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Forest Health Information Management

Treatment Data Standards for Tracking Bark Beetle Management Activities

September 2007

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Infestation sites are identified by either aerial or ground surveys and then a decision is made for each site on if and how treatments are to be done. An information system aids districts to manage the beetle program activities by tracking costs, reporting of progress to the parties responsible and reporting on specific performance measures.   

Treatments range from conventional harvesting to single tree treatments.  A brief description of treatments is presented in the Bark Beetle Management Guidebook.  Example district specific treatment standards for fall and burn are found on the FPB FIA web site. 

When establishing a system for tracking bark beetle management treatments, the following attributes should be included: 

Single-tree treatment information (Fall and Burn, Fall and Peel)

Recommended minimum attributes ( Additional attributes can be added by the district):  

Attribute Description (where standard codes are available, a look-up table is a useful feature to link to the field)

Node_num = a unique identity number generated by the GIS or database; ties the record to spatial data
Site_ID = generated by the district using whatever numbering system is in place
Location = local geographic name
Mapsheet_polygon = from forest cover map
Proposed_trt = proposed single tree treatment (Fall and Burn, fall and peel, heli-log, other)
Proposed_no_to_treat = Based on ground survey data, total number of trees to treat
Responsibility = MFR, BCTS, Licensee (name), private, other
Contract_ID / Contractor = Contract file information
trees_treated = actual number of trees treated to date
Est._completion_date / Actual_completion_date = 
Costs to date = running total of expenses
Status = proposed, deferred, in progress, completed
Comments = other information
 

Harvesting Data

Recommended minimum attributes  ( Additional attributes can be added by the district):
 

Attribute Description (where standard codes are available, a look-up table is a useful feature to link to the field)

Node_num = a unique identity number generated by the GIS or database; ties the record to spatial data
Site_ID = generated by the TSA to link the infestation site identified during detection
Responsibility = MFR, BCTS, Licensee (name), private, other
CP / Block = Cutting permit number and Block number
Status = proposed, in-progress, completed
Comments = other information

Pheromone Tracking

Recommended minimum attributes  ( Additional attributes can be added by the district):
 

Node_num	Site_ID	Location	Mapsheet_polygon	Responsibility	Baiting_pattern	Placement Date	Num_baits
Expected_trt_date	Costs to date	Status	Comments

Attribute Description (where standard codes are available, a look-up table is a useful feature to link to the field)Node_num = a unique identity number generated by the GIS or database; ties the record to spatial data
Site_ID = generated by the district using whatever numbering system is in place
Location = local geographic name
Mapsheet_polygon = from forest cover map
Responsibility = MFR, BCTS, Licensee (name), private, other
Baiting_pattern = grid, spot, mop-up
Placement Date = day/month/year
Num_baits = number of baits placed
Expected_trt_date = when the baited trees are expected to harvested or treated
Costs to date = running total of expenses
Status = proposed, in-progress, completed
Comments = other information

The attributes above are recommended as the minimum required for developing a TSA-specific bark beetle management tracking system and is not a data standard.  A Provincial data standard for recording treatment information has not been developed and is unlikely to be required.  Performance measurement will not require the transfer of individual records but will likely only require summaries of this data obtained for each BMU or rolled up to the TSA level.

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Last updated on September 21, 2007
The contact for this web page is: tim.ebata@gov.bc.ca