PLOTS
AFE brings the flexibility to collect multiple overlapping feature codes at the stem level and cruising dictionaries such as RAD05 have been developed to take advantage of these new features.
However many users of the current A-Z style single feature dictionary may be very happy with the results it gives them, – SO WHY CHANGE !
The answer is : You don’t have to change – remember you can use PLOTSAFE to collect any cruising format you wish, just load in your current MARVL style single alpha dictionary and you are away using the latest forest inventory data collection tool. The data format goes straight into YTGEN and you can still use your same yield requests and strategies you are used to for MDI and DAT files.
What’s the advantage of PLOTSAFE then ?
- PLOTSAFE brings better stem structure control and error checking than alpha cruising formats such as MDI and DAT files.
- Collect more information, add user defined variables at any level eg. add your hazard awareness forms to the inventory and/plot headers, add GPS co-ordinate add fields for auditors to add comment to the original file.
- Use on any Windows 2000,XP and WindowsCE or PocketPC device
- Secure backup functions to help against hardware failures such as flat batteries or accidental software boots.
- Remove the need to carry slope charts.
- Add warnings to ensure the correct number of height trees are taken.
- Remove the need for staff to remember the cruising dictionary codes as all feature lists and information to prompted in front of user each time they enter a code.
- Start the learning now for your field staff, introducing PLOTSAFE to them slowly by first getting them just collecting what the are used to, before moving onto cruising domains like RAD05.
So what are the disadvantages !
At this stage you will not be able to export the data into MARVL DAT or MDI format. Therefore MARVL 2 or 3.5 cannot be used to analyse data.