The USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program provides a systematic protocol for forest field data collection to serve as the census for forest information and support proper management. This wealth of data has been analyzed to provide wall-to-wall spatial GIS coverage of forest carbon estimates across the lower 48 U.S. states to support Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory. Through a research agreement and collaboration with the University of Minnesota (UMN), this project provided a 21st century “digital experience and distribution” of the Forest Carbon Estimation in the FIA program rather than static maps and tables by developing an online, mobile/web browser map application (app). This web and mobile software tool enables the public to learn about carbon and how much is stored in a nearby forest. The data is presented to the user interactively on a map along with charts, graphs, and links to related resources. The intended audience is anyone interested in exploring forest carbon information.
The tool is a web browser map application for smartphones, tablets, and desktop use. It primarily works online but also offline with simplified functionality. This provides any range of users with access to the carbon summaries in the field and at the desk. The app also provides education links to NFS carbon assessment whitepapers and FIA protocols.
Join this session to learn about the development of this exciting new database and app and how to explore carbon in forests near you or nationally.
2015 FOSS4G Track: Developing, Exploring, and Utilizing a National Web-Based Forest Carbon Application by Ian Hanou
1. FCX: the Forest Carbon Xplorer App
GIS in the Rockies Conference: September 2015
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Ian Hanou, Owner/Principal
Presented by:
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http://forestcarbonx.umn.edu/
2. Tree Plotter®
Canopy Planner®
Park Plotter®
Work Order Management®
Native Apps
Browser-based for tablets or desktop
No GIS or GPS software needed; hosted solution
Real-time, multi-user data entry on-the-cloud
Custom Apps
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Agenda
Meet our
Staff
Our
Services
and
Projects
Project
Understand
ing
Project
Approach
Timeline /
Milestones
Questions
AgendaIntroduction
Background
Technologies
Get Carbon
Reports &
Values
What’s Next?
Questions &
Credits
Introduction
Plan-It Geo Software Overview
3. Funding from USFS and Univ. of Minnesota
A simple app for smartphones, tablets, and desktop
use to explore the extent and value of the nation’s
forest carbon, a 21st Century “Digital Experience”
Methods: by GPS location, by county (in map), by
county (in tables), and by radius (draw in map)
Outputs: charts, graphs, and tables of carbon pools
(tonnes/$s)
Resources:
Forestry Research: http://www.cbmjournal.com/content/8/1/1
Data: http://www.fs.usda.gov/rds/archive/Product/RDS-2013-0004
EPA GHG Equivalencies Calculator
Interagency Working Group on Social Cost of Carbon (2013)
State of CA Air Resources Board
http://www.fia.fs.fed.us/
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Agenda
Meet our
Staff
Our
Services
and
Projects
Project
Understand
ing
Project
Approach
Timeline /
Milestones
Questions
Agenda
Introduction
Background
Technologies
Get Carbon
Reports &
Values
What’s Next?
Questions &
Credits
Background
Project Background
4. USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA): systematic
inventory of forests for primary source of national statistics
and supports informed forest management
Data analyzed to provide wall-to-wall spatial GIS rasters of
forest carbon estimates by pool (lower 48 states)
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Agenda
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Staff
Our
Services
and
Projects
Project
Understand
ing
Project
Approach
Timeline /
Milestones
Questions
Agenda
Introduction
Background
Technologies
Get Carbon
Reports &
Values
What’s Next?
Questions &
Credits
Background
About the Data
5. 6 individual carbon “pools” and total (7 rasters), 250m res.
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Agenda
Meet our
Staff
Our
Services
and
Projects
Project
Understand
ing
Project
Approach
Timeline /
Milestones
Questions
Agenda
Introduction
Background
Technologies
Get Carbon
Reports &
Values
What’s Next?
Questions &
Credits
Background
About the Data
6. Technologies and Requirements
•Web browser-based
Web connection required
Some offline capability
No download/install
• Technologies:
Open Layers API
PostgreSQL / PostGIS
GeoServer
Responsive JS libraries
Red Hat Linux
HTML5, CSS, etc.
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Agenda
Meet our
Staff
Our
Services
and
Projects
Project
Understand
ing
Project
Approach
Timeline /
Milestones
Questions
Agenda
Introduction
Background
Technologies
Get Carbon
Reports &
Values
What’s Next?
Questions &
Credits
Technologies
7. “Get Carbon”
•Methods:
Wizard
By GPS location
By county (in map)
By county (in tables)
By radius (draw in map)
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Agenda
Meet our
Staff
Our
Services
and
Projects
Project
Understand
ing
Project
Approach
Timeline /
Milestones
Questions
Agenda
Introduction
Background
Technologies
Get Carbon
Reports &
Values
What’s Next?
Questions &
Credits
Get Carbon
8. “Get Carbon” (via the Wizard)
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Agenda
Meet our
Staff
Our
Services
and
Projects
Project
Understand
ing
Project
Approach
Timeline /
Milestones
Questions
Agenda
Introduction
Background
Technologies
Get Carbon
Reports &
Values
What’s Next?
Questions &
Credits
Get Carbon
15. Where to Now?
• Export/save/print forest carbon reports
• Separate rasters for each carbon pool
• Many other forest metrics from FIA could be in focused
apps
• NASA Carbon Monitoring System Workshop, JPL,
Pasadena, CA (Nov. 2015)
• Xplore … Go “Get Carbon”!
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Agenda
Meet our
Staff
Our
Services
and
Projects
Project
Understand
ing
Project
Approach
Timeline /
Milestones
Questions
Agenda
Introduction
Background
Technologies
Get Carbon
Reports &
Values
What’s Next?
Questions &
Credits
What’s
Next?
16. Questions & Acknowledgements
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Agenda
Meet our
Staff
Our
Services
and
Projects
Project
Understand
ing
Project
Approach
Timeline /
Milestones
Questions
Agenda
Introduction
Background
Technologies
Get Carbon
Reports &
Values
What’s Next?
Questions &
Credits
Q’s and
Credits
Questions?
Credits:
Chris Woodall, Research Forester, US Forest Service R&D
(651) 649-5141 | cwoodall@fs.fed.us
Matt Russell, University of Minnesota
(612) 626 4280| russellm@umn.edu
17. Thank you!
Ian Hanou, Owner and Director, Business Development
(303) 503-4846 | IanHanou@PlanItGeo.com
A geospatial analysis, technology
consulting, and planning firm
specializing in urban natural
resource management.
Info@PlanItGeo.com
www.planitgeo.com
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