Inventory and Decision Support Software
- Forecaster calculator
The Forecaster Calculator provides similar functionality to the Radiata Pine Calculator and the Douglas-fir Calculator. Growth and yield are predicted using the Forecaster desktop code-base, so outputs are consistent with…
- Radiata calculator
Radiata calculator version 4 (xls). Please note for the online calculator go to Forecaster calculator
- Kauri calculator
The Future Forests Research (FFR) Kauri Calculator is a web-based (online) tool for stand growth modelling and management of kauri plantations in New Zealand. The main purpose of the Calculator…
- Cypress calculator
The Cypress Calculator is a web-based (online) tool for stand growth modelling and management of Cypress plantations in New Zealand. The main purpose of the Cypress Calculator is to deliver scientific…
- Fastigata calculator
The Future Forests Research (FFR) Eucalyptus fastigata Calculator is a web-based (online) tool for stand growth modelling and management of E. fastigata plantations in New Zealand. The main purpose of…
- Redwood calculator
The redwood growth model is a spreadsheet download. Redwood growth model_v4.1 (xls)
- Species choice for afforestation of difficult sites New Zealand
This species selection system is built for people who have a specific area of land where they would like to establish trees. The aim is to recommend "best bet" species…
- Woodlot Analysis Tool
The Woodlot Analysis Tool has a focus on small forest growers in New Zealand, to provide an easy to use tool to estimate the net return from the harvesting of…
- TreeFarmer
TreeFarmer is a mapping tool for planning a forest, and for working out how best to harvest it. It uses the latest available map overlays to help you study your…
- TreeFarmer to help with woodlot harvest decisions (Access: unrestricted)
Graham West, May 2021
TreeFarmer is the latest of a series of levy-funded projects aimed at improving a small-scale forest grower’s woodlot harvesting experience. TreeFarmer does this by raising the grower’s awareness of the problems and decisions they…
- How to harvest and market your woodlot for profit (Access: unrestricted)
Glen Murphy and Harriet Palmer, May 2020
Always a hot topic, and offering plenty of puns to bright sparks, wildfire was been on people’s minds over the summer. Images of the extreme Australian bushfires filled our television screens and…
- Leith Knowles and the radiata calculator (Access: unrestricted)
Piers McLaren, November 2018
The radiata and Douglas-fir calculators were the brain-child of the late Forest Research Institute researcher, Leith Knowles. Many of us knew Leith well, as he was a great fan of…
- New radiata pine calculator (Access: unrestricted)
Harriet Palmer, August 2018
Farm foresters can now test out different management options for existing or planned radiata pine plantations with a new on-line calculator – the Forecaster Radiata Pine Calculator. This is a…
- Radiata pine for the next generation (Access: unrestricted)
Michael Watt and Harriet Palmer, February 2018
Finally, payday is approaching for many forest owners, as woodlots and forests planted in the 1990s reach harvest age. For growers planning to replant with radiata pine, and any new planters,…
- Improving small plantation and woodlot inventory using remote sensing - how you can help (Access: unrestricted)
Jonathan Dash and Michael Watt, May 2017
Small plantations and woodlots comprise around 36 per cent of the total New Zealand plantation estate. Growers of these woodlots include an estimated 14,000 small-scale and medium-scale forest owners and…
- Eyes in the Sky (Access: unrestricted)
Michelle Harnett and Jonathan Dash, May 2017
Lit up like a Christmas tree is a good description of a laser-generated image of a forest. Stunning images aside, research in New Zealand and overseas is showing that the…
- Keeping records of your woodlots - MyLand record system (Access: unrestricted)
Graham West, August 2014
MyLand Land Record System is a new NZFFA sponsored system which will help you locate your property on a map over the web. You will be able to draw around…
- Recognising site quality for forest productivity (Access: unrestricted)
Michael Orchard, November 2010
If we were a big organisation looking to buy the optimal piece of land for forestry production, we might go to the fertile pumice lands of the Bay of Plenty…
- Using Forecaster to maximise your forest investment (Access: unrestricted)
Jeremy Snook, May 2010
Forecaster is a software system used to estimate the value of tree crop returns based on predicted log out-turns. It works by modelling the effects of site, silviculture and genetics…
- Mapping the productivity of radiata pine (Access: unrestricted)
David Palmer, Michael Watt, Mark Kimberley, Barbara Höck, Tim Payn and David Low, May 2010
Forest owners, investors and policy makers all want to know the spread and productivity of New Zealand’s current and future radiata plantation. David Palmer, a geo-spatial analyst at Scion, has…
- Improving forest inventory for the woodlot owner (Access: unrestricted)
Chris Goulding and Marika Fritzsche, May 2010
Forestry is unusual compared with other crops in that planning should be carried out over the long term. The boom in new planting in the 1990's was carried out mainly by…
- GPS and mapping tools for farm forestry (Access: unrestricted)
Harriet Palmer, Don Wallace and Ross Browne, February 2008
Ever wondered where your property boundaries really are? This was the question facing Don and Lynne Wallace, Wellington Branch members, when they bought a steep Kapiti Coast block recently. The…
- Practical hints for measuring trees (Access: unrestricted)
Allan Laurie, February 2006
Fundamental to the future decision about harvest is the need to understand how the woodlot is performing in terms of annual tree growth. Growth performance is mainly expressed in height…
- Measuring radiata pine and forecasting yields (Access: unrestricted)
Dave Crawley, May 2007
Measuring radiata pine and forecasting yields has become a highly specialised area and there is now an increasing array of software and tools required to stay on the top of…
- Tree planter's record system (Access: unrestricted)
Euan Mason, May 2005
Tree planters record system (TPRS) software has been developed by the Farm Forestry Association with the support of the Sustainable Farming Fund. This software aids record keeping while ensuring that…
- MARVL pre-harvest inventory system (Access: unrestricted)
Jim Cooke & Rob Webster, May 2005
No, MARVL is not shorthand for one of the wonders of the world but something much more prosaic. MARVL is an acronym for ‘method of assessment of recoverable volume by…
- Version 2 Calculators: Upgrading the business of farm forestry (Access: unrestricted)
Piers Maclaren & Leith Knowles, May 2005
Download the Radiata calculator version 4 (NZFFA members only) » Is farm forestry a business or is it just a hobby? These days livestock farmers go to considerable trouble to…
- GIS and indigenous forest management (Access: unrestricted)
Roger May, February 2005
A geographical information system (GIS) is a computerised mapping system which can be used for map production, operational planning, spatial analysis and record-keeping. The advantages of GIS The use of…
- New free online forest productivity calculator for small growers March 2018
A new online calculator for radiata pine and Douglas-fir productivity is now available, free of charge. The Forecaster Calculator was built for owners and advisors of small forests, who…
- How much wood has my woodlot got? May 2015
Scion seeks small woodlot owners to help test a new tool that will provide simple recommendations to assist management of small-scale forest stands. Decision support tools that provide management recommendations…
- Research at Scion - The changing face of forest monitoring April 2015
Preliminary results demonstrate the potential for unmanned aerial vehicles to greatly improve our understanding of the health and productivity of New Zealand forests. The sight of drones flying over New…
- How to create good kmz (google earth) files November 2013
On this page: [Create a polygon in Google Earth] [Saving your .kmz file] [Editing a .kmz polygon in Google Earth] Print this page Create a polygon in Google Earth 1.…
- A dynamic framework for spatial modelling Pinus radiata soil water balance (SWatBal) across New Zealand
FRI Bulletin No. 234, Palmer, D. J., M. S. Watt, B. K. Höck, D. J. Lowe and T. W. Payn (2009).
- How Much Wood Has Your Woodlot Got?
Forest Research Bulletin No. 217, Maclaren, J. P. (2000)
Practical guide to woodlot inventory, aimed at farm foresters. Somewhat dated (eg excludes use of electronic technology such as GPS and Vertex).
- Field guide for sample plots in New Zealand forests
FRI Bulletin No. 186, Ellis, J. C. and J. D. Hayes (1997).
- A three-dimensional formula for coniferous log volumes in New Zealand
FRI Bulletin No. 20, Ellis, J. C. (1982).
- Predicting final branch size in thinned radiata pine stands
FRI Bulletin No. 3, Inglis, C. S. and M. R. Cleland (1982).
- Stand assessment by log grades using MARVL
FRI Bulletin No. 132, Manley, B. R., C. J. Goulding and M. E. Lawrence (1987).
- Sampling and measuring procedure for tree volume and taper equation construction and testing
FRI Bulletin No. 138, Gordon, A. and J. Penman (1987).
- Simple experimental design for forestry trials
FRI Bulletin No. 71, Andrew, I. (1986).
- Log volume tables for tapers of 0.4cm/m to 2.2cm/m
FRI Bulletin No. 20 Supplement, Ellis, J. C. (1982).
- Inventory Practice for Managed Forests
Goulding, C. J., & Lawrence, M. E. (1992). FRI Bulletin No. 171 (pp. 50). Rotorua, NZ: NZ Forest Research Institute.
Handbook aimed at professional foresters. Could still be of value to farm foresters keen on accurate forest inventory. Somewhat dated (eg excludes use of electronic technology such as GPS and Vertex).
Farm Forestry - Headlines
Article archive »
- Update to the Forest Owners Association Road Engineering Manual: Forest Road Design for HPMVs.
Thursday, September 19, 2024
The NZFOA/NZFFA Transport and Logistics committee is pleased to announce the release of a new appendix to the New Zealand Forest Owners Road Engineering Manual, titled Forest Roads for High…
- Emissions Trading Scheme fee review a relief for cost-struck foresters
Thursday, February 29, 2024
The New Zealand Forest Owners Association says the review of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) fees is a relief for foresters facing excessive costs and loss of climate change action. …
- Planting trees on pasture can have a positive impact on soil health
Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Rather than damaging soil in New Zealand, planting trees on pasture restores soil to be similar to its original condition. A recent news story highlighting changes in soils from converting…
- Forest plantation soils have benefits too
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
The Forest Owners Association (FOA) says the fact that soils under plantation forests are similar to soils under native trees, does not make them damaged, as a recent Newshub report has claimed.…
- Wilding Conifers - A legacy issue that needs continued, collaborative management
Sunday, October 29, 2023
Forest owners welcome the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s (PCE) acknowledgement that the presence of wilding conifers across New Zealand is largely a legacy issue, but caution against placing costs…
- Stock take of the commercially viable alternatives to Pinus radiata
Tuesday, October 03, 2023
Scion has published a “Stock Take of the Commercially Viable Alternatives to Pinus Radiata” for MPI, which reviews alternative species, their expected growth rates, climatic range, resilience to pests or…
- SNA regulations 'confusing ecological naivety'
Thursday, July 06, 2023
Forest Owners say the just released National Policy Statement on Indigenous Biodiversity (NPSIB) is a classic bureaucratic formula of confusing ecological naivety which will not help rare species and likely…
- Primary sector leadership not addressing economics as the real climate change issue
Tuesday, July 04, 2023
The immediate past president of the Farm Forestry Association (NZFFA) says the leaders of the primary sector and government are ineffectively tinkering with lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Graham West says the…
- Forest Owners hail ‘Biosecurity Hero’
Monday, May 22, 2023
The Forest Owners Association and Scion want more people to report suspicious imported wood products which might be infested with introduced wood and forest pests. FOA Biosecurity Manager, Brendan Gould,…
- Ministerial inquiry could have widespread implications for Tairawhiti community
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
The New Zealand Institute of Forestry says the just announced Tairawhiti land use inquiry is recommending measures which will stop the very activities which are vital for the region’s recovery.…
- Tairawhiti land use inquiry not addressing wider issues
Sunday, May 14, 2023
The Forest Owners Association says the Ministerial Inquiry into landuse in Tarawhiti has a core of practical recommendations, but has not addressed some more difficult and fundamental issues. President, Grant…
- Forest Owners say carbon-only forestry should be kept off productive land
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
The Forest Owners Association would like to see production forestry and farming on productive land – rather than this land used for carbon-only forests. It says this should be a…
- Opportunities from Trees Workshops - NZ Wide
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
The NZ Farm Forestry Association (NZFFA) is running 18 extension workshops in May and June with a target audience of landowners, or people with access to land, who are potential tree…
- Forest Owners back more trees for Tairawhiti
Sunday, April 16, 2023
The Forest Owners Association has told the Ministerial Inquiry into land use in Tairāwhiti, that the region’s future has to include more trees for land stability. But it appreciates forest…
- Small scale woodlot owners have their say in Tairawhiti Land use Inquiry
Sunday, April 02, 2023
he outgoing President of the Farm Forestry Association says it has been vital for farm foresters to directly address the Ministerial Inquiry into forestry and other land use in Tairāwhiti.…
- Future forests need to be multifunctional to meet climate change in Tairawhiti
Thursday, March 16, 2023
The Farm Forestry Association says the just convened Ministerial Inquiry, into land-use across Tairāwhiti, needs to look closely at the tree options for shoring up vulnerable farm and former forest land in…
- Hill country farming campaign shows they think climate change is someone else’s problem
Thursday, March 09, 2023
The Forest Owners Association says the latest campaign against forestry, led by Beef+Lamb New Zealand and 50 Shades of Green, is climate change responsibility denial, and is dangerous in the…
- Forest Owners says two months too brief to look into the complex land issues in Tairawhiti.
Thursday, February 23, 2023
The Forest Owners Association says the two month long inquiry into land use in Tairāwhiti doesn’t give enough time or depth to find solutions. The Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins has…
- Forest Owners want genetic technology approved
Thursday, February 16, 2023
The Forest Owners Organisation says New Zealand needs to concentrate on the safety of genetic technology on a case-by-case basis rather than persisting with blanket bans. The FOA wants approval…
- Fieldays Forestry Hub to demonstrate that forestry is a solution
Monday, November 28, 2022
A range of solutions to farmers’ current problems will be on display in the Fieldays Forestry Hub near Hamilton between 30 November and 3 December, says Farm Forestry Association president,…
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