Case Studies

Read the case studies below to learn about successful GIS projects in forestry. These success stories are drawn from a variety of sources.

• Data Sharing
• Ecological Assessment/Habitat Management
• Fire Management and Ecology
• Forest Planning
• Forest Protection
• Transportation and Access Management
• Urban Forestry
• Watershed Management

Data Sharing

• USDA Forest Service Delivers High-Quality Imagery Within Seconds
  ArcNews, Spring 2008
• Extending Enterprise GIS to Virginia Department of Forestry’s Mobile [PDF]
• Sharing Files across the Agency
  - Q&A—A Closer Look
  ArcUser, July–September 2007

Ecological Assessment/Habitat Management

• Making Effective Use of Geostatistics
  ArcUser, July 2007
• In Transcarpathia, Ukraine, GIS Aids Statistical Forest Inventory
  ArcNews, Winter 2005/2006
• GIS Applications for Gorilla Behavior and Habitat Analyses
  ArcNews, Summer 2005
• The Orangutans of Borneo Are Aided With GIS
  ArcNews, Spring 2005
• Swiss Agencies Promote GEWISS as a Gateway to Water Resources Data
  ArcNews, Fall 2004
• Study Yields Robust Carrying Capacity Model
  ArcUser, Spring 2004
• Asian Elephant Range Loss Studied With GIS
  ArcNews, Winter 2003-2004
• Philippine Tarsiers Conservation Program Streamlined With GIS
  ArcNews, Winter 2003/2004
• Exploring Montserrat, British West Indies, With GIS
  ArcNews, Fall 2003
• International Efforts Support Equatorial Pacific Ecoregional Biodiversity Assessment with GIS
  ArcUser, October 2003
• Mount St. Helens Recovery Followed With GIS
  ArcNews, Spring 2003
• Sustainable Growth for Mountain Region
  ArcUser, Fall 2001
• GIS Gives Foresters a Better Way to Look at Trees
  ArcNews, Spring 2001
• U.S. Forest Service Uses Decision Support System for Ecological Assessments

Fire Management and Ecology

• Modeling Potential Burn Hazards
  ArcNews, Fall 2006
• Arkansas Firefighters Respond Faster with GIS
  ArcNews, Summer 2005
• Mobile GIS Shrinks Information Gap for Wildfire Decision Makers
  ArcUser, Fall 2004
• Identifying Areas of High Risk to Wildfires
• Crises Prove the Value of GIS
  ArcUser, Spring 2004
• GIS Helps Response to Southern California Fires
  ArcNews, Winter 2003-2004
• San Diego, California, Firefighters Kept Informed With GIS
  ArcNews, Winter 2003-2004
• Initial Attack GIS Supports IC Decision Making
  ArcUser, Summer 2003
• Firefighters Pioneer Pocket-Sized GIS Collection
  ArcUser, Spring 2001
• Analyzing the Jasper Fire in the Black Hills National Forest

Forest Planning

• Measuring the Economics of Biofuel Availability
  ArcUser, October 2006
• Virginia Department of Forestry Develops Web-Based Management
  ArcNews, Fall 2006
• Empowering Forest Landowners with GIS
  ArcNews, Fall 2006
• Virginia Department of Forestry Uses Internet GIS to Reach Landowners
  ArcNews, Fall 2004
• Using E-Gov for Planning and NEPA U.S. Forest Service and BLM Collaborate in Land Management
  ArcNews, Summer 2004
• Bridging the African Divide with GIS
  ArcUser, October 2003
• Coleman Creates Online Outdoor Travel and Activity Planner
  ArcNews, Fall 2003
• For Douglas County Forestry in Wisconsin, GIS Is the Primary Tool
  ArcNews, Summer 2003
• Monumental Steps [PDF]
  GIS and the Planning Process for Grand Staircase, Escalante National Monument

Forest Protection

• Virginia Department of Forestry [MP3]
  Integrated Forest Resource Information System (IFRIS)
  Podcast by Mindia Brown, Information Systems Manager
• The Nature Conservancy Uses Mobile GIS Technology in Fight Against Invasive Species
  ArcNews, Fall 2005
• In Trabzon Province, Turkey, Potential Landslide Areas Are Detected with GIS
  ArcNews, Summer 2005
• Mapping an Underground Threat to National Parks With ArcPad
  ArcUser, November 2004
• Beetles Destroy Forest [PDF]

Transportation and Access Management

• Innovative Solution for Road Data Maintenance at Gila National Forest
  ArcNews, Summer 2007
• City of El Paso, Texas, Implements an Enterprise GIS for Traffic and Pavement Management
  ArcNews, Spring 2005
• High-Performance Web-Based Routing for U.S. and Europe
  ArcNews, Winter 2004/2005
• Advantage Delivery Relieves Logistical Headaches
  ArcNews, Fall 2002
• More Efficient Route Planning for Cleaner Air [PDF]
  Reprint from Fleet Owner, 2002

Urban Forestry

• Buffalo, NY Urban Tree Mgmt Evolves from Surprise Storm
  ArcNews, Fall 2007
• 4-H Clubs Inventory Trees in Hillsboro, Oregon, and Park Conditions in St. Louis, Missouri
  ArcNews, Winter 2005/2006
• The Charlotte, North Carolina, Urban Area Now Has a "Green Theme"
  ArcNews, Summer 2004
• Combating Urban Sprawl in Georgia
  ArcUser, Fall 2003
• The City of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Converts Urban Tree Inventory Into GIS
  ArcNews, Fall 2003
• Combating Urban Sprawl in Georgia
  ArcUser, October 2003

Watershed Management

• The Province of Québec, Canada, Manages Stream Crossings and Forest Roads with GIS
  ArcNews, Spring 2006
• Restoring America's Everglades With GIS
  ArcUser, Fall 2004
• Preserving Biodiversity in Russia's Meshora Lowland
  ArcNews, Fall 2004
• The Maumee River Watershed in Northwestern Ohio Inventoried With GIS
  ArcNews, Summer 2004