| Title | Forestry Geodatabase – A Tool to Enhance Teaching and Learning in the Forestry Curriculum |
|---|---|
| Faculty/College/Unit | Forestry |
| Status | Completed |
| Duration | 1 Year |
| Initiation | 04/01/2003 |
| Completion | 03/31/2004 |
| Project Summary | The objective of this project is to create a relational database that will be used faculty-wide as a repository for teaching data. The types of data that will be supported include geographic information systems (GIS) data (electronic forest cover and base coverage), remotely sensed data (geographically corrected satellite and photographic imagery), and historic digital photos, sound and video clips of forests, including those taken during disturbance events such as forest fires and landslides. Our award winning Natural Resource Conservation program and our new revised and integrated Bachelor of Science in Forestry program are both increasingly data demanding. There are significant problems managing multiple copies of large datasets where data becomes corrupted, lost or altered by multiple users. Datasets need to have detailed documentation (metadata) for students to explore while developing class projects. Data must be current so that students can take their class projects to and from the field. Maps must reflect what exists in the field now, not last month before harvesting occurred. A multi-user, relational database provides a method and means for the students in our Forestry programs to break through current data road blocks and leverage existing research datasets that would otherwise fall into disuse. Centralized data storage and management will allow for much larger and more current databases to be used by students much more reliably in several forest management and conservation courses already being delivered. This project will also allow integration of state-of-the-industry forest management software which will enhance student work skills and employability. The Oracle Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) will be installed along with the Spatial Database Engine (SDE). SDE allows for management of multiple edits of geographic data (versioning) so that more than one person can be editing map data at the same time and everyone can save their edits back to the same file. While much desired, implementation of this relational database is expensive. Funding is requested to help offset high costs during the start-up phase. |
| Funding Details | |
| Year 1: Project Year | Year 1 |
| Year 1: Funding Year | 2003/2004 |
| Year 1: Project Type | Small TLEF |
| Year 1: Principal Investigator | Stephen Sheppard |
| Year 1: Funded Amount | 35,000 |
| Year 1: Team Members | Stephen Sheppard, Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry Student Reviewers: Travis Dodds, Student, Forestry GIS/RS Committee: Dennis Bendickson, Instructor, Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry |