The Development of the Precedent Model for the Latvia

Forest Management Planning Processes

Inita Sile

, Sergejs Arhipovs

Faculty of Information Technologies, Latvia University of Agriculture, Liela Street 2, Jel-

gava, Latvia

Faculty of Information Technologies, Latvia University of Agriculture, Liela Street 2, Jel-

gava, Latvia

Abstract. The question of nowadays is the application of information tech-

nologies in every sector that enables to improve the functionality of system per-

formance. One of the sectors is forestry – in this sector it is essential to manage

the forest territories appropriately. As a result, it is possible to develop the sys-

tem by means of information technologies that would help the forest experts to

manage the forest territories in order there would be no lack of timber re-

sources. To develop such system it is necessary, first of all, to perform the

analysis of forestry, as a result of which the precedent models are developed.

The specification and notation of Unified Modeling Language (UML) is used in

the development of precedent models. Consequently, the system requirements

are defined according to which it is possible to design and develop the system.

1 Introduction

44% of the territory of Latvia is covered by forests. Forestry is one of the most sig-

nificant sectors of the national economy of Latvia – its contribution to GDP is 7.5%.

This number is especially important because at least one third of it is generated in the

regions of Latvia where the enterprises, related to the forestry, are the main sources of

income. In fact, forestry is the only sector among the other sectors of Latvia with the

positive trade balance – it partially compensates the current significant deficit of trade

balance.

The estimation of the wood product is necessary for the rational preparation of timber

resources. It means that, first of all, it is necessary to forecast the result of forest pro-

duction within the cutting process. Thus, the data on forest resources, obtained as a

result of forest inventory, are very important. On the basis of forest inventory it is

possible to forecast the description of forest plant that influences the composition of

atmospheric gases, the level of groundwater, the preservation of soil and agricultural

activities carried out next to the forest where the inventory should be made. The

territory of forests in Latvia is divided into properties, where the activities are carried

out in compliance with ‘The Law on Forest’.

Sile I. and Arhipovs S. (2006).

The Development of the Precedent Model for the Latvia Forest Management Planning Processes.

In Proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on Modelling, Simulation, Veriﬁcation and Validation of Enterprise Information Systems, pages

181-184

DOI: 10.5220/0002471001810184

 SciTePress

2 Use Case Model for the Geodetic Preparation of Forest

Territories

The aim of forest inventory accounting is to obtain geodetic materials and general

data about the forest properties handing over to a separate manager. The accounting

of territories is carried out by geodetic methods, as well as using the materials of aero

photography.

2.1 Division of Wood Compartments Into Plots

On the basis of geodetic work that is carried out concerning wood compartments, a

plan for every wood compartment is worked out, which divides the wood compart-

ment into plots, firstly, according to the categories of land, secondly, according to at

least one rule: the trees are growing in plot from the seeds or from the root of an older

tree, there is one type of species dominating in the plot, the trees in the plot have the

same height, there is one quality of locality in the plot etc. The decision how the prop-

erty is to be divided into wood compartments and every wood compartment – into

plots is made by a cruiser, who does it in compliance with the regulations of the or-

ganization of forest exploitation. Cruiser is the user of the system to be designed,

which is the role of the system context. The role of system creates the motivation

activity and it is the inner element of system [1].

2.2 Uncertainty of Forest Territory Division

Uncertainty is the state, which is characterized by contradictory interpretations of

texts and situations. Uncertainty appears within the process of requirement explora-

tion, which can be interpreted differently. The sources of uncertainty might be: unde-

fined requirements, which are the basic reason of many interpretations and contradic-

tory words with different meanings. In the process of the determination of forest

inventory requirements there were identified only two precedents of territory division:

division of property into wood compartments and division of a wood compartment

into plots.

Fig. 1. Territory division precedents of cruiser.

There were analyzed similar and different attributes of precedents. When exploring

these two precedents there was a decision made to develop and describe the general

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precedent. But the last stages of system designing showed the nature of the require-

ment selection uncertainty. Regardless the accuracy and consecutive performance

there was identified one more precedent: division of plots into sub-plots (Fig. 1).

Since the general division precedent of model had been already developed the situa-

tion was dealt with the following way: the general division precedent was defined

more precisely with a new precedent “Division of a plot into sub-plots”.

3 Stock Volume and the Scenarios of Its Determination

Forest stand is, according to its structure, a continuous forest plot, which covers cer-

tain territory and differs significantly from the next situated areas. Any stand is

formed by the totality of trees, bushes and live land covering, and the main compo-

nent of it is a timber stand. Nowadays, depending on the accuracy degree, there are

two main precedents used for the forest inventory: continuous and group measuring.

In their turn, every main precedent, depending on the approach applied, is divided

into two types of measuring: visual and measuring using instruments. When measur-

ing, the diameter (D), height (H), age (A) and type of species (S) of trees are deter-

mined.

In the process of the continuous measuring of stock volume there is measured every

tree of forest stand. This type of measuring is used, if the territory is not large or there

is a necessity to obtain very precise data as final results. The implementation of con-

tinuous measuring precedent step by step is shown in the activity model. The cruiser

– user, who applies this scenario, defines the attributes of every tree, examining every

tree in the certain territory on a cyclic basis. The values of attributes are given in

absolute value: diameter – in centimeters, height – in meters, age – in years. All

measuring results are registered and become the data base of given theory.

In the process of the group measuring of stock volume there is measured the totality

of the group of trees of every type of species, as a result of which there are obtained

average values of trees. This type of measuring is used, if the territory is large and

there is no necessity to obtain very precise data. The implementation of group meas-

uring precedent step by step is shown in the activity model. The cruiser – user, who

applies this scenario, first of all, groups visually all trees by species and, examining

the group of trees of every type of species, instead of defining the attribute of every

tree, defines the average values of attributes for every group of species. The values of

attributes are given in average value: average diameter in centimeters, average height

in meters, average age in years. All measuring results are registered and become the

data base of given theory.

Having analyzed two precedents we can conclude that the cruiser’s task is to evaluate

the same totality of attributes – diameter, height and age, but in different interpreta-

tions. Firstly, attributes are interpreted according absolute value: every tree has its

particular diameter, height and age, secondly, attributes are interpreted in terms of

average value: every group of tree species has its average diameter, height and age

(Fig. 2).

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Fig. 2. Forest estimation precedents hierarchy.

The first step in the system development is defining and agreement on system re-

quirements. As a result, the Use Case model is developed. The use model precedents

are the types of communication with the user and other concerned persons. During

communication the precedent tells what the system is intended to do. System re-

quirements is a guide by testing, evaluating the system during the time of develop-

ment, as a result of which the qualitative system is obtained [2].

4 Conclusions

As a result of analysis there are obtained and developed precedent models that show

the division of forest territory and the requirements of inventory system. The devel-

oped precedent models are used to design a system, in the concrete, to develop the

category models of system. Identification and registration of uncertainties enable to

plan the current system implementation and testing from the view of future work,

connected with hypothetical, bet real requirements. In the forestry there was applied

the approach of system analysis to model the precedents of forest territory manage-

ment process. The qualitative system can be worked out, if within its development

there had been performed correct analysis, modeling, designing and implementation.

If there would be a mistake made when analyzing and modeling, the final product

would not correspond to the stated or undefined requirements. The obtained results

can be strictly formalized both as the requirement model and the methodology of

system testing.

References

1. Robert J Muller, 1999. Database Design for Smarties: Using UML for Data Modeling.

Morgan Kaufmann publishers, 1st edition.

2. Leszek A. Maciaszek, 2001. Requirements analysis and system design: developing infor-

mation systems with UML, Addison-Wesley Longman Ltd. Essex, UK.

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