Forest Analytics

Forest Analytics is Forsite's forest planning and modelling practice for forest land managers in Canada and the United States. It brings together professional foresters, LiDAR and remote sensing specialists and modellers to support strategic and operational decisions, and Forsite reports more than 100 million hectares (250 million acres) of forest analysed across North America.

The work covers forest estate modelling (timber and fibre supply scenarios forecast over up to 200 years with Patchworks, Woodstock and Remsoft), growth and yield modelling with regional models such as TASS/TIPSY, VDYP, GYPSY and FVS or with empirical yield curves built from the client's own plot data, land-base condition reporting (watershed disturbance, wildlife habitat, old-growth and seral conditions), climate vulnerability and carbon modelling for offset and sustainability programs, timber and land valuation, and quarterly log market reports.

Its primary inputs are LiDAR point clouds, multispectral and satellite imagery, ground plot data, and forest inventory and climate GIS layers. In its LiDAR and remote sensing analysis, Forsite applies LiDAR, satellite and drone analytics to map harvest blocks, retention, forest health, burn severity and forest vigour, and to extract slopes, landforms, roads and seismic lines. Results are delivered as analyses, scenario outputs, reports, and web maps and web applications; Forsite is an Esri partner.