Course Description

This workshop on timber supply analysis is designed for staff of licensees who are responsible for completion of data packages and analysis of timber supply. Given that licensees will be responsible for overseeing this work and may not be familiar with the key elements of timber supply analysis, the Forest Analysis Branch is sponsoring this 1-day overview course on timber supply analysis for DFAM licensees.

On completion, participants will understand the basic concepts of timber supply and timber supply analysis; will be familiar with the TSR process and the TSR Data Package; and will understand the rudiments of timber supply analysis using the Forest Service Simulator (FSSIM).

This 1-day workshop involves classroom seminars and a hands-on computer exercise with FSSIM. Previous experience with computers or modeling is not required for this course, but familiarity with a current version of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office applications would be helpful.

Course Content

• Context for timber supply analysis (timber supply analysis in British Columbia; applications of timber supply analysis; TSR and AAC determination).
   
• Overview of DFAM process in TSR.
   
• Timber supply concepts (defining timber supply; harvest forecasts; factors influencing timber supply; forest dynamics and timber supply).
   
• Introduction to Timber Supply Modeling (mechanics of modeling timber supply; process of timber supply analysis; demo with a simple model).
   
• Introduction to FSSIM (input files, output files, and reports; what FSSIM does; hands-on mini-analysis with FSSIM).
   
• TSR Data Package (a look at the tables in the Data Package).

Instructions for Course Participants

Reference and Reading Materials

Please download and print all the PDF files. Read the Course Notes before the course begins. Bring the Course Notes, Assignments Handout, and PowerPoint presentation handouts (numbered 1-6) to the course. The AAC Determination References and UBC Jubilee Lecture are very useful and recommended reading, but not absolutely essential for the course. If you are short of time before the course, print and read them afterward.

Course Notes ( 569 Kb)

Assignments Handout ( 483 Kb)

1 - Context (Feb. 2004) ( 167 Kb)

2 - DFAM - TSR (Feb. 2004) ( 140 Kb)

3 - Concepts (Feb. 2004) ( 113 Kb)

4 - Modeling (Feb. 2004) ( 154 Kb)

5 - FSSIM (Feb. 2004) ( 145 Kb)

6 - Data Package (Feb. 2004) ( 255 Kb)

AAC Determination References ( 556 Kb)

UBC Jubilee Lecture 2003 ( 846 Kb)

FSSIM Software - 607 KB

Course participants who will be bringing their own computers to the session should install FSSIM. To do so, please download the file called "FSSIM files.zip" and save it to a folder called "FSSIM" on your computer. Unzip the file, saving all the files into the same FSSIM folder.