Forestry & Land Resource Consultants, Inc.

Land Classification Projects

The purpose of land classification is to make money.  It does this by helping land managers, money managers, and researchers make better decisions.

A land classification project can be broken up into several stages.  Reconnaissance and pre-mapping occur before field mapping begins.  The routine, day to day, beating the bush field work can be subdivided into map making and data collection.  After field work is completed cartographic finishing of the maps prepare them for entry into a GIS system.  The data that is collected in the field is turned into information through data summary and evaluation of land qualities.  Site specific management is the pay off.  Analysis or interpretation of the maps and supporting information help managers to take better decisions. Site specific management - The purpose of land classification is to make money.  It does this by helping land managers, money managers, and researchers make better decisions.  Experienced land managers learn from mentors or trial and error what practices work well on specific sites.  By projecting the land qualities of a site with known successful experience to the entire survey area the experience of one land manager is captured and transferred to other pieces of land and other land managers.  Results from research can be matched to those areas where it applies.  Areas that fall under regulatory jurisdiction can be identified and managed accordingly.  Strategic decisions are enhanced with a sure inventory of the land base.

Planning

Reconnaissance - Strategic planning at the beginning of a project saves time and improves quality by learning what is already known. Area specific surficial geology reports, ground water reports, topographic maps, vegetation guides, stand maps and history, ownership maps and other published reports are reviewed.  Digital aerial images are obtained, prepared, and organized.  Past and present management practices on the land base are examined. Pre - mapping - Tactical planning before mapping an area includes stereoscoping photos and drafting obvious boundaries.  Traverses and hole locations are planned.   Special features like research plots or unusual photo tones are noted so that they can be investigated while mapping.

Mapping

Map making - Soil mapping is the art of illustrating nature by pushing lines across aerial images following observable geomorphology or vegetation/photo tone indicators which are the natural guides for distinguishing different kinds of land.   Specifications vary from customer to customer.   Recorded observation densities range from 1 per 10 acres to 1 per 22 acres.  Soils are observed to a minimum depth of 4 feet.  Contrasting inclusions range in size from 1/4 to 2 acres.  Similar inclusions range in size from 10 to 30 acres.  Either modified grid or free survey techniques are used for locating observation points. Legends are either controlled or code.  Color IR doqq's are preferable but true color or B&W photos are sometimes geo-referenced and used.  Digital rasters of topographic maps or hypso layers are used for topographic reference. Soil poly line segments are captured in the field using ArcPad and then incorporated into polygons using ArcView.

Data collection - At each observation point data is entered into a data recorder.   Specific nature of data collected varies from customer to customer.  Examples are soil type, drainage class, landscape position, geologic formation, soil horizons (depth, name, texture, special features), common understory vegetation, pH, stand age and heights, slope, stand history, coarse fragments, inherent fertility, and any other observable or measurable feature that may impact intensive forest management.  Soil samples are collected for some customers and the results of lab analysis form a portion of the soil inventory data base.  From the data collected and features studied, the mapping can be referred to as site mapping and not just soil mapping.

Cartography, GIS, and Data Analysis

Cartographic finishing - Maps are proofed and polished as the field work is completed.   New maps must join and match existing maps.  Errors and omissions are corrected.   Soils are "heads up" digitized as polygon features for a tract or compartment.  The features are then appended to previous mapping usually to a polygon feature class in a geodatabase. GIS - Typically, land classification produces two layers in the GIS system.  One layer is the soil map unit polygons which spatially display the different kinds of land.  The second is a layer of uniquely numbered points that link the data collected to its collection location.  Query systems using decision keys based on Boolean logic or lookup tables associate management recommendations with different kinds of land. These files are usually delivered as feature classes in a geodatabase. Data summary and land qualities - Data is summarized by map unit. Summaries include range and distribution of surface and subsurface thickness and texture.  Range and distribution of depth to and nature of various soil horizons are quantified.  Range and distribution of drainage class and landscape positions are summarized.  Site index measurements are evaluated.  Vegetation type summaries are created.  Data summaries are analyzed to develop land qualities.  Examples of land qualities include droughtiness, wetness, flooding potential, site quality, inherent fertility, workability, erodability, trafficability, hardwood regrowth potential, physical degradation potential, nutrient retention, and rooting conditions.