Transcript Forest Biometry, Modelling and Information Sciences (FBMIS

a “Forest Model Archive”
(FMA)
Professor Keith Rennolls
University of Greenwich
Dep. Coordinator IUFRO 4.03.00
(Informatics, Modelling & Statistics)
[email protected]
Prepared for FP0603 WP1 : “the Forest Models of Europe”
Archive = Database= Register?
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Considerable overlap,
but some major differences.
Cost FP0603 lists as an aim the setting up of a
European Forest Models Register.
Q1. What is meant by this?
Q2. Is this really what we want?
Q3. What do we want?
Suggestion: we should focus on “uses” and users”
in answering Q3.
Some recent history
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Around 1997 (and maybe much earlier) the EU ratified an initiative
to harmonize European forest inventory systems (EFICS)
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Aim: to make pan-European planning more efficient and effective.
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Around 2000 IUFRO announced the Global Forest Information
System (GFIS) (2000-now)
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Also in about 2000 the European Forest Information System
(EFIS) was set up, as the European Node of GFIS.(2000-2003)
GFIS was really a notice-board, “cataloguing” global forest
information resource objects.
-very much a librarian view of a FIS.
EFIS was really a demonstrator of a GIS-based inventory linked
software package.
Note: EFIS was not consistent as a subsystem of GFIS.
NEFIS
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NEFIS (Network of European Forest Information
Systems) (2004-2007)
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Son of EFIS
Aim: to extend EFIS to realize the 1997 aims
Result:
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considered the problems, and overcame some
Suggested some design features
Main Problems:
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Unwillingness to share data on an information system
The incommensurability of many EU forest mensurational
systems (terms: forest; volume; site-index;…)
Some NEFIS papers
Requirements and Design of an Integrated European Environmental
Information Communication System, (IEEICS)
http://cms1.gre.ac.uk/research/cassm/NEFIS/Papers/RENNOLLS_K_RD1.pdf
Models and Tools for an Integrated European Environmental Management and
Decision Support System, (IEEMDSS)
http://cms1.gre.ac.uk/research/cassm/NEFIS/Papers/RENNOLLS_K_MT2.pdf
A Partial Ontology for Forest Inventory and Mensuration
http://cms1.gre.ac.uk/research/cassm/NEFIS/Papers/Rennolls_Ontology.pdf
An Architectural Design for a Forest Information and Communications Portal
(FICP)
http://cms1.gre.ac.uk/research/cassm/NEFIS/Papers/Rennolls_Architecture.
pdf
FIS and Models
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FIS concerned with:
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A catalogue (register) of forest information sources
Wide ranging general information and knowledge about forests,
But to a much lesser extent, it seems, with forest data:
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Sample plot databases
Forest Inventory data …etc..
RS imagery
These seem to have their own “homes”
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What about models?
Forest Models
Forest Models are:
mathematical/algorithmic representations
which describe, summarise, or explain
the way trees and forests change
(or, more correctly, the data relating to these)
See the recently circulated papers
IUFRO 4.11 Greenwich, 2001
Forest Biometry, Modelling
and Information Science (FBMIS)
The FBMIS Proceedings
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The First IUFRO 4.11 web-proceedings
Systems for Forest Information Conservation and Sharing
Risto Paivinen, Tim Richards, Nguyen Thanh Binh, Richard Wood , Margherita
Sini (Invited paper)
The IUFRO Global Forest Information Service
Towards a Common Resource.
Patrick D. Miles. USDA FS, St. Paul.
Information Systems for the Forest Resource Analyst.
Nell Baker and Howard Wright. University of Oxford
The UK Archive of Tropical Forest Inventory
(ATROFI): conserving the data.
Keith Rennolls , Moh Ibrahim and Peter Smith. University of Greenwich.
A Forest Model Archive?
The Forest Model Archive (FMA)
(www.forestmodelarchive.info)
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The Full FMA Standards Specification
The resources associated with a fully documented model in FMA are
expected to include the following as the adopted STANDARD:
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A description of the theory of the model
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A listing of the code for the model algorithm
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The fitting criterion used
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The fitting algorithm used
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Test data, with metadata
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The results of fitting the model to the test data using the fitting
algorithm
The emphasis is on re-use of “forest models”
“A new way to publish models”
The FMA Aims
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To Conserve Forest Models
To Enable easy re-use of Forest Models
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To Foster new forest model development
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Particularly for Tropical Forests
For Remote-Sensing based Inventories
To Allow easy comparison of Models
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Even for non-experts
Especially for the Developing World
A latter-day Stat-forms?
On standard datasets
On new datasets
To Facilitate the building of new Hybrid models from
previous models
To Engender international forest modelling collaboration
FMA “Challenges”
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Modellers prefer to model rather than re-use another
modeller’s model.
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Many of the established BIG Models have their own well
supported web sites
FMA building is time-consuming and needs funding …
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There is no kudos in re-use
See next slide
An “Archive” might possibly be regarded as merely a
repository of “dead models”, and not the place for new
and developing models.
Something is needed in addition to indicate that the FMA
is “State of the Art” (See FBMIS below)
FMA???
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A proposal for a FMA project was
submitted to the EU in 2005, (but, not
successful)
http://cms1.gre.ac.uk/research/cassm/NE
FIS/Papers/PartB-Global-3_SSA_FMA1.pdf
the other side of the “Archive”:
FBMIS: the e-journal
FBMIS: www.fbmis.info
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‘Parents’ of FBMIS:
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Absence of a Specialized Forest Biometrics and
Modelling publication outlet
The FBMIS Conference Proceedings
All the “Black-Hole” Proceedings of the past
The FMA
Some new and relevant history:
COST E43
(2004-2008)Harmonization of National Forest
Inventories in Europe: Techniques for Common Reporting
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WG1: Harmonised definitions and measuring practices.
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WG2: Harmonised estimation procedures for carbon pools and
carbon pool changes.
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WG3: Harmonised indicators and estimation procedures for
assessing components of biodiversity with NFI data.
Aims:
Cooperate …Promote active and open dialogue…
Assess methods for reporting…
Identify research needs for joint projects…
http://www.metla.fi/eu/cost/e43/
What do we want to do?
What will be the uses of the product?
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Model Register/Catalogue…
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Database of Models
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Shares model metadata, and promotes cooperation,
leading onto…
Shares detailed models as well as metadata
Uses?: EU integration or harmonization?
An FMA
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To encourage reuse of model methodology