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THE GIS FIELD DATA COLLECTION PROJECT
Much support from field personnel and by national Technology and Development (T&D) steering committees
has resulted in a project being assigned to SDTDC to re-evaluate the current methods used in capturing field
data for Forest Service Geographic Information Systems (GIS). New hardware and software systems are
being explored that will increase field data collection speed, quality and efficiency.
The main goal of the project was to develop a fully integrated, user friendly and real time system to record
and store field information directly into an on-board computer for vehicles or a portable computer for
information gathering on foot. The project will investigate a real time data capture methodology that will
potentially provide the following benefits:
¥ Improved data quality and provide more complete data.
¥ Improved efficiency and minimized site revisits.
¥ Improved interface to the Forest Service GIS.
¥ Will facilitate the collection of more data more quickly and thus increasing the usefulness of the GIS.
¥ Easier to use user interface that requires less training.
A project advisory committee met in August 1998 to guide the project and help outline a test plan for the
evaluation of several real-time data capture software packages. The evaluations will result in feasibility and
cost/benefit data, comparing the collection of GIS data in real-time utilizing pen-based computer hardware
and mapping/data capture software with conventional methods that use field data recorders (FDR s) and post
processed GPS receivers. Testing will qualitatively evaluate six software packages for integration, feasibility,
power, and ease of use. The project test plan may be viewed or downloaded from the SDTDC Intranet site at
http://fsweb.sdtdc.wo.fs.fed.us/programs/eng/gis/Test_Plan.aw
Project work will continue throughout the remainder of fiscal year 1999 and into fiscal year 2000 to will
possibly customize a selected mapping/data capture application to best suit field needs. These will be based
on the results of field evaluations and the recommendations made by the project advisory committee.
GPS RECEIVERS
Much has been published on GPS technology in the Forest Service. Several such documents produced by
Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC) can be accessed from the MTDC FSWeb site at
http://fsweb.mtdc.wo.fs.fed.us
Or they may be ordered by contacting MTDC at:
Phone: (406) 329-3978,
IBM mail: pubs/wo,mtdc
C/A (Civilian Access) Code Receivers
As the Department of Defense intentionally degrades the C/A code transmission in a process called selective
availability (SA); receivers of this type require differential correction to bring the accuracy into an acceptable
range. This is traditionally done by post processing the data by comparing it to position the data derived from
a base station. All brands of C/A code receivers are equally affected by SA, and without differential correction,
will only be accurate to within 100 meters 95 percent of the time. The current policy approved by President
Clinton in March 1996 provides for the phase out of SA over a ten-year period, but it is expected that this will
occur sooner.
(52 paginas)
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