Inventory and Decision Support Software
- Forecaster calculator
The Forecaster Calculator provides similar functionality to the Radiata Pine Calculator and the Douglas-fir Calculator. Growth and yield are predicted using the Forecaster desktop code-base, so outputs are consistent with…
- Radiata calculator
Radiata calculator version 4 (xls). Please note for the online calculator go to Forecaster calculator
- Kauri calculator
The Future Forests Research (FFR) Kauri Calculator is a web-based (online) tool for stand growth modelling and management of kauri plantations in New Zealand. The main purpose of the Calculator…
- Cypress calculator
The Cypress Calculator is a web-based (online) tool for stand growth modelling and management of Cypress plantations in New Zealand. The main purpose of the Cypress Calculator is to deliver scientific…
- Fastigata calculator
The Future Forests Research (FFR) Eucalyptus fastigata Calculator is a web-based (online) tool for stand growth modelling and management of E. fastigata plantations in New Zealand. The main purpose of…
- Redwood calculator
The redwood growth model is a spreadsheet download. Redwood growth model_v4.1 (xls)
- Species choice for afforestation of difficult sites New Zealand
This species selection system is built for people who have a specific area of land where they would like to establish trees. The aim is to recommend "best bet" species…
- Woodlot Analysis Tool
The Woodlot Analysis Tool has a focus on small forest growers in New Zealand, to provide an easy to use tool to estimate the net return from the harvesting of…
- TreeFarmer
TreeFarmer is a mapping tool for planning a forest, and for working out how best to harvest it. It uses the latest available map overlays to help you study your…
- New radiata pine calculator
Harriet Palmer, August 2018
Farm foresters can now test out different management options for existing or planned radiata pine plantations with a new on-line calculator – the Forecaster Radiata Pine Calculator. This is a…
- Radiata pine for the next generation
Michael Watt and Harriet Palmer, February 2018
Finally, payday is approaching for many forest owners, as woodlots and forests planted in the 1990s reach harvest age. For growers planning to replant with radiata pine, and any new planters,…
- Improving small plantation and woodlot inventory using remote sensing - how you can help
Jonathan Dash and Michael Watt, May 2017
Small plantations and woodlots comprise around 36 per cent of the total New Zealand plantation estate. Growers of these woodlots include an estimated 14,000 small-scale and medium-scale forest owners and…
- Eyes in the Sky
Michelle Harnett and Jonathan Dash, May 2017
Lit up like a Christmas tree is a good description of a laser-generated image of a forest. Stunning images aside, research in New Zealand and overseas is showing that the…
- Keeping records of your woodlots - MyLand record system
Graham West, August 2014
MyLand Land Record System is a new NZFFA sponsored system which will help you locate your property on a map over the web. You will be able to draw around…
- Recognising site quality for forest productivity
Michael Orchard, November 2010
If we were a big organisation looking to buy the optimal piece of land for forestry production, we might go to the fertile pumice lands of the Bay of Plenty…
- Using Forecaster to maximise your forest investment
Jeremy Snook, May 2010
Forecaster is a software system used to estimate the value of tree crop returns based on predicted log out-turns. It works by modelling the effects of site, silviculture and genetics…
- Mapping the productivity of radiata pine
David Palmer, Michael Watt, Mark Kimberley, Barbara Höck, Tim Payn and David Low, May 2010
Forest owners, investors and policy makers all want to know the spread and productivity of New Zealand’s current and future radiata plantation. David Palmer, a geo-spatial analyst at Scion, has…
- Improving forest inventory for the woodlot owner
Chris Goulding and Marika Fritzsche, May 2010
Forestry is unusual compared with other crops in that planning should be carried out over the long term. The boom in new planting in the 1990's was carried out mainly by…
- GPS and mapping tools for farm forestry
Harriet Palmer, Don Wallace and Ross Browne, February 2008
Ever wondered where your property boundaries really are? This was the question facing Don and Lynne Wallace, Wellington Branch members, when they bought a steep Kapiti Coast block recently. The…
- Practical hints for measuring trees
Allan Laurie, February 2006
Fundamental to the future decision about harvest is the need to understand how the woodlot is performing in terms of annual tree growth. Growth performance is mainly expressed in height…
- Measuring radiata pine and forecasting yields
Dave Crawley, May 2007
Measuring radiata pine and forecasting yields has become a highly specialised area and there is now an increasing array of software and tools required to stay on the top of…
- Tree planter's record system
Euan Mason, May 2005
Tree planters record system (TPRS) software has been developed by the Farm Forestry Association with the support of the Sustainable Farming Fund. This software aids record keeping while ensuring that…
- MARVL pre-harvest inventory system
Jim Cooke & Rob Webster, May 2005
No, MARVL is not shorthand for one of the wonders of the world but something much more prosaic. MARVL is an acronym for ‘method of assessment of recoverable volume by…
- Version 2 Calculators: Upgrading the business of farm forestry
Piers Maclaren & Leith Knowles, May 2005
Download the Radiata calculator version 4 (NZFFA members only) » Is farm forestry a business or is it just a hobby? These days livestock farmers go to considerable trouble to…
- GIS and indigenous forest management
Roger May, February 2005
A geographical information system (GIS) is a computerised mapping system which can be used for map production, operational planning, spatial analysis and record-keeping. The advantages of GIS The use of…
- New free online forest productivity calculator for small growers March 2018
A new online calculator for radiata pine and Douglas-fir productivity is now available, free of charge. The Forecaster Calculator was built for owners and advisors of small forests, who…
- How much wood has my woodlot got? May 2015
Scion seeks small woodlot owners to help test a new tool that will provide simple recommendations to assist management of small-scale forest stands. Decision support tools that provide management recommendations…
- Research at Scion - The changing face of forest monitoring April 2015
Preliminary results demonstrate the potential for unmanned aerial vehicles to greatly improve our understanding of the health and productivity of New Zealand forests. The sight of drones flying over New…
- How to create good kmz (google earth) files November 2013
On this page: [Create a polygon in Google Earth] [Saving your .kmz file] [Editing a .kmz polygon in Google Earth] Print this page Create a polygon in Google Earth 1.…
- A dynamic framework for spatial modelling Pinus radiata soil water balance (SWatBal) across New Zealand
FRI Bulletin No. 234, Palmer, D. J., M. S. Watt, B. K. Höck, D. J. Lowe and T. W. Payn (2009).
- How Much Wood Has Your Woodlot Got?
Forest Research Bulletin No. 217, Maclaren, J. P. (2000)
Practical guide to woodlot inventory, aimed at farm foresters. Somewhat dated (eg excludes use of electronic technology such as GPS and Vertex).
- Field guide for sample plots in New Zealand forests
FRI Bulletin No. 186, Ellis, J. C. and J. D. Hayes (1997).
- A three-dimensional formula for coniferous log volumes in New Zealand
FRI Bulletin No. 20, Ellis, J. C. (1982).
- Predicting final branch size in thinned radiata pine stands
FRI Bulletin No. 3, Inglis, C. S. and M. R. Cleland (1982).
- Stand assessment by log grades using MARVL
FRI Bulletin No. 132, Manley, B. R., C. J. Goulding and M. E. Lawrence (1987).
- Sampling and measuring procedure for tree volume and taper equation construction and testing
FRI Bulletin No. 138, Gordon, A. and J. Penman (1987).
- Simple experimental design for forestry trials
FRI Bulletin No. 71, Andrew, I. (1986).
- Log volume tables for tapers of 0.4cm/m to 2.2cm/m
FRI Bulletin No. 20 Supplement, Ellis, J. C. (1982).
- Inventory Practice for Managed Forests
Goulding, C. J., & Lawrence, M. E. (1992). FRI Bulletin No. 171 (pp. 50). Rotorua, NZ: NZ Forest Research Institute.
Handbook aimed at professional foresters. Could still be of value to farm foresters keen on accurate forest inventory. Somewhat dated (eg excludes use of electronic technology such as GPS and Vertex).
Farm Forestry - Headlines
Article archive »
- Forest Owners says extra planting ‘just as well’ given slippage on carbon reduction targets
Friday, October 15, 2021
The Forest Owners Association is saying that foresters’ intentions to plant more trees is an immediate and practical insurance against New Zealand not achieving greenhouse gas reduction goals. The Association…
- EDS attack on forestry ignores threat of climate change
Friday, September 17, 2021
The forest industry is calling a media statement from the Environmental Defence Society an ill-informed rant against forestry which ignores the threat of climate change. Forest Owners Association President, Phil…
- East Coast Councils’ anti-forestry drive environmentally and economically destructive
Thursday, September 16, 2021
Foresters are calling a proposed anti-forestry coalition of local bodies a prejudiced step backwards in time and destructive for their communities both environmentally and economically. The mayors of Tararua and…
- Recognition for Forestry's Highest Achievers in 2021.
Monday, August 23, 2021
The New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF) has announced the winners of its prestigious 2021 awards. In what has been an exceptionally volatile year for many, the forestry sector remains a significant…
- Forest Owners welcome Te Uru Rakau appointment
Monday, August 09, 2021
The Forest Owners Association says the appointment of Jason Wilson to head Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service, is absolutely appropriate for the huge challenges and opportunities facing…
- Foresters say afforestation report raises more questions than it answers
Wednesday, August 04, 2021
The Forest Owners Association says the Beef+Lamb commissioned survey on forest planting rates is nowhere near robust nor detailed enough to draw a conclusion that the government should impose controls…
- Pressure mounting across entire forestry supply chain as port build ups highlight issues
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Forestry Industry Contractors Association (FICA) is calling for an all of forestry strategy to deal with the mounting pressure on the entire forestry supply chain, currently being highlighted by build-ups…
- Forest Owners sharing primary sector concerns
Thursday, July 15, 2021
The Forest Owners Association is sympathising with some farmer frustrations over the pace of regulations being imposed on the primary sector. Forest Owners Association President Phil Taylor says the time…
- Forest Owners say production trees are potentially farming’s biggest friend
Tuesday, July 06, 2021
The President of the Forest Owners Association has told delegates to the Primary Industries Summit in Christchurch that forestry offers many opportunities for farmers. He said trees versus food production…
- Commission’s ETS change risks forest planting targets
Tuesday, June 08, 2021
The forest industry says the Climate Change Commission is risking forest planting rates by stating that the current Emissions Trading Scheme ‘will incentivise more production forestry than needed.’ The final…
- Forest owners say forests are productive and vital in meeting climate change goals
Monday, May 17, 2021
The Forest Owners Association says the Federated Farmers’ call for the government to restrict forest planting ranks as an unnecessary intrusion on the right of farmers to plant trees on…
- Te Uru Rakau – NZ Forest Service explores biofuels as a major opportunity for New Zealand
Monday, May 10, 2021
Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service is laying the foundations for a new biofuels industry, to turn forestry waste into a potential billion-dollar industry, and working on a…
- KTM Supreme Winner at Forestry Awards
Monday, May 10, 2021
The best of best in the region’s forestry industry were toasted at a sell-out Southern North Island Wood Council Training Awards dinner last night. The supreme winner, found from the…
- Greater role for a public forestry service
Thursday, April 29, 2021
Media Statement from Hon Stuart Nash Minister of Forestry A greater role for a public forestry service has been outlined by the Forestry Minister, to drive the focus on regional…
- Expansion of Forest Service role a vital move
Thursday, April 29, 2021
The Forest Owners Association says the just announced creation of Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service heralds the potential to fix vital bottlenecks in the initial stages of the forest industry…
- Plantation forestry ranks best for land use
Thursday, April 15, 2021
The just released Ministry for the Environment’s latest environmental report scores exotic forestry highly for its low impact on soils. The MfE report identified exotic forests as the land use by far…
- The NZIF Foundation Awards & Scholarship Applications Now Open
Thursday, April 15, 2021
The NZIF Foundation is offering the following awards in 2021: Future Forest Scholarship for post graduate research of up to $10,000 Up to two scholarships available Otago Southland Award One or…
- Foresters celebrate scooping primary industry awards
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
The Forest Owners Association says taking out three of the four category prizes in the Primary Industries’ Good Employer Awards this week is a sign the forest sector has come…
- Log supply not the cause of timber shortage
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Forest organisations have joined to reject statements that the current shortage of framing timber is caused by foresters selling logs to China and not leaving enough timber to be processed…
- Farm Foresters fired up to play a role in land use issues.
Monday, March 29, 2021
Farm foresters are now excited and fully informed to play a role in helping role solve NZ land use issues says the incoming association president, Graham West. They have just…
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