Results from workshop in Syktyvkar

The workshop is intended primarily for professionals responsible for certification of logging companies, but also be of interest to consultants, NGO representatives, auditors and anyone interested in voluntary forest certification.

Again, I'll repeat that it is a pity that there was no information or discussion about GIS technologies in forestry management. Though some representatives of huge logging companies said that they consider Geographic Information Systems as an important asset and mighty tool for reaching company's goals.

The main theme of the seminar was how to build a system of conservation, which combines all the environmental requirements of the Russian FSC Standard, such as:

• assessment of the impact on the environment;
• protection of rare and endangered species and their habitats;
• measures for the conservation of habitats of animals, referred to hunting;
• imitation of the natural dynamics of forests;
• program for the transition from large clearcuts to gradual and selection felling;
• identification and conservation of key habitats and key elements of the stand (on the plots);
• identification and preservation of representative (sites of reference) sites of ecosystems;
• maintenance of water conservation functions of forests;
• choice of method and time of harvesting, taking into account soil conditions to minimize soil erosion;
• identification of high conservation value forests and preservation of their features;
• monitoring the composition and observed changes in flora and fauna;
• monitoring of measures to conserve the characteristics of high conservation value forests.

The same attention was given not only to analysis of theoretical approaches to conservation, but also to such practical issues as:

• formulation of terms of reference for consultants;
• account of economic requirements for the development of environmental projects;
• application of scientific approaches in daily practice;
• staff training;
• application of GIS and satellite imagery in FSC forest certification (This was covered superficially).

There were representatives from two huge logging companies in Russia - Swedwood and Mondi, two employees of small local GIS consulting company, and one from SilverTaiga (local NGO).

To put it shortly, I was generally satisfied with the workshop and its results.
I anticipate we will hold events like this in future and attract even more participants from different geographical regions of Russia. I also hope that GIS topic will be included as 'MUST HAVE' in upcoming workshop's agenda.

 

Workshop at Syktyvkar

Our company holds a workshop about ecological aspects in FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) forest certification. It was scheduled to the 14...16th of December 2011.

The title of the workshop is "Implementing ecological aspects of FSC certification".

The most important thing is that there was a lecture about my passion - Modern GIS in forestry. And I would give a talk on this interesting topic.
BUT! It was canceled due to changes in seminar's agenda.

Anyways, I strongly consider that GIS technologies in FSC certification process (especially in ecological aspects) plays an important role. For example, it would be more difficult to prepare for an audit without a well-designed geographic information system. 

In long-term perspective, GIS system fully deployed in a FSC-enterprise would:

• rather reduce economic monetary expenditure,
• improve ecological sustainability in the region of forest harvesting,
• increase social prosperity.

 It is very sad that this particular workshop misses the rapport on GIS possibilities in FSC certification.

Self-improvement

There is an excellent book called "Career Distinction" by William Arruda. Google it and you'll find the book.

These days I am articulating my vision, purpose, career goals, my values and passions, my strengths and attributes. I will write them down here in near future. Follow me. ;-)

GIS market in Russia has grown up to 30 % in 2011

11.10.2011 16:09

Рынок геоинформационных систем РФ в 2011 году вырастет на 20-30%, до $1,2 млрд - эксперт

МОСКВА, 11 окт - ПРАЙМ. Российский рынок геоинформационных систем (ГИС) в 2011 году вырастет на 20-30% и составит 1,2 миллиарда долларов, - такой прогноз дал журналистам генеральный директор компании Data+ (занимается разработкой распространением в России и СНГ программного обеспечения геинформационной системы Esri) Алексей Ушаков. Подробнее

Unifying the spatial database

My working day started as usual. The PC was turned on at 9 in the morning. I typed the password for own account into the prompt. Now I am online and working.

I currently work on GIS for one of our clients. The client is a responsible logging company with headquarters in Sweden. It manages forest in North-European Russia and soon it will go through an audit according FSC regulations. It hired our small consulting company to teach their workers FSC principles and to design and implement forest GIS.

What I'm doing now is designing schema for a spatial database. Their old spatial database is based on Austrian GIS: WinGIS. It is very ancient and does not let to edit anything in the database. So we decided to offer them cheaper and more reliable solution - QGIS + PostgreSQL/PostGIS.

That was a long foreword, I guess. =)

The logging company gave us its ancient database, and we might do all the work manually if not I suggested to use PostGIS spatial extension to PostgreSQL. They are all under GPL licence and easy to learn.

So, as I was made responsible for database design and implementation I started to think, how to create and develop it wisely so any forest worker or manager can benefit from it. I will write later on about database implementation details etc.

Particular task that I am busy with now is unifying the spatial database into ONE. Initially I had around 50 different tables in old FoxPro .dbf format. I fed them with shp2pg script to Postrges database and started to write a procedure that automatically merges these tables into ONE. 

As I am writing here with simple words it could be an illusion of simplicity. I will go in details in my next posts.

One more cars-hater))

Check this out: http://home.pacbell.net/kwdelong/cars.htm

It looks like I am not alone with my feeling. =D Although the web page was modified on November 29, 1997 last time.

This man has much more deeper thoughts than I have. I should note them somewhere in case I'll defend my opinion.

Remark! The page is outdated so pull it out from Internet Archive: http://web.archive.org/web/20021228072836/http://home.pacbell.net/kwdelong/cars.htm =)

Intro

This is the first entry in my blogger-life. =)
I've tried it coz I am willing to say what I think to broader audience. The feeling is so strong that start my first blog discussing it.

So, I hate cars.
Firstly, because of their influence on the environment. They pollute the Earth with hazardous motor emissions. I do not want to breath with the air polluted by damn cars. Though I am aware that cars are not the hugest air pollutant. But anyways, there is energy needed to supply car industries!

Secondly, I am not seeing a personal automobile as perfect mean of transport. In accordance with statistics, the most deaths are caused by car accidents! I do not rely on mass transport, as buses, either. I better buy a bicycle than a month ticket on a bus. I better buy a yacht than a speedy car.

Thirdly and not lastly, I do not understand people's wishes and aims buying a car. They spend money for pollution of bigger Home than their apartments. And they simply don't realize that, or maybe they are aware, but taking no responsibilities. =(

That is a pity.

Do not think that I am an old-fashioned guy but I am more "greener" in mind than you could imagine.