I+ SOFTWARE
A software application running on handheld devices used for training marteloscope sites. It allows virtual tree selection, directly displaying the outcomes of the performed interventions, and thus stimulates discussion among training participants.
Forests are asked to provide a multitude of ecosystem services and forest managers need to ensure in their daily work these are well balanced. This is a demanding task and requires best available knowledge and continuous training.
The I+ Training Software App is used in marteloscope field sites and runs on mobile devices. It allows to perform virtual tree selections in marteloscopes and directly displays the outcomes of silvicultural interventions. Having such results readily available then stimulates fact-based interaction and discussion among exercise participants. The software addresses impacts and trade-offs of biodiversity conservation and carbon balancing in commercially managed forest but can, due to its modular design, easily be expanded to cover other highly relevant forest management.
In OptFORESTS, we will develop, with expert input from project partners, a “genetic” training module for the I+ software application. Using existing marteloscopes at a large network of sites across Europe, the new module will be applied and tested.
Main model information
The I+ Training Software App has a user-friendly interface similar to smart phones and can run on different types of mobile devices. To date, it is available in English, French, German, Czech, Finnish, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Hungarian, Dutch, Georgian, and Slovenian, but it can easily incorporate further languages.
It can be used for:
- Education and training in outdoor learning sites, so-called marteloscopes
- Addressing different stakeholders through tailored exercise formulation
- Visualising trade-offs of management interventions
- Stimulating fact-based exchange and discussion amongst exercise participants
There are no limitations to species; if species are not yet registered in the I+ data repository, they are added with their scientific and local names
Partly, depending on the stand size definition. The I+ Training Software App is designed to be applied to marteloscope sites, which are usually 1 hectare in size but can also be smaller (e.g. 0.25 hectares) but also larger (e.g. 2 hectares)
No. see above explanation
Not limited to any forest types
Andreas Schuck & Sergey Zudin (European Forest Institute)
andreas.schuck@efi.int
sergey.zudin@efi.int
Additional model description
The I+ Training Software App is not a growth prediction model. It explains in the field the effects of virtual interventions (tree selections for removal and retention, or the creation of deadwood) for general plot/stand silviculture, economics, biodiversity, and carbon storage characteristics. The spatial inventory of trees’ locations within a plot coordinate system, gives the possibility of predicting forest development by applying the competition index, which is calculated for every inventoried tree in combination with the set of competitors determined by the index.
Data are those which are assessed in the course of setting up a marteloscope. They include:
Tree location as polar coordinates; tree status as dead (0) or alive (1); diameter at breast height (dbh [m], >7.5 cm); tree height (h [m]); crown base heigh (hcb [m]); tree related microhabitats (abundance); timber quality class (A, B, C, D/IT, F for fuelwood and section length [m]); Calculated values: basal area in m2; volume in m3 (by tree species and timber quality classes); habitat value (points); economic value (Euro or national currency).
- Exercise results sheet as pdf
- Exercise results as .csv or .json files for further processing
List of References
- Schuck, A., Kraus D., Krumm, F., Varis, S., Zudin, S., Suominen, T., 2024. The Integrate+ software for virtual training exercises in forest stands. Integrate Network Paper. 30 p. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10570207
- Kraus, D., Schuck, A., Krumm, F., Bütler, R., Cosyns, H., Courbaud, B., Larrieu, L., Mergner, U., Pyttel, P., Varis, S., Wilhelm, G., Witz, M., Zenner, E. and Zudin, S., 2018. Seeing is building better understanding - the Integrate+ marteloscopes. Integrate+ Technical Report. Marteloscopes (2018) 26:3. download
- Kraus, D., Bütler, R., Krumm, F., Lachat, T., Larrieu, L., Mergner, U., Paillet, Y., Rydkvist, T., Schuck, A., and Winter, S., 2016. Catalogue of tree microhabitats – Reference field list. Integrate+ Technical Paper 13. 16 p. download
- Schuck, A., Kraus, D., Krumm, F., Zudin, S., 2020. Marteloscopes – a key instrument for fact-based learning, understanding, and the exchange of knowledge on forests and their management (Box C4). In Krumm, F., Schuck, A., Rigling, A. (eds): How to balance forestry and biodiversity conservation – A view across Europe. European Forest Institute (EFI); Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmendorf. 256-258. download