Krav och önskemål på skogsbruksplanen : förbättringspotential med laserskanning

Abstract: In 2009 The National Land Survey of Sweden, Lantmäteriet, commenced a project intended to provide a new digital elevation model (DEM) of Sweden. The method chosen for the project was airborne laser scanning (ALS). In addition to information about the land surface the project will also provide information about the forest, this as a by-product. This data can be used to estimate forest variables such as height and volume. The estimates are often more reliable than what is standard today. This study is based on interviews with employees and members of the forest owner association Södra in southern Sweden. The study examines preferences and attitudes to better forest data than what is commonly used today. The study’s starting point is to investigate how the forest information currently available is used. The aim with this study is to investigate whether data from Lantmäteriet could provide such value enough to justify Södra to acquire it. The inspectors (employees of Södra, with timber purchases and advisory assignments) felt that the lack of information on the purchasing area was a far bigger problem than the quality of information available today. The possibility to do a computer search for stands with certain characteristics (for example, high timber volume), not only in areas with an up-to-date forest management plan, would be a big improvement. The Södra members interviewed in this study are quite satisfied with the forest management plan available today. However, there is a need for more individualized management plans. Some respondents want more economic focus of the management plan while others would prefer a more tuned down focus on timber production. Both inspectors and members of Södra ranked the proposals for silvicultural measures as the most important information in the forest management plan. By looking at the proposals, a good overview is obtained of what needs to be done on the property and what is more urgent. Also the estimate of timber volume is ranked high, both in terms of the entire forest property as well as at the stand level. This study suggests that laser data from NNH needs to be used in new ways to reach the full potential in the material. Better data only presented as figures in a traditional forest management plan seems, for most, not to fill an immediate need. In particular, high data quality is an asset when it is used as input to analysis software developed to optimize forest management. Several studies indicate that much can be gained to from using more accurate input data in the optimization to get the highest net present value. Another major advantage is that laser scanned materials can be used in the process of establishing new forest management plans. This will reduce the workload significantly, especially in the field inventory.