Наукові горизонти (May 2020)
EXPRESS METHOD OF DETERMINATION OF THE SANITARY CONDITIONS BY THE «RELASCOPE+» PROGRAM
Abstract
The mobile application "RELASCOPE+" was developed and tested in order to automate and expedite the determination of the stand density index in the forest to make decisions on the purpose of a series of forestry activities. To determine the need for sanitary felling on the basis of measurements on relascopic sample plots was the main problem. The fundamental difference between the operation of the mobile application, unlike the foreign counterparts, was not the simple calculation of basal area of trees on sample plots, but with the simultaneous distribution of accounting trees by species and sanitary conditions categories. Therefore, it was decided to use the smartphone directly as a counter. To clarify the correctness of the determination of the composition, stand density index and volume, 4 sample plots of rectangular shape were specially laid, where a complete enumeration was made and measurements were additionally made on 16 relascopic sections. In addition, a complete enumeration of trees with sanitary conditions categories was carried out on one site, after which measurements were made on relascopic sample plots using the "RELASCOPE+" application. It was possible to complete the field works almost five times faster without any camera work, when determining the basal area by the method of relascope measurement, using relascope coefficient (BAF) = 1 and the mobile application "RELASCOPE+". A certain decrease of the stand density index was observed in comparison with the complete enumeration method from 4 to 20 %, when applying the method of relascope measurement. The express method demonstrated satisfactory accuracy in determining the sanitary condition. We believe that this express method should be further introduced into production as an alternative way of determining needs for the appointment of an appropriate type of sanitary felling, considering that the use of the proposed method of determining the of basal area and volume per 1 ha in the categories of tree sanitary condition, is capable of reducing labor and time consumption. In the process of carrying out by relascope measurement using a smartphone, it was decided to refine the model of relascope by changing the method of attachment and distance to the eyes. A prospect for further studies is to justify the use of the relascope coefficient, depending on the mean diameter and the stand density index.
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