Working on mapping the forest

Today and tomorrow, I'll be out mapping the forest for a better understanding of what projects are being undertaken out in the forest in order to better determine what sorts of things will be able to be done viz the management plan.

There are some problems that I've run up against with regard to using the GPS unit. First of all, the ever-greening forest canopy creates some havoc with the satellite acquisition, thus making the points somewhat problematic. A second one is that the program that Garmin uses can export to Google Earth, but not to the ArcGIS software that I am using for the analysis. This means that I have to do spatial projections and re-projections, and through all of these processes, the end results are not as accurate as I would like them to be. Still, they are better than nothing.

Another problem is that of the sampling rate at which the Garmin unit takes measurements. The unit only samples so many times per minute, which means that if I move through the forest quickly (i.e., run or cycle), then the paths it maps are very point-deficient, and this is exacerbated by the low signal strength caused by the canopy (see above). However, if I move more slowly, I should be able to get a better resolution on the site, but if I move slowly through an area with a dense canopy, the measurements will not be accurate. This means that, while I may have more points (and therefore potentially a higher level of resolution), these points may not be as accurate, meaning that they might not be very useful.

A third problem is that of the spatial projection. The Garmin unit takes latitude and longitude measurements. (It also takes elevation measurements, but these are not very good, since they depend somewhat on air pressure, making the measurements inconsistent, especially at fine scales.) However, the ArcGIS program needs to have the data projected onto a mapping coordinate system. First, though, in order to feed the data into the ArcGIS program, it needs to be in a format that is recognized, and this requires the use of another program (GPS Utility), and this utility uses a particular datum, the projection from which into the Michigan GeoRef coordinate system means that there is some slight shifting that needs to manually be accounted for.

Put all these together (canopy-related signal impedance, spatial resolution, and spatial projection), and the process of translating on-the-ground measurements into a mapping system makes for a slightly annoying process (even if it is a lot more simple than in decades past).

Very windy day

Today is a very blustery day, with gusts of winds of 15 mph or more. Ahh, spring.

Garlic mustard: PULL THEM OUT!

The perennial bane of Saginaw Forest -- garlic mustard --is back, along with the spring. Growing primarily in places where there re gaps in the canopy, they are especially thick along parts of the main road, as well as near the cabin. While I am trying to minimize the amount of the stuff in front of the cabin, there is already a lot of the stuff that can be found throughout the forest, and it isn't possible for a single person to get all of it without the expenditure of a LOT of effort each year.

If you would like to help out with some of the maintenance and preservation of the Forest, then I would ask that you pull these weeds out whenever you see them and pile them along the path. I will come by and collect them every few days until the earnest start of summer. What does garlic mustard look like up close?

Well, they have broad, somewhat heart-shaped leaves with a serrated edge. As you can see from the photo above, they usually occur in tight clumps of plants, and so if you see one, you will quite likely encounter others nearby. When the are in bloom, their flowers are at the very top of a long stalk and are small and white. Presently, though, they are not quite in bloom:

The best way to pull these plants (and most plants) is to pull as much of their roots out of the ground, holding the plant at its base (i.e., where the plant comes out of the ground).

Right now, one management goal is to try and ensure that no garlic mustard becomes established on the north side of the property. Therefore: if you see some growing there, please go ahead and pull them out by the roots. Just make sure to pile your pullings by the side of the path.

Water delivery

Got 12 more bottles this morning. That should hold me through the summer.

Third Sister Lake map

A number of decades ago, the state DNR did surveys of the inland lakes of Michigan. In amongst those lakes they surveyed was Third Sister Lake. A basic bathymetric map of the lake can be found here.

Saginaw Forest activities and management plan

There's been some activities in Saginaw Forest with regard to maintenance activities. This is part of the new management plan that's been drawn up for the forest. Last year, 2009, leaning trees were cut down in order to minimize the risk of having one fall unexpectedly. This year, there's a good chance of a boardwalk going in on the east side of Third Sister Lake - connecting the north and south side of the lake, creating a circle route.

If you are interested in looking at the plan, it can be found here.

Wonderful weekend weather

There's been wonderful weekend weather, and this has brought in a lot of new and returning users to Saginaw Forest. This has meant re-educating people as to the use of Saginaw Forest. Basically, it's not their property, and they need to follow the proper rules of use.

These include keeping one's dog leashed (not merely having a leash on the dog, allowing it to run free), and to recognize the open hours of the forest are from 6am to 6pm.