Esc

General System description

System name: Ecological Site Classification

Acronym: ESC

Brief overview

The system enables the appropriate choice of tree species or NVC woodland type on the basis of site climate and soil quality. Built into the tool are methods to assess soil quality from soil type and indicator plants.

Contents

1 General System description

1.1 Brief overview

1.2 Scope of the system

1.3 System origin

The system was developed in the 1990s but the origins can be traced to a publication by Anderson in the 1950s and earlier works that identified relationships between site quality and vegetation.

1.4 Support for specific issues

1.5 Support for specific thematic areas of a problem type

1.6 Capability to support decision making phases

1.7 Related systems

Establishment management information system (EMIS)

2 Data and data models

2.1 Typical spatial extent of application

ESC can be applied at stand level (1 hectare) via a web interface or landscape scape via a GIS batch tool, assuming suitable data exist.

2.2 Forest data input

The inputs are site location, which derives climate data from a database (and very coarse resolution soil data).

2.3 Type of information input from user (via GUI)

Ideally the user supplies the results of a soil survey and on site vegetation.

3 Models

3.1 Forest models

Uses species suitability models and various tools to calculate soil properties from plants and/or soil profile information.

3.2 Social models

n/a

4 Decision Support

4.1 Typical temporal scale of application

Has limited capability to project suitability indexes into future climates to 2080.

4.2 Types of decisions supported

Planning decisions eg

Tree species to plant on site. Site type/quality assessments.

4.3 Decision-making processes and models

5 Output

5.1 Types of outputs

Species suitability responses against climate and soil factors.

5.2 Spatial analysis capabilities

GIS visualisation available via offline batch tool.

5.3 Abilities to address interdisciplinary, multi-scaled, and political issues

Can identify sites for restoration to pre afforestation status.

6 System 6.1 System requirements

Stand tool - user requires web browser ( tested on IE6 and Firefox )

6.2 Architecture and major DSS components

Three tier architecture facilitating desktop or server deployment. Key components are web UI, batch UI, model codes and data.

6.3 Usage

Utilised by forest planners in public/private sector, students and researchers.

6.4 Computational limitations

Very light to run, but can take sometime to process large quantites of data.

6.5 User interface

Stand tool uses HTML/CSS. Command line batch mode to generate GIS results and GIS extension to ArcView.

6.6 Documentation and support

In development, support via FC training courses and bulletin.

6.7 Installation

Web browser for stand version. GIS batch tool requires Java 1.4, Grass and related ESC datasets.

Server installation requires J2EE server such as Tomcat or Oracle Application Server and an oracle database.

7 References

7.1 Cited references

7.2 External resources