InForest

Problem

At the Dartmouth Organic Farm, the Ong lab is establishing a long-term agroforestry census plot, which will eventually be incorporated in the ForestGEO database. ForestGEO is a global network of scientists and forest research sites dedicated to the long-term study of the world's forests. To conduct a tree census, every tree in the study area must be identified, measured at diameter at breast height (dbh), and plotted. To find the coordinates of a tree, most ecologists rely on paper-and-pencil methods, marking an approximate location on a sketched plot and using image processing software, primarily ImageJ, to extract coordinates. This method can be time consuming and leaves plenty of room for transcription errors.

Solution

We are developing an app to streamline the data collection process. The app contains a map of the study site and allows field researchers to use a tablet in the field to zoom into a particular hectare plot. Researchers can digitally mark a new tree as a point and assign a label ID, record dbh, and species identification. The app geolocates the point, provides local cartesian coordinates, and saves the output in a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet can then be exported to an online database where it can be easily preserved and uploaded back into the app as more data is added.

Impact

This app is useful for anyone interested in quickly geolocating points with labels in field settings using a tablet and exporting them to a spreadsheet. By streamlining the process, we are reducing potential sources of error during data collection, improving the quality and, in turn, analysis of the census data.

DIFUSE Data Science Component

The data collection process of a study site records and saves the output in a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet can then be exported to an online database where it can be easily preserved and uploaded back into the app as more data is added.

For more information email: difuse-pi-group@dartmouth.edu