Spatial Modeling of Forest Attributes

Abstract

Geostatistics is often applied to mining, petroleum, and environmental problems, but its workflows, algorithms, and principles can be of use in a wide array of other spatial modeling problems. Fields such as forestry and wildland fire research include many spatial problems, where the variables of interest are impractical or impossible to exhaustively measure but are sampled by point measurements and remotely sensed data. The fields of forestry and wildland fire are related. Many forest attributes are used to predict fire behavior to aid in community preparedness or response. The use of geostatistical modeling from traditional point measurements of forest test plots and domain-exhaustive remotely sensed data is explored. Finally, an outline of the modeling process for wildland fire applications is included with parallels to typical geostatistical modeling processes.