A list of the more important changes made to Assisi Forest during 2015-2018.
Smaller bug fixes and interface enhancements are not generally listed.
Operations
(2018.2.0)
Operations is now in the process of being added to Assisi.Operations has three primary tables: Operations, OperationUnits and OperationUnitActions. Operations are a collection of units with each unit having a history of actions.Tables added to support Operations are: Operations, OperationUnits and OperationUnitAction, CashFlow and Companies. The SummaryByCashFlow is now an operations summary table rather than a simulation summary table. Simulation cash flow is now stored in the SummaryByYear table. Operations are in ways similar to simulations; however, simulation actions are scheduled on yearly timesteps whereas operations have no time step limitations.
StarBAR Count to Measure Sample Plots
(2018.2.0)
StarBAR is a method of determining the optimum number of count and measure plots to sample when doing a double sample cruise design. StarBAR calculations have been added to the Sample Summary report and can also be added as columns to various Inventory views, using the new custom views feature.To support StarBAR, additional measure and count tree fields were added to SummaryByStand, SummaryByStandSpecies, SummaryByStandSpeciesGroup and SummaryByPlot.
Species Groups and DBH Groups Added
(2018.2.0)
Groups for Species and DBH ranges can now be assigned and summarized.
SummaryByStand now Primary Inventory Summary Table
(2018.2.0)
To speed up and make deletion of inventory faster, all inventory summary tables now use the SummaryByStand table as their primary table rather than the Stands table. Clearing inventory can now be done by simple deleting rows in the SummaryByStands table and letting the database cascade delete to all the other inventory tables.
Allowed Values Table Standardized
(2018.2.0)
Most of the Allowed values tables are being moved to a standard design of: Title, Code, ID, Description, Enum.
Custom Table Views
(2018.2.0)
Added ability to add custom columns to the Inventory Stands table view. Column values can be any valid SQL statement.
Version 2017
(Partial list, sorry.)
Added Clark & Saucier 1990 Weight Equations(2017.2.31) Weight equations for Southern Pine & Slash Pine were added. Both total height and 4” merch height equations were added. The same ratio approach is used for deriving segment weights from tree weights.
Version 2016
Stand Definitions on FLIPS Import
(2016.1.11)
The FLIPS fields used to create Assisi stand names are now user definable. Stand mapping defaults to the fields: TOWNSHIP+RANGE+SECTION+TYPE but can be changed to just TYPE if desired.
FLIPS TYPE Mapped to Assisi Compartment
(2016.1.11)
FLIPS TYPE field is now imported as Stands.Compartment. This is independent of how Assisi Stand names are defined.
Added Management Type to Stands
(2016.1.11)
Management types can now be assigned to stands as well as plots.
Summary by DBH Class Added to Market Report
(2016.1.10)
The Market Summary report shows volumes for each Grade, Sort or Product summed by diameter classes. Diameter classes can now be either log diameter inside bark or tree DBH classes.
Min Butt Added to Grades and Sorts
(2016.1.8)
Min Butt and Max Butt Changed to Float
(2016.1.8)
Species Groups Added to Stand Simulator
(2016.1.8)
A species group level was added to the Stand Simulator for viewing results. Now plots can be shown by stand, species groups, species and individual trees.
Code, ID and Description added to Species Groups
(2016.1.8)
Character code, numeric ID and description fields have been added to Species Groups.
Version 2015
Additional Sample Types Added
(2015.3.4)
Additional sample types were added to accommodate the variety of BIA sample measures. These tables follow the same approach as existing “Allowed…” values tables where the options are user definable and show up as plot and tree level values. The tables added are…
AllowedCover - Cover values such as Forest, Wetland, Swamp, Non-Forest, etc.
AllowedDensity - Density levels for cover measurements.
AllowedManagement - Management values for plot measurements.
AllowedSites - Site values for plot measurements.
AllowedSoundness - Soundness values for tree measurements.
AllowedStructure - Structure values for plot measurements.
AllowedHabitats - Habitat types for plot measurements.
AllowedPrescription – Prescription types for plot measurements.
Added BIA BOFRP Database Import
(2015.3.4)
The Bureau of Indian Affairs maintains a forest inventory system through its Branch of Forest Resources and Planning (BOFRP).
Reconfiguring Allowed Values Tables
(2015.3.1)
The format of the “allowed values” tables such as AllowedForestTypes is to have fields called “ForestType”, Code, ID, Description, Enum. These fields allow for describing these lists using a convenient title (ForestType), a character code (Code), a numeric code (ID), a full descriptions (Description) and an enumeration (Enum) which is another unique way of describing something in a way accessible to source code. Having all these fields has so far meant Assisi can support all the various ways such lists are used in the forestry field.For this release, the following tables were brought up to this standard: AllowedDamages, AllowedDamageSeverities, AllowedSilviculturalCodes, AllowedSoilTypes, AllowedVigorCodes
In addition to making the database design changes, set the various new measurement fields to appropriate values according to current measurement field values. For example, after changing the AllowedDamages table to the new design and adding the new “Damage” field to the Trees table, set the values of the new “Damage” field according to the values of the existing “DamageCode” values. Then delete the now no longer used Trees.DamageCode field.
Change Snag Flag from DamageSeverity to IsSnag
(2015.3.1)
Previously, a tree’s DamageSeverity setting determined whether a tree was live or dead. If DamageSeverity was at or above a Calibration’s SnagMinDamageSeverity level, the tree was dead.Being live or dead is now a specific field: IsSnag. The existing DamageSeverity field remains, but it is now only used as an optional indicator of the severity of values in the Damage field. In other words, DamageSeverity no longer determines if a tree is a snag when processed by Assisi. The IsSnag field determines live/dead.Along with making this design change to the database, the Trees.IsSnag field should be set to true or false as determined by DamageSeverity values and the Calibration.SnagMinDamageSeverity setting. Then recompile all data so that the IsSnag field is set correctly in summary tables.
Added Plot Level QMD
(2015.2.10)
In keeping with common practice, Assisi calculates QMD using stand level BA and TPA. An alternative is to calculate QMD per plot and average across plots as is done with most other stand level statistics. The two methods will give different results with the stand level result being consistently smaller than plot level averages.Nevertheless, it is widely assumed that most usages of QMD, Reineke SDI and Curtis RDI for example, used stand level QMD values in their development and Assisi continues to use stand level QMD in these equations. So that a true statistical estimate of QMD is available, the plot average QMD has been added to both reports and database. Stand level QMD is now noted as “QMDS” and plot level QMD as simply “QMD”. Plot level QMD will also have related PSE and CV values.
Added DBH PSE and CV
(2015.2.10)
Along with QMD PSE and CV, plot level PSE and CV for DBH has been added to reports and database summary tables.
Added Slope, Aspect and Sample State to Cover Table
(2015.2.0)
Slope, aspect and sample state were added to support FIA condition sampling and plot selection by cover.
Added FTP Client
(2015.2.0)
A FTP client was added to make accessing Assisi’s FTP site easier. Now, you can access ftp.AssisiSoft.net directly through Assisi. Directories can be browsed and file dragged and dropped to execute transfers. FTP settings are stored in Assisi so there is no more fussing with FTP settings. Login info is stored in the encrypted license file so remembering a username and password is not necessary.
Weight Fields Added
(2015.0.22)
Weight is now a formal database field like volume, carbon and user defined are. Weight methods and settings can now be set in the Calibration Editor.Equations from PMRC for Southern regions were added.
Southern Species Models from Souter Added
(2015.0.22)
Taper, Form Point and DIB models from Clark & Souter 1991 were added for southern species.
Atterbury SuperEasy Import Added
(2015.0.22)
Data from the Atterbury SuperEasy handheld data collector can now be imported.
Market Products Now Defined by Grade and Sort
(2015.0.22)
Market products are no longer just groups of grades: they are tags attached to log volumes like grades and sorts but products use grades and sorts as criteria. In other words, logs are graded and sorted, then products are assigned according to what grade and sort a log was given. This approach more closely follows common grading and marketing practices.Trees can now be segmented according to product definitions as well as grades or sorts, so that volume is optimized.
Added option to not grade tree tips.
(2015.0.5)
Scaling Height now Saved to Database
(2015.0.1)
Scaling height is the height to which a tree is segmented into logs. Normally this is the same as merch height. However, when a tree has a broken top or trees are set to be scaled to a height different than a measured merch, then the scaled height will be different than merch. Assisi now saves the scaled height, along with all the other heights, when compiling, growing or simulating.
Added Option to Ignore Broken Tops
(2015.0.1)
Broken tops reduce volume to points below a missing merch height. Typically, the missing merch or total height is estimated using regression or height equations so that taper methods can still be properly used for estimating diameters. An accurate estimate of volume can then be made for the remaining portion of the tree.In order to estimate both the actual volume (reduced by broken tops) and the theoretical volume (not reduced by broken tops) an option to include or exclude broken tops was added to calibrations. By running both options, one can calculate the missing volume due to broken tops.
Added Bark Units (IB or OB) Options for Merch, Sawlog and Scale Diameters
(2015.0.1)
Scaling diameters for merch, sawlog and scale heights can now be set in inside or outside bark units.