FOR303 – Forest Information Systems, Mapping &
Inventory Standards | NZIF Forest Valuation &
GeoMaster Study Guide
What are the five main goals of forest management information requirements? - 1. Be aware of
land issues relevant to forest management; 2. Understand physical data requirements for
planning; 3. Know sources of physical data; 4. Be familiar with Forest Information Systems for
storage and analysis; 5. Integrate data with growth models and financial inputs for stand-level
evaluation
What are the five physical description standards under NZIF Forest Valuation Standards? -
Description of Land; Forest Area; Stand History; Croptyping/Aggregation; Yield
Estimation
What are the six financial description standards under NZIF Forest Valuation Standards? - Value
of Land; Costs; Prices; Uncertainty; Discount Rate; Taxation Effects
According to NZIF Standard B3, what crop characteristics must be recorded in stand history? -
Species; Genetics; Establishment year; Coppice year & month (if any); Initial stocking &
establishment method; Thinning history; Pruning history; Fertiliser application & foliar sampling;
Adverse events; Measurement data
What is the purpose of a Forest Information System (FIS)? - To record, store, analyse, and report
forest management information to answer 'What is the current status of the forest?'
What are basic functions of a FIS? - Recording stand history; scheduling operations; monitoring
operations; projecting future yields by grade; storing spatial data (often in GIS); producing
reports
, Give an example of how the form of Forest Information Systems has changed over time. - Shift
from manual paper-based systems (stand plans, operation sheets) → computer-based
databases → integration with GIS
Give an example of how the substance of Forest Information Systems has stayed the same. -
Core purpose — accurate and complete records of stand history and forest status — has
remained unchanged
Define 'Compartment' in forest management. - 50-300 ha area with relatively permanent
boundaries (e.g., roads, streams, firebreaks) used to group management activities
Define 'Stand' in forest management. - A crop of trees managed in the same way and intended
to be managed similarly in the future; basic unit of management
In GIS terms, what is a 'Patch'? - The lowest polygon unit — part of a stand divided by a feature
such as a road or stream
List examples of non-productive area in forest GIS. - Roads; Swamps/Rivers/Riparian strips;
Powerlines; Native bush
What are three key GIS layers used in GeoMaster? - Stands; Roads; Hydro
According to NZIF B2.6, what is the key to ensuring consistency between forest area
measurement and yield estimation? - Use the same measurement conventions for both area
determination and yield estimation
Formula - Stocking (stems/ha) from plot data. - Stocking = Number of trees in plot / Plot area
(ha)
Formula - Stand Basal Area (m²/ha). - BA = Σ π * (dbh_i / 200)^2 / Plot area (ha), where dbh in
cm
Formula - Mean Top Height (MTH). - Average height of the 100 largest-dbh stems/ha, or apply
height-diameter equation to top dbh trees
Inventory Standards | NZIF Forest Valuation &
GeoMaster Study Guide
What are the five main goals of forest management information requirements? - 1. Be aware of
land issues relevant to forest management; 2. Understand physical data requirements for
planning; 3. Know sources of physical data; 4. Be familiar with Forest Information Systems for
storage and analysis; 5. Integrate data with growth models and financial inputs for stand-level
evaluation
What are the five physical description standards under NZIF Forest Valuation Standards? -
Description of Land; Forest Area; Stand History; Croptyping/Aggregation; Yield
Estimation
What are the six financial description standards under NZIF Forest Valuation Standards? - Value
of Land; Costs; Prices; Uncertainty; Discount Rate; Taxation Effects
According to NZIF Standard B3, what crop characteristics must be recorded in stand history? -
Species; Genetics; Establishment year; Coppice year & month (if any); Initial stocking &
establishment method; Thinning history; Pruning history; Fertiliser application & foliar sampling;
Adverse events; Measurement data
What is the purpose of a Forest Information System (FIS)? - To record, store, analyse, and report
forest management information to answer 'What is the current status of the forest?'
What are basic functions of a FIS? - Recording stand history; scheduling operations; monitoring
operations; projecting future yields by grade; storing spatial data (often in GIS); producing
reports
, Give an example of how the form of Forest Information Systems has changed over time. - Shift
from manual paper-based systems (stand plans, operation sheets) → computer-based
databases → integration with GIS
Give an example of how the substance of Forest Information Systems has stayed the same. -
Core purpose — accurate and complete records of stand history and forest status — has
remained unchanged
Define 'Compartment' in forest management. - 50-300 ha area with relatively permanent
boundaries (e.g., roads, streams, firebreaks) used to group management activities
Define 'Stand' in forest management. - A crop of trees managed in the same way and intended
to be managed similarly in the future; basic unit of management
In GIS terms, what is a 'Patch'? - The lowest polygon unit — part of a stand divided by a feature
such as a road or stream
List examples of non-productive area in forest GIS. - Roads; Swamps/Rivers/Riparian strips;
Powerlines; Native bush
What are three key GIS layers used in GeoMaster? - Stands; Roads; Hydro
According to NZIF B2.6, what is the key to ensuring consistency between forest area
measurement and yield estimation? - Use the same measurement conventions for both area
determination and yield estimation
Formula - Stocking (stems/ha) from plot data. - Stocking = Number of trees in plot / Plot area
(ha)
Formula - Stand Basal Area (m²/ha). - BA = Σ π * (dbh_i / 200)^2 / Plot area (ha), where dbh in
cm
Formula - Mean Top Height (MTH). - Average height of the 100 largest-dbh stems/ha, or apply
height-diameter equation to top dbh trees
