Calculating Forest Values: Evaluating maple sap production potential

Introduction

How might a forest's value for maple syrup production be evaluated, aside from identifying sugar maple stands? Can GIS help?

Forest value is found not only in primary timber products, such as pulpwood and sawlogs, but in an array of nontimber forest products (NTFP) that also add value to forests in many locales. NTFP includes medicinal and herbal products, edible products, decorative products, and specialty wood products.

Maple sap, used for making maple syrup and other products, is one example in the edible forest products category. In central and northeastern North America, where sugar maple (Acer saccharum) trees are common on better sites, maple syrup production is a common and profitable enterprise. You can find much more information about maple syrup and its production on Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_syrup.

Location

A small, 1,400 ha woodlot in the Acadian-New England forest region of North America

Time to complete the lab

3 hours

Prerequisites

Students should have a basic working knowledge of GIS data, including use of a geodatabase, and ArcGIS software in particular. Some knowledge of computer programming, Visual Basic in particular, would be helpful. A basic working knowledge of Excel, including pivot table calculation, is required. Familiarity with forest inventory data and terminology is also helpful but not essential.

Data used in this lab

Feature classes and rasters for a forest woodlot (personal geodatabase)

Geographic coordinate system: NAD 1983 CSRS New Brunswick Stereographic

Datum: NAD83

Projection: New Brunswick Double Stereographic Grid (unless otherwise stated)