Projekt page , treegross-documentation (pdf), treegoss java class documentation, download, TreeGrOSS on CD-Rom Forest Tools

Last update

2003-04-02 : new documentation, ingrowth model, extended example for stand simulation, example for stand planning (Waldplaner2)

History ...

TreeGrOSS is an Open Source project of the department of growth and yield of the Forest Research Station of Lower Saxony in Germany. About 10 years ago there has been a major shift in Lower Saxony's silvicultural policy. This mainly means an increase in the percentage of hardwoods, natural regeneration instead of clearcutting, more mixed species stands and well structured stands. Consequently the growth and yield department shifted the focus of research from the stand to the tree level and started working on a forest growth model based on single tree information of the experimental plots which a scattered over north west Germany. For practical application the forest growth model was integrated into a computer program to allow forest growth simulation. This program has been updated and extended in the past. Today's version of BWINPro is used by the Forest Service and the public mainly for stand analysis, silvicultural strategy development, education and presentation. A special version KSP is used to analyze and forecast permanent plot inventory.

Project ...

The interest, the use and the demands of users have reached a point where the small development team of the forest growth simulator BWINPro is tied up by answering questions and making minor changes to optimize the program for special users. In order to get back to further development of additional packages the team has decided to start the Open Source project TreeGrOSS. This should enable users to optimize the program for there needs, verify the code, and -very important- integrate the growth model into company software. Since there has been a lot of interest in the growth simulator by forester's and researchers from other countries the Java code is documented in English. This hopefully will allow to use TreeGrOSS as an example or frame to save programming effort.

As a programming language Java was chosen. Java is an easy to learn and object oriented languages. Java programs are platform independent and do run on nearly all modern computer operating systems like, Windows, MacOS, Linux and Unix. In form of Java applets the programs can be also based on the internet. Another advantage of using the Java language is that the Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition (J2SDK) is provided at no costs by Sun Microsystems and that there is no need for an expensive development environment. In addition to the J2SDK you will only need a normal text editor. On the internet you can find a lot of free and helpful java programming examples and programing tutorials. So there is even for foresters no excuse, everybody can make use of the TreeGrOSS package.

Status ...

The current release of TreeGrOSS is a package which includes the major routines of the growth model, like competition, mortality, crown base, crown width, potential height growth, diameter and height growth. All these classes are packed in the file treegross.jar. This package can be used for specific applications, like forest stand simulation or forest inventory prognosis. There is an example application for stand simulation which shows how to use the treegross package. In addition there are classes for reading in ASCII data, drawing a stand map, a parallel stand projection and to report single tree values.

Cooperation ...

Interested foresters and researchers are welcomed to use TreeGrOSS, to join the further development or provide additional methods and classes. You are also welcomed to report your experiences with TreeGrOSS. If you want to keep informed about the project please sign up on the mailing list.

Thanks To ...

This project is part of the growth and yield research of the Forest Research Station of Lower Saxony. Thanks to all who have helped collecting, entering and cleaning data. Thanks to all of the team who have helped to get this far.
The project is currently funded by the EU Project ITM (Implementing Tree Growth Models as Forest Management Tools) Project number: QLRT 1999-31349. Thanks to Prof. Dr. Hasenauer for coordinating the project ITM.

Contact ...

TreeGrOss Development
Jürgen Nagel, Dep. of Growth and Yield
Forest Research Station of Lower Saxony
Grätzelstrasse 2
37079 Göttingen, Germany
Tel: ++49 551 69401-125
Fax: ++49 551 69401-160
E-Mail:Juergen.Nagel@nfv.gwdg.de

Literature

• Nagel, J.; Gadow von, K. (Hrgs): Forest Tools - Forstliche Software Sammlung. CD-ROM. Selbstverlag J. Nagel Göttingen ISBN 3-00- 009223-4
• Nagel, J.; Schmidt, M. (2003) : The single tree model BWINPro, a keycomponent for silvicultural decision support . In Vacik H. et al [eds.]: Decision support for multiple purpose forestry. A transdisciplinary conference on the development and application of decision support tools for forest management, April 23-25, 2003, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria, CD-Rom Proceedings, p. 1-9.
• Nagel, J.; Albert, M.; Schmidt, M. (2002): Das waldbauliche Prognose- und Entscheidungsmodell BWINPro 6.1. Forst u. Holz 57, (15/16) 486-493
• Pretzsch, H.; Biber, P.; Dursky, J.; Gadow, K. von; Hasenauer, H.; Kändler, G.; Kenk, G.; Kublin, E.; Nagel, J.; Pukkala, T.; Skovsgaard, J.P.; Sodtke, R.; Sterba, H. (2002): Recommendations for Standradized Dokumentation and Further Development of Forest Growth Simulators. Forstw. Cbl. 121, 138-151
  
• Nagel, J. (2002): Das Open Source Entwicklungsmodell - eine Chance für Waldwachstumssimulatoren. Deutscher Verband Forstlicher Forschungsanstalten - Sektion Ertragskunde, Jahrestagung Schwarzburg 13-15. Mai 2002, S. 1-6
  
• Guericke, M. (2001): Untersuchungen zur Wuchsdynamik von Mischbeständen aus Buche und Europ. Lärche (Larix deciduda, Mill.) als Grundlage für ein abstandsabhängiges Einzelbaumwachstumsmodell, Cuvillier Verlag Göttingen, S.220 (http:// webdoc.sub.gwdg.de/diss/2001/guericke/index.html)
  
• Schmidt, M. (2001): Prognosemodelle für ausgewählte Holzqualitätsmerkmale wichtiger Baumarten. Dissertation Univ. Göttingen. S.302 (http:/ /webdoc.sub.gwdg.de/diss/2002/schmidt/index.html)
  
• Schmidt, M.; Spellmann, H.; Nagel, J. (2001): Waldwachstumskundliche Entscheidungshilfen zur Ästung der Douglasie. Allg.Forst- u. J.Ztg., 172.Jg., (7) 126-136
  
• Nagel, J. (2001): Zur Genauigkeit von Ertragstafeln und dem Einzelbaummodell BWINPro. In: Akca, A.; Hoffmann, B.; Schumann, K.; Staupendahl, K.: Waldinventur, Waldwachstum und Forstplanung, Festschrift zum 60. Geburtstag von Prof. Dr. K. von Gadow. Zohab-Verlag S.145-151.
  
• Nagel, J.; Albert, M.; Schmidt, M. (2000): BWINPro Programm zur Bestandesanalyse und Prognose. Handbuch zur Version 5.1. Niedersächsische Forstliche Versuchsanstalt Göttingen
  
• Albert, M., (2000): Ein funktionalisierter Höhenergänzungsalgorithmus für Einzelbaumwachstumsmodelle. Jahrestagung des DVFFA -Sektion
  Ertragskunde- in Kaiserslautern.
  
• Nagel, J. (1999): Konzeptionelle Überlegungen zum schrittweisen Aufbau eines waldwachstumskundlichen Simulationssystems für Nordwestdeutschland. Schriften aus der Forstlichen Fakultät der Universität Göttingen und der Nieders. Forstl. Versuchsanstalt, Band 128, J.D. Sauerländer's Verlag, Frankfurt a.M., S.122
  
• Spellmann, H.; Nagel, J.; Böckmann, Th. (1999): Summarische Nutzungsplanung auf der Basis von Betriebsinventuren. Allg.Forst- u. J.Ztg., 170.Jg., (7) 122-128.
  
• Albert, M. (1999): Analyse der eingriffsbedingten Strukturveränderung und Durchforstungsmodellierung in Mischbeständen. Hainholz Forstwissenschaften Band 6, Hainholzverlag Göttingen, 181S.
  
• Windhager (1999): Evaluierung von vier verschiedenen Waldwachstumssimulatoren. Dissertation Univ. f. Bodenkultur Wien. 217S.
  
• Windhager (1999): Vergleich von distanzabhängigen und unabhängigen konkurrenzbeschreibenden Faktoren und ihre Auswirkung auf den Grundflächenzuwachs. Allg. Forst- u. J. Ztg. 170 (7): 133-139
  
• Böckmann, Th.; Saborowski, J.; Dahm, St.; Nagel, J.; Spellmann, H. (1998): Die Weiterentwicklung der Betriebsinventur in Niedersachsen. Forst u. Holz 53 (8): 219- 226.
  
• Westphal, B. (1998): Beschreibung und Modellierung des Wachstums von Japan-Lärchen (Larix kaempferi) im Reinbestand. Dissertation Univ. Göttingen
  
• Nagel, J. (1998): Zur Auswertung und Zuwachsprognose von permanenten Stichprobeerhebungen. Forst u. Holz, 53 (7): 197- 198.
  
• Nagel, J. 1996: Anwendungsprogramm zur Bestandesbewertung und zur Prognose der Bestandesentwicklung. Forst u. Holz, 51 (3): 76-78