Supporting Spatial Data Maintenance Workflow and Data Authoring With Custom ArcMap Tools

Bill MacKay, Professional Services Manager, INFORM - Network for Management Systems

This presentation includes a demonstration of two custom built ArcMap extensions. One application enhances the ability of non GIS users to manage their data, removing many of the inherent complexities of versioning and symbolization from the spatial data editing experience. The other is used to ensure that custom symbology of data layers are consistent whether they are viewed in ArcMap or over the web with ArcIMS.

ArcPad and Field Data Collection at the City of Prince George

Craig Telford, GIS Technologist, City of Prince George

ArcPad applications for field data collection have proven helpful for the City of Prince George. The City of Prince George, Geographic Information Systems Group has worked to develop a Land Use survey using an ESRI ArcPad software based field data collection system. This first project has opened the door for the same system to be used for other field GIS requirements. The City's Utilities department has benefited from this system, as will others such as the Parks and Transportation Divisions in the near future. This presentation will include a description of these ArcPad software based field collection projects, the problems solved, the problems encountered and the lessons learned.

Integrated Land and Resource Registry Project

Rosa Munzer, Senior Project Manager

The Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management has been mandated to work collaboratively with all provincial rights grants ministries and agencies to build an Integrated Land and Resource Registry (ILRR). The ILRR vision is a spatially enabled, accurate, efficient and accessible electronic register of all legal interests in Crown and private land and resources that serves the business needs of a diversity of users and the public.

Currently there are approximately 100 different provincial rights, interests and designations on the land base which are managed by 19 different rights grants agencies in dozens of operational computer systems. When the ILRR is completed there will be one single authoritative register of interests that provides government, industry, and the public with a complete description of the current status of the land. Users will be able to query the ILRR for information on interest requests, and current and historical rights and interests.

Implementation of the ILRR will proceed in geographically distinct phases. The first deployment of a fully functional integrated land and resource registry is planned for the Northeast BC and is expected to be online by March 2005. The balance of the system across the rest of BC is to be completed by late 2007.

Project Web site: http://srmwww.gov.bc.ca/irp/

Genus RMT - Stand Planner

Mark Laudon, Spatial Product Specialist, Genus RMT

Many forest companies use landscape modelling software to help develop spatial harvest schedules. For example, Remsoft Inc. and the Woodstock & Stanley products allow users to create long-term harvest schedules that meet company objectives relating to timber-supply, habitat conservation, etc.

Genus RMT's Stand Planning Module bridges the gap between landscape modelling software, and Genus Resources. Using Stand Planner, foresters can load and edit spatial harvest schedules created from the modelling software of their choice. Stand Planner also allows foresters to run reports that describe blocks or retention using data contained within the forest inventory. Once high-level planning is complete, users can move blocks and retention from Stand Planner to Genus Resources for more detailed activity planning with the Genus Silviculture and Block Management modules.

Stand Planner is a valuable tool for any company considering or currently using landscape modelling software.

Extracting vectors from remotely sensed data for GIS and map updating

Roger Wheate, UNBC

GIS vector data are subject to several causes of inaccuracy, notably problems of interpretation, and change over time. This is highly evident for example in local roads and trails. Ongoing work at UNBC has focussed on investigating changes in glacier extents in northern BC. Glaciers have generally retreated in the last 30 years, some by up to one kilometre. Updated vectors are created by generating new data channels involving ratios and indices that highlight ice/snow contrast. These can then be smoothed in GIS software to create updated vectors. The same process can be extended to other landscape features such as vegetation changes (e.g. fires and results of forest management).

Using Landsat Imagery and Forest Cover Data to Examine Impacts of Forest Management Activities on Carbon Stocks and Sequestration

Darren T. Janzen, Claudette H. Bois, Paul T. Sanborn, Mike J. Jull, Roger D. Wheate, Arthur L. Fredeen

In the past decade the issue of carbon sequestration in forests has become an important management consideration and will be increasingly important in coming decades as countries such as Canada implement the Kyoto protocol. Managers of forested areas are already faced with a large number of economic, environmental and cultural based objectives for those areas under their jurisdiction. In many instances management for carbon sequestration can be in direct opposition to management for other objectives. For this reason, specific knowledge of the impacts of forest management activities on carbon sequestration is a key requirement for integration of this consideration in forest management.

The Aleza Lake Research Forest (ALRF), located 50km east of Prince George in British Columbia, has the longest historical record of forest management in the province, extending back to 1920. During this time a wide range of forest management activities have occurred on the forest. For example, harvesting systems have ranged from diameter limit logging to small and large patch clearcuts. A study was established in this forest to map past, present and future carbon stocks and to correlate these data to forest harvesting operations. Extensive field sampling was performed to determine aboveground and belowground carbon stocks. Landsat data covering the past 18 years (1985-2003) was obtained and related to field sampled measurements to create maps of present carbon stocks. These maps will be used to compare the impacts of various types of forest management on carbon stocks in the ALRF.

Cost-effective Solution for Forestry Data Management

Jennifer McGill, GIS Services Manager, Timberline Forest Inventory Consultants, Ltd.
Dave Konwicki, GIS Analyst, Timberline Forest Inventory Consultants, Ltd.

Over the past few years, many industries and organizations has seen an increasing trend towards enterprise data management systems to manage both tabular and spatial information. Forestry companies are no exception and are looking to these "all encompassing" systems to meet stewardship obligations, improve planning capabilities, achieve accurate results, improve business flow, and ultimately reduce costs. INFORM's TheForestManager (TFM), which is built on the LandBase Engine (LBE) foundation, provides a cost-effective approach to management data for small, medium, and large-sized organizations.

Many organizations and industries (Oil & Gas, Forestry, Municipalities, etc.) are currently looking to data management systems, to manage data and provide integrated, reliable, and accurate results. These systems must function as seamless integrated cross disciplinary products to beable to generate desired results. This is the future direction of the data management!


Posters


Bulkley Valley Centre for Natural Resource Research and Management

Don Morgan RPBio

The Bulkley Valley Centre is a registered not-for-profit society based in Smithers, northwest British Columbia, Canada that conducts high quality interdisciplinary research on temperate, montane, and boreal ecosystems, including their human dimensions.

Our purpose is to advance scientific and technical knowledge as well as improve public understanding of the sustainable management of natural resources.

CNC Co-op Program

Betty Bekkering

Land Information Services Division

Angela Rockwell, BC Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management

Communicating our goals, initiatives and access for public/government data users.

EcoGen Predictive Ecosystem Mapping (PEM): EcoPrep Developments

Shawn Reed, BC Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management

EcoGen is a predictive ecosystem mapping (PEM) model developed by the British Columbia Ministry of Forests Research Branch and Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management (Skeena Contact Centre) to derive site series identifications of forest ecosystems in North West British Columbia. EcoGen uses information that is currently available in Large-Scale Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC), Forest Cover and, Terrain Resource Information Management (TRIM) inventories. The development of EcoGen has been driven by the need to obtain TEM-like (Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping) information for geographically extensive areas, quickly and cost-effectively, for application in determining site quality, ecologically based timber yield analyses, fish and wildlife habitat assessment, designation of hydro riparian zonation, designation of old growth management areas, predicting areas containing plants of high cultural value to first nations, predicting high value commercial mushroom locations and, rare and endangered ecosystems. The EcoGen model has two components: 1) EcoPrep, which includes the development of a knowledge base (the ecological model), the manipulation of digital spatial data layers and subsequent attribute data extraction and, 2) EcoMap, the production of the final output database and metadata to Resource Information Standards Committee (RISC) standards. Development of a Bayesian belief network for the knowledge base, modelling tools such as ScoreOne and Harvest, a database manipulation tool called SSORT and, new spatial soil moisture modelling have demonstrated great potential in improving the efficiency of the EcoPrep process. This poster illustrates examples of new EcoPrep tools and modelling procedures and discuss their potential use in EcoGen projects.


Workshops


Demonstration of PMOIS (Pest Management Operations Information System)

Bart Wagner and Justin Grieves, Data Management Consultants, Refined Logic Inc.
Brad Layton, VP Operations, Pro-tech Forest Resources Ltd. / Blackstone Software Inc.

OziExplorer GPS Mapping Software

Mark Sunstrum, RPF, Sunfor Consulting Inc.

This one-day course introduces the participant to the use of recreation-grade GPS (Global Positioning Systems) and OziExplorer GPS Mapping Software. This course is targeted towards individuals requiring low-cost solutions to point sampling activities.

OziExplorer GPS Mapping Software can be considered as “enabling” software for GPS units. Upload/download data, use geo-referenced maps, and export position data to reports and to your mapping department. OziExplorer, combined with GPS units, is a very cost effective solution to gathering, or to navigate to, position points. OziExplorer uses raster-based mapping and costs less than $120.

The full course description can be downloaded in PDF.

Circle of Life

Alan Spring, Jim Hogg, Gordon Fish, Richard Eppler
Base Mapping & Geomatic Services Branch, Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management

The workshop will include information on:

The complete abstract is available in PDF format.

Accessing Data through MapServer

Tyler Mitchell, Riverside Forest Products

MapServer is a freely available, Open Source, web-based mapping product. One of the most powerful features of MapServer is the ability to access data in a very wide variety of data formats. The large number of data formats supported makes it the only web-based mapping solution for many enterprises with mixed data environments. The traditional approach of converting all data into a single format is not required, and this mixing of different formats allows users to rapidly develop MapServer applications with their raw data.

This workshop will look at many of the different types of formats and how to access them as layers in a MapServer application. The focus will be on file, directory and database accessible vector formats and how to add these as layers in an application. A few examples of raster, WMS and WFS will be looked at as well. Common mapping file syntax and format specific options will be reviewed. Participants are encouraged to bring their own data to load as layers in the demo application.