Software Requirements
Specification
for
the Analytical Tool for
Inventory and Monitoring
(ATIM)
DRAFT
2/11/2009
Software Requirements Specification for FSVeg Spatial
Page ii
Table of Contents
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... ii
1. Introduction ..............................................................................................................................1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
Purpose ........................................................................................................................................ 1
Document Conventions ............................................................................................................... 1
Intended Audience and Reading Suggestions ............................................................................. 1
Project Scope ............................................................................................................................... 2
Project Documentation ................................................................................................................ 3
2. Overall Description ..................................................................................................................4
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
Product Perspective ..................................................................................................................... 4
Product Features .......................................................................................................................... 4
User Classes and Characteristics ................................................................................................. 5
Operating Environment ............................................................................................................... 6
Design and Implementation Constraints ..................................................................................... 6
User Documentation .................................................................................................................... 7
Assumptions and Dependencies .................................................................................................. 7
3. System Features .......................................................................................................................8
4. External Interface Requirements .........................................................................................16
4.1
User Interfaces........................................................................................................................... 16
5. Other Requirements ..............................................................................................................16
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
Performance Requirements ....................................................................................................... 16
Safety Requirements ................................................................................................................. 16
Security Requirements .............................................................................................................. 16
Software Quality Attributes ...................................................................................................... 17
6. Citations ..................................................................................................................................17
Appendix A: Acronyms ...............................................................................................................18
Appendix B. Glossary ..................................................................................................................20
Appendix C: Analysis Models .....................................................................................................28
Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
1. Introduction
1.1 Purpose
This document contains the software requirements for the Analytical Tool for Inventory and
Monitoring (ATIM). Although the tool will be accessible to the public, this project is focused on
helping Forests and Regions improve inventory and monitoring data analyses by developing a
nationally consistent tool. Initially work will focus on vegetation monitoring, but the plan is to
expand to monitoring other resources where data are collected from plot-based natural resource
samples. Statistically sound estimates of the current status and trends of the vegetation and its
associated attributes are fundamental to: developing Forest Plan components, Forest Plan
monitoring associated with vegetation; monitoring of broad-level incidence and spread of
invasive plant species; monitoring and management of wildlife habitat including cumulative
effects analysis for project level planning; and, monitoring and management of fuels. Adaptive
approaches are needed to address emerging monitoring requirements at the forest and landscape
levels associated with climate change, carbon, biofuels and forest certification.
In order to monitor key components of vegetation diversity, over time, the inventory that is used
to derive current estimates must have the same attributes, at the same locations, remeasured over
a meaningful time period. Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data on forest and nonforest
National Forest lands, where available, and data from similar National Forest inventories provide
statistically-based inventories appropriate to use for broad-level planning and analysis. Unbiased
estimates and confidence intervals can be derived for large landscapes, such as a National Forest.
In addition, since the inventories are a spatially balanced sample across all lands, they can be
associated with various spatial datasets such as ecological section or existing vegetation layers to
describe vegetation characteristics within each map strata.
ATIM would enable the National Forest System (NFS) to analyze inventory data to derive
estimates of current condition for attributes associated with vegetation to meet their information
needs on Forests and surrounding landscapes. The tool would also be used by the Design Tool
for Inventory and Monitoring (DTIM) to evaluate whether existing data are sufficient. If not,
then the information on precision of the estimates would be used by the DTIM to determine
sample sizes needed.
Work is expected to progress iteratively to ensure that ATIM is being built as designed, to be
adaptive to both changing needs and technology, and to minimize investment risk. This software
requirement documentation describes the functionality desired in ATIM. Based on user feedback
from early releases of ATIM and continued user engagement; additional specifications may be
defined as appropriate and as requested.
1.2 Document Conventions
Requirements are numbered REQ-#.# (e.g. REQ-1.3) where the first number represents the
implementation phase and the second number is a sequential number.
1.3 Intended Audience and Reading Suggestions
This document is intended for developers, project managers, team members, testers,
documentation writers, and all interested stakeholders. All acronyms are explained in the text
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
and included in the list of acronyms in the appendix. The glossary (see appendix) includes a
description of some technical terms to accommodate a diverse audience.
Detailed Use Cases are stored in a separate document. To obtain detail on a particular
requirement, refer to the Use Case document which will be accessed via a link similar to:
http://sforge.fs.fed.us/sf/go/doc4518?nav=1
1.4 Project Scope
The intent of ATIM is to provide the NFS with a consistent application that can read, compile,
query, and analyze statistically-based vegetative inventory data such as FIA and other regional
inventories. ATIM will also link to spatial data that can be used in the compiling and analysis of
the data as well as produce map products directly or via ArcGIS. It will be able to integrate with
FACTS (Forest Service Activities Tracking System) to identify changes that occurred since the
time of inventory. It will also be able to provide information needed by DTIM to help determine
appropriate sample sizes. It will not be dependent on any other application and it will run within
the Forest Service computing environment. The scope does not include the gathering or loading
of data.
The application will need to handle the data features of both FSVeg (Field Sampled Vegetation)
and FIADB databases. Since not all attributes/requirements currently exist in either FSVeg or
FIADB, discussions will be held to accommodate the necessary changes.
A later phase may include the ability to link to other Regional and Corporate datasets such as
those in NRIS (National Resource Information System) where co-located inventory data may be
found. A schematic of ATIM is given below. A more detailed version is given in the Appendix.
ATIM
FACTS
Tabular
Query
Reports/
Results
FSVeg/FIADB
Spatial
data
Data
Query
Compile
DTIM
Spatial
products
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
1.5 Project Documentation
All documents related to this project are stored in Source Forge and can be accessed via the
following link:
http://sforge.fs.fed.us/sf/docman/do/listDocuments/projects.nris_fsveg_spatial/docman.root
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
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2. Overall Description
2.1 Product Perspective
ATIM provides a tool for all NFS Regions to consistently analyze their vegetation inventory
data. Currently NFS has no national application to address that need. ATIM is a way for all of
NFS to consistently interface with inventory and monitoring data, to produce estimates with
confidence intervals, and associated map-based products. Some Regions and FIA have
developed tools to meet their specific needs. In creating a national application, ATIM may
incorporate features of those applications to best meet the needs of all Regions.
Information Needs
FIA and Other Data
Sources
Design Tool
Forest Plan
Monitoring Guide
Plot List
Computed Variable
Protocols
List of Tables
Protocol Sample
Database
Data
Recorder
Field Data
Compilation
Tool
FSVeg and/or
FIADB
Spatial Data
Analysis
Tool
Results for Forest
Planning or
Cumulative Effects
Figure 1 depicts the association between ATIM and DTIM, plus Portable Data Recorder and
Data Compilation software.
2.2 Product Features


Interface to query the inventory and monitoring (I&M) data.
Link with Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS)
Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
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Library to store and share queries.
Ability to select multiple queries and run in batch mode.
Interface to intersect the I&M data with spatial data to subset the data for analysis and for
creating mapped products. The interface will include editing features to correctly identify
plots near polygon boundaries, since there are locational errors in both the I&M data and the
spatial data layers.
Interface to create tables of estimates with associated confidence intervals (or sampling
errors). This will include the ability to customize the tables in various ways.
Interface to create mapped products based on the estimates, whether or not a map was used to
subset the data.
Linked to DTIM to assist it in identifying inventory and monitoring needs. ATIM should be
able to accept a list of tables to produce from DTIM. ATIM should then be able to return
estimates and their associated precision back to DTIM.
Ability to integrate with other applications
Supporting documentation and training materials.
2.3 User Classes and Characteristics
Resource Specialists: Use ATIM to query, interpret, analyze and understand the vegetation data
as it relates to specific resource issues associated with one or more Forest units. Consistency in
documenting vegetation estimates and associated uncertainty can strengthen monitoring reports,
assessments and project planning and analysis (needs for change, potential management
practices, Purpose & Need, Effects Analysis, and Specialist Reports). When working with
ATIM, resource specialists should coordinate with the designated inventory and geospatial
specialist to ensure specific information needs are met.
Planners and Analysts: Use ATIM to analyze current conditions in order to evaluate alternative
future courses of action for a Region, Forest, landscape or other land area. Estimates of current
status and trends and evaluations of uncertainty, threats and risks derived by ATIM meet
requirements of FSH 1909.12, Chaps. 40 (Ecological Sustainability, including Ecosystem
Diversity and Species Diversity) and 60 (Forest Vegetation Resource Planning, including yield
tables). They also support valid hypothesis tests comparing current condition to Desired
Condition as a basis for adaptive management, systematize reporting and analysis for monitoring
reports including the Comprehensive Evaluation Report, and assist with calibrating state and
transition models used for generating forecasts. When working with ATIM, planners and
analysts should coordinate with the designated inventory and geospatial specialist to ensure
specific information needs are met.
Geographic Information System (GIS) Specialists: Uses ATIM information when deriving broad
and mid-level existing vegetation spatial databases as per classification and mapping tech guide
standards. ATIM also assists with spatial requirements when using grid intensification software.
Forest Service Cooperators: Use ATIM to query, interpret, analyze and understand the
vegetation data as it relates to specific resource issues, as per terms of the agreements.
Interested Public: Use ATIM to query, interpret, analyze and understand the vegetation data as it
relates to specific resource issues.
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
In addition there are maintenance and support roles and responsibilities:
Regional Specialists: Maintain the point spatial layer associated with FIA and intensified grid
locations, as well as Regional spatial layer(s) in Oracle SDE that are associated with the
inventory point layer in order to subset the data for analysis by ATIM and for creating map
products using ATIM results. Regional specialists also oversee classifications and specific
algorithms incorporated into ATIM to meet Regional and Forest information needs. Other
Regional Inventory Specialist responsibilities include:
•
•
•
•
•
Working with FIA Region on an annual basis to update point locations in regards to FIA
plots;
Ensuring that all employees within the Region who have access to FIA plot locations
have confidentiality agreements signed on an annual basis;
Reviewing data for accuracy; archiving information that is no longer from current
inventory, modifying ownership status as needed, and informing FIA Regional contact of
any changes;
Providing technical expertise on inventory data available in Region and appropriate uses
thereof;
Providing training and technical transfer, as needed.
Forest Specialists: Work with Regional specialist to ensure that needed classification algorithms
are available in ATIM, and work with Forest and Region Geospatial specialists to ensure that
needed spatial datasets are available within ATIM.
2.4 Operating Environment
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Operate in a Data Center environment (National Information Technology Center – NITC)
Back end Oracle servers (Linux or similar Operating System)
Citrix farm to serve the client interface
PC Windows operating system on the client
Wide area network (WAN)
ArcGIS
Other Forest Service Natural Resource Applications (FSNRAs) will coexist in this
environment
2.5 Design and Implementation Constraints
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Access to a development and testing environment as specified in 2.4 above (needed to
progress according to schedule)
Difficulty in implementing national architectural standards (e.g. look and feel, shared
components)
Difficulty in implementing security standards (Certification and Accreditation)
Data access constraints
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
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Network performance
E-Authentication difficulties
Software versions of key commercial products (e.g. Oracle, Access, Java, .Net) are not
available
Migration and customization issues of existing Regional systems
National data and software policies
Unknown issues with the backup and server management procedures
Regional or local inventory and monitoring data and spatial data practices that do not fit well
with this project
Full understanding of the limitations and/or capabilities of NITC (e.g. commercial software
updates and ATIM updates)
Integrate with other FSNRAs (and other National Forest System applications), such as
FSVeg, FSVeg Spatial, FACTS, and Geospatial Interface Tool.
2.6 User Documentation
User Guide instructions will be available for ATIM. On-line help, if used, will be implemented
via Robo Help. In addition, training materials will be available for use in Forest Service training
sessions.
All user documentation components will comply with FSNRA documentation standards.
Documentation includes a User Guide and training materials. Documentation and training
materials will be available on the web.
Documentation will include instructions on how to obtain and install client software. This will
include a list of all software and/or hardware prerequisites and instructions on how to obtain
missing prerequisites. It will also include instructions on obtaining, installing, and quick
checking the new software.
2.7 Assumptions and Dependencies
Assumptions that have direct impact on the requirements are:
1. The NITC Data Center is established and reliably maintained (e.g. backups, adequate
capacity, contain version management, tuned for top performance).
2. ArcMap performs adequately in the Data Center/Citrix environment.
3. Spatial data are stored in a geodatabase (Spatial Data Engine – SDE) with appropriate
connections to ATIM’s database (FSVeg or FIADB).
4. Geospatial Interface (GI) or other tool is available or can be readily developed to connect
the I&M and spatial data.
5. User interface design complies with FSNRA interface standards.
6. All I&M data are stored in FSVeg or FIADB (preferably just one).
7. All data have been checked for errors using Portable Data Recorder software and during
loading and compilation in the Oracle database.
8. The FIA program will load and maintain data sets in NIMS as well as FSVeg, as per
NFS-FIA MOU.
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
9. The data will be available in FSVeg within 6 months after field season.
10. Census Water plots are included in the database – but may or may not be used in the
analysis.
11. NFS can negotiate with the FIA program to load and maintain data sets in NIMS as well
as FSVeg for certain periodic inventories.
12. The Regions will also be responsible for defining and maintaining the Predefined/Corporate spatial data identified see REQ-1.1.
13. NFS Regions will load and maintain regional data sets in FSVeg.
14. Population values (estimation units, sampling design, and strata) are made available as
part of the data.
15. FIA is responsible for developing mid-point diameter growth models for mortality and
removal trees.
3. System Features
Phase I Requirements:
REQ-1.1:
REQ-1.2:
REQ-1.3:
REQ-1.4:
REQ-1.5:
Data Access Capability
Process (Compile) Data
Query Tabular Data
Query Data to Process Estimates
Administrator Management Capabilities
Phase II Requirements:
Note: This is not a final list of requirements for Phase II. Requirements may be added or
removed.
REQ-2.1: ??
Phase I Requirements:
REQ-1.1: Data Access Capability
Requirement:
• Access different design-based inventory datasets.
• Access spatial datasets which are used for selecting an area of interest and for determining
its area, categories (spatial attributes), and/or post-stratification.
• Document the database
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
Specifications:
•
ATIM must be able to access different design-based inventory datasets. For an example of a
design-based database, see FIADB’s documentation (http://fia.fs.fed.us/library/databasedocumentation/).
o In order to be able to compute estimates with associated sampling errors, a designbased inventory must be used. For more information, see Bechtold and Patterson
(2005). The definition of “design-based” includes:
 Sampling is random or spatially balanced to ensure an even sample across the
population.
 Known and positive probabilities of selection for all sampling units in the
population
 Metadata provided describing the sampling methods
o FIA - annual data. The annual inventory began in some states in 1999. The methods
are described in Bechtold and Patterson (2005) and in FIA field guides:
http://www.fia.fs.fed.us/library/field-guides-methods-proc/. Data for NFS lands and
surrounding lands will be included. The annual inventory contains several kinds of
data:
 Core – collected on all plots in the same manner across the country
 Core Optional – FIA units can optionally collect these data, but when
collected, they are collected in the same manner
 Phase 2 – data associated with timber-focused plots (one plot per 6,000 ac).
This may include some lite versions of Phase 3 data, such as down woody
material and veg.
 Phase 3 – data associated with the forest health plots (one per 96,000 ac).
This may include crowns, down woody material, soils, lichens, understory
vegetation, and ozone (it is collected on a different plot network).
 Regional Add-ons – attributes that are defined and collected across a single
FIA unit. This may include some lite versions of Phase 3 data, such as down
woody material and veg.
 Sub-regional Add-ons and Special Studies – attributes that are defined and
collected across a special area with an FIA unit, such as for a single State,
NFS Region or National Forest.
 All Conditions – attributes collected regardless of whether the plot is forested.
Typically this is a National Forest add-on for nonforest vegetation.
 Intensifications – situation where partners have paid to increase the sample
size for a State or ownership (e.g., NFS or State Forests).
o FIA - periodic data. Prior to the annual inventory in each State, all FIA data were
collected in 1-3 years (a snapshot) then not collected again for 5-15 years. These data
were much less consistent nationally than annual data. Often only the most recent
periodic data are available for most States.
 Standard data collected according to Regional FIA protocols used at the time.
o Regional Datasets. Some Regions have some data similar to that collected by FIA,
such as Region 6’s CVS, plus other inventories in R1 and R5.
 Regionally standard data including the description of probabilistic sampling
and plot design (needed for statistical estimation)
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring

•
•
If there are co-located inventory data, for example, wildlife sampling or
additional vegetation information, then need to provide the ability to link to
other Regional and Corporate datasets, such as TERRA or WILDLIFE. This
is desired, but not required at this time.
o Database and tools can handlecan store temporally or spatially overlapping datasets.
o Database and tools can handle store mid-cycle updatesremeasurements.
Access spatial datasets which are used for selecting an area of interest and for determining its
area, categories (spatial attributes), and/or for post-stratification.
o Use pre-defined/Corporate layers
o Allow for user-defined polygons as long as they use corporate content and geospatial
standards.
o Need to develop and apply Business Rules, such as accuracy standards and map scale.
o Need to adhere to the law and policies relating to the use of confidential data
regarding plot ownership and location (coordinates). How and where to store FIA vs.
intensified coordinates in a nationally defined standard? How will FIA distribute and
update plot locations over time?
o Allow the user to intersect plots (and optionally mapped subplots) with standard
spatial layers to store spatial attributes, strata, and estimation units. Need to address
the spatial accuracy issue. May not be able to have the Tool enforce these and to
identify inconsistencies, such as ownership. ATIM should be able to buffer plots,
then allow the user to check all plots manually that include multiple conditions within
the buffer. Plots will also move over time. Need to repeat for each major layer, such
as ownership (Estimation Units), intensified strata, and existing Veg. Might not need
to (or be able to) update these annually. Provide instructions on how to manage this
process.
Document the database – for example, see the FIADB documentation
(http://fia.fs.fed.us/library/database-documentation/) or for FSVeg
(http://fsweb.nris.fs.fed.us/products/FSVeg/documentation.shtml).
REQ-1.2: Process (Compile) Data
Requirement:
• Integrate with other applications to link the plot coordinates with standard layers to store
spatial attributes in the database.
• Using the stored data from above, calculate and store derived variables.
• Summarize field and derived data to Subplot/Condition and Plot levels.
• Store metadata for each of the items above.
• Integrate with other applications by providing data to them.
• Document Process.
Specifications:
• Integrate with other applications to link the plot coordinates with standard layers to store
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
spatial attributes in the database.
o Access spatial datasets which are used temporarily for selecting an area of interest and
for determining its area, categories (spatial attributes), and/or post-stratification.
 Must accept pre-defined, corporate layers, such as FACTS and ALP.
 Accepts user-defined polygons as long as they use corporate content and
geospatial standards.
 Need to apply Business Rules, such as accuracy standards and map scale.
 Intersect plots with standard layers to store spatial attributes, strata, and
estimation units.
• ATIM should be able to buffer plots, then allow the user to manually
check all plots that include multiple conditions within the buffer.
• Allow user to query data to identify any plots outside the polygon that
might belong to the area of interest, such as using the Administrative
Forest Code, to identify NFS plots with coordinates outside the NFS
boundary.
• This process will be repeated for each layer.
• Provide instructions on how to manage this process.
o Link plots spatially and temporally with spatial layers to assist in assessing change.
 Identify those plots that have changed since the time of inventory (harvest,
fire, hurricane, tornado, land exchange).
 Need to be able to synchronize a plot with a specific image date. Mostly this
would be on the fly, but also want to be able to update data based on known
change, such as land exchange. Else can add new field indicating the change,
such as burn year.
 Be able to handle post-disturbance measurements (midcycle). Requirements
will need to be developed to determine how subsequent on-cycle
measurements are handled, such as trees being reconciled to the previous full
measurement rather than to the mid-cycle measurement.
o Store results of previous steps at the plot level (and/or subplot/condition level) for
later use.
o Be able to integrate with other NFS analysis tools, such as GI.
• Calculate and store derived variables using the field data. This is either done once or on
the fly with a user-supplied routine (see REQ-1.4). Must be able to store the results so that
the calculations can be validated, and re-used for efficiency.
o When data are available, summarize and store data for:
 Tree
• Size classes
• Biomass
• Volumes
• Live/Dead
• Etc.
 Down Woody Material
• Pieces
• Size class
• Fuel (tons) by fuel class
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
• Biomass
• Volumes
• Perhaps combine log results with snag data
• Etc.
 Soils
• Universal Soil Loss Equation
• Etc.
 Lichens
• Species richness
• Etc.
 Vegetation/Invasive Plants
• Species Richness
• Etc.
 Ground cover
• Litter layer carbon
• Etc.
• Summarize field and derived data to Subplot/Condition and Plot levels. Caution should be
used when summarizing metrics since plots are often not in a single condition. Metrics, such
as basal area/ac, can be expanded to the subplot or condition level based on their portion of
the plot or based on their contribution to the plot total.
o Summarize at domain (aka stratum) level for small area estimation purposes, such as
has been done in R5. A “domain” as used here is any subset of the data for which the
area is known from a map. Examples of summary data uses include:
 Characterizing map classes
 Estimates for modeling, such as for habitat models
 Estimates for mapping with small area estimators, such as for fuels modeling.
• Synthetic estimation using domain/strata means (as described above)
• Nearest Neighbor methods.
o Summarize subplot/condition data
 Classes (dominance, habitat, etc.)
 Summary tables such as by species and diameter class
 Volume
 FVS summary attributes
 Hazard ratings
 Etc.
o Summarize plot data
 Classes (dominance, habitat, etc)
 Summary tables
 Volume
 FVS summary attributes
 Hazard ratings
 Etc.
• Store metadata for each of the items above.
o Create associated metadata for any new data added or modified and for any new fields
created.
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
•
Need to figure out where any additional summary tables and fields are stored – temporary,
FSVeg, FSVeg Spatial, or Oracle-SDE with links to the plot file. FSVeg is not yet ready to
handle hierarchal inventory data and estimation.
• Identify where population and post-stratification information will be stored. FIADB stores
this information in table names starting with “POP.”
• Integrate with other applications by providing data to them
o Ensure that ATIM can export tabular and spatial data in formats that can be used by
the other tools.
• Document the process of intersecting plots and spatial layers and storing the spatial
attributes.
o Write users guide including a glossary (such as the one in the Appendix).
o Create metadata for data stored in database, including a data dictionary with the
algorithms and functions used. See FGDC metadata requirements for spatial data.
o Create and keep current an update log.
o Create a log file for each on-the-fly run containing a variety of information, including
the version of the program, database, query and on-the-fly functions.
o Look for means of making similar queries run quickly, such as creating checks to see
if the query is being run under the same conditions.
REQ-1.3: Query Tabular Data
Requirement:
• Query tabular data to view individual or groups of records of interest.
Specifications:
• Identify records of interest using simple query tools, such as MS Access.
• Export data to user-friendly databases, such as MS Access.
• Allow the user to display the results using (fuzzed) plot locations (e.g., dots on a map).
Access to actual vs. fuzzed locations is user dependent (see REQ-1.5) based on level of
permission. Within NFS, generally the selection will be based on actual coordinates.
Display of actual point locations should be rare and role-based.
• Document the process of how to query the data and produce a map of the locations of the
selected data.
o Provide users guide.
o Create a log file for each on-the-fly run containing a variety of information, including
the version of the program, database, query and on-the-fly functions.
o Consider creating checks to see if the query is being run under the same conditions.
REQ-1.4: Query Data to Process Estimates
Requirement:
• Perform a spatial query
• Run batch files
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
• Display query results
• Document, save and share queries
Specifications:
• Perform a spatial query to identify the population of interest.
o Use the same process to intersect plots and spatial layers as described in REQ-1.2,
however, the results (list of plots, area by estimation units and strata, and spatial
attributes of the plots) will be stored temporarily for on-the-fly estimation.
o Use commercial-of-the-shelf (COTS) software, such as ArcMAP or Oracle-SDE, to
perform spatial queries.
• Perform a query to estimate tables of values
o Allow user to specify the population of interest by sub-setting the data, such as by
State, National Forest, or ecoregion (a tabular version of the spatial query above).
o Using either the spatial or tabular means of identifying the population of interest,
allow the user to specify the output tables to estimate.
o Output tables will be defined by a metric (continuous) variable and 1, 2 or 3
categorical attributes (row, column, and page).
• Run batch files
o Allow user to create and store multiple queries
o Allow user to be able to string queries together and submit them
• Calculate Estimates
o Use FIA estimation procedures (Scott et al. 2005).
o Display error estimates (options to display confidence intervals/sampling
errors/variances and selectable confidence levels, 1- or 2-tailed) for each cell in the
output tables. Allow for simple random sampling, stratified random sampling, double
sampling for stratification, and post-stratified estimation. Unequal probability
sampling of plots within strata is not within the scope of this project.
o Accommodate variable weights due to intensification of the sample.
o Need to be sensitive to producing consistent results between FIA and NFS, such as
using the same estimation units and compilation functions.
o Handle subsets of plots based on attributes observed, such as P2, P2-Invasives, and
P3 (Bechtold and Patterson 2005).
o Make estimates from temporally or spatially overlapping datasets.
o Make estimates from mid-cycle remeasurements.
• Conduct Trend Analysis
o Currently, FIA estimation procedures (Scott et al. 2005) assume all panels are
equivalent (temporally indifferent).
o Provision should be made for handling two or more measurement cycles.
o Need further assistance from FIA’s Techniques Research Band on specifying the
estimation methods for trends.
o Allow a combination of annual and periodic data during first annual cycle. That is,
during the first annual cycle, not all annual panels will have been measured (e.g.,
perhaps only the first 4 of 10 panels were measured). If some of the unmeasured
panels are composed of plots from the previous periodic survey, then it may make
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
•
•
•
•
sense to use those panels of periodic plots to improve the precision of the current
estimate. Changes in plot design must be accounted for.
Display query results
o Allow the user to display the data that was selected or the SQL that was used to select
it.
o Display the estimates and associated sampling errors. Allow the use to select from
one of several output formats, such as HTML, CSV (comma separated values), and
PDF.
o Display maps of metric ranges for map units, such as Counties or strata. Allow the
user to specify the ranges and colors. Allow the user to select from one of several
output formats, including HTML, PDF, and ArcMap.
Document, save and share queries
o Allow user to create a description of each query and the whole batch file
o Allow user to save the queries and share them with others using a library or via email.
Build library of queries and filters. Need to develop naming standards. Libraries would be
developed at following levels based on their user profile:
o National
o Regional
o Local
Document the process of querying the data to produce estimates and mapped output .
o Write users guide.
o Create a log file for each on-the-fly run containing a variety of information, including
the version of the program, database, query and on-the-fly functions. Consider
creating checks to see if the query is being run under the same conditions.
REQ-1.5: Administrator Management Capabilities
Requirement:
• Create and maintain profiles
• Develop and enforce rules for each Profile level
• Need to address data management for the source database, the summary data, additional
data fields, and any temporary files.
• Ensure that the public does not have access to secure information (actual coordinates and
ownership data)
• Manage multiple dataset versions
Specifications:
• Create and maintain user profiles for various roles (see Use Cases) and for the following
categories:
o Public
o Cooperators
o Other Agencies
o Local
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
•
•
•
•
o Regional
Develop and enforce rules for each Profile level
Need to address data management for the source database, the summary data, additional
data fields, and any temporary files.
Ensure that the public and most users do not have access to secure information (actual
coordinates and ownership data). See REQ-1.3 for statements on the use of actual
coordinates.
Manage multiple dataset versions
o Need to be able to create snapshots of databases in time, so can ensure the team
developing a project, such as a Forest Plan, are using the same data over time.
o Need to address updates to NFS database vs. FIA’s version depending on which
databases are used.
Phase II Requirements:
Note: There are many To Be Determined (TBD) items in Phase II. The intent is to capture the
main points of the requirements in this section, and fill in the specifics at a later date.
4. External Interface Requirements
4.1 User Interfaces
The application will be developed according to the NRIS User Interface Standards. Detailed
information about these standards can be found at:
http://fsweb.nris.fs.fed.us/Standards_and_References/User_Interface_Standards/index.sht
ml
5. Other Requirements
5.1 Performance Requirements
- Ability to operate this system in a reasonable (TBD) amount of time
5.2 Safety Requirements
There are no known safety requirements
5.3 Security Requirements

Keberos
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring



E-Authorization
This project does not access or manipulate sensitive data.
This project conforms to the agency Computer Security Rules of Behavior which can be
found at:
http://fsweb.nris.fs.fed.us/rulesofbehavior.shtml
5.4 Software Quality Attributes
There are no additional software quality attributes.
6. Citations
BECHTOLD, W.A. and P.L. PATTERSON. 2005. The enhanced Forest Inventory and Analysis
program--national sampling design and estimation procedures. General Technical Report SRS80. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Asheville, NC.
85 p. http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/20371.
SCOTT, C.T., W.A. BECHTOLD, G.A. REAMS, W.D. SMITH, J.A. WESTFALL, M.H.
HANSEN, and G.G. MOISEN. 2005. Sample-based estimators used by the Forest Inventory and
Analysis National Information Management System. Pages 43-67 in Bechtold, W.A. and P.L.
Patterson, eds. The enhanced Forest Inventory and Analysis program--national sampling design
and estimation procedures. USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, General Technical
Report SRS-80, Asheville, NC. http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/20371. Also
http://srsfia2.fs.fed.us/publicweb/statistics_band/stat_documents.htm
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
Appendix A: Acronyms
ALP
Automated Lands Project
ATIM
Analytical Tool for Inventory and Monitoring
COTS
commercial-of-the-shelf
CVS
current vegetation survey
DFC
desired future conditions
DTIM
Design Tool for Inventory and Monitoring
FIA
Forest Inventory and Analysis
FIADB
FIA’s database
FIDO
FIA Forest Inventory Data Online
FGDC
Federal Geographic Data Committee
FSNRAs Forest Service Natural Resource Applications
FVS
Forest Vegetation Simulator
GI
Geospatial Interface
GIS
Geographic Information System
I&M
Inventory and Monitoring
MOU
Memorandum of Understanding
NIMS
National Information Management System
NFS
National Forest System
NITC
National Information Technology Center
NRCS
Natural Resource Conservation Service
NRIS
National Resource Information System
OCIO
Office of the Chief Information Officer
R1
Region 1, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Region
R2
Region 2, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region
R3
Region 3, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southwestern Region
R4
Region 4, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Region
R5
Region 5, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
R6
Region 6, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region
R8
Region 8, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Region
R9
Region 9, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Eastern Region
R10
Region 10, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Alaska Region
NRS
Northern Research Station
SRS
Southern Research Station
RMRS
Rocky Mountain Research Station
PNW
Pacific Northwest Research Station
PSW
Pacific Southwest Research Station
TBD
To be determined
WAN
Wide area network
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
Appendix B. Glossary
For some terms, one or more definitions are given, and often more than one is in common usage.
accuracy The degree to which a measured quantity approaches the true value of what is being
measured (Lincoln et al. 1998).
analytical (1) Of or relating to analysis or analytics. (2) Separating into elemental parts or basic
principles. (3) Reasoning from a perception of the parts and interrelations of a subject. (Webster
1984).
association A physiognomically uniform group of existing vegetation stands that share
dominant overstory and understory species. These occur as repeatable patterns across the
landscape (adapted from FGDC 1997).
attribute A discrete or continuous variable, usually associated with the classification or
measurement of area or vegetation (Bechtold, Patterson 2005).
business needs Ongoing tasks related to a particular business or project and the information
and other support contributing to the completion of these tasks (Brohman and Bryant 2005).
basal area/ac The cross-sectional area of a single stem, including the bark, measured at breast
height (4.5 ft or 1.37 m above the ground) per acre (adapted from Helms 1998).
biofuels
The fuel component of biomass (adapted from Helms 1998).
biomass (1) Ecology the total dry organic matter at a given time of living organisms of one or
more species per unit area (species biomass) or of all the species in the community (community
biomass). (2) The living or dead weight of organic matter in a tree, stand, or forest in units such
as living or dead weight, wet or dry weight, ash-free weight, etc. (3) Harvesting the wood
product obtained (usually) from in-woods chipping of all or some portion of trees including
limbs, tops, and unmerchantable stems, usually for energy production (Helms 1998).
biosystem Ecosystem q.v. (Lincoln et al. 1998).
biota
The total flora and fauna of a given area; bios (Lincoln et al. 1998).
biotope (1) The smallest geographical unit of the biosphere or of a habitat that can be delimited
by convenient boundaries and is characterized by its biota. (2) The location of a parasite within
the host’s body (Lincoln et al. 1998).
buffer (1) A vegetation strip or management zone of varying size, shape, and character
maintained along a stream, lake, road, recreation site, or different vegetative zone to mitigate the
impacts of actions on adjacent lands, to enhance aesthetic values, or as a best management
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
practice— synonym buffer strip, buffer zone. (2) GIS a zone of a specified distance around
features (Helms 1998).
Citrix Software that enables organizations to securely access Windows-based line-of-business
applications over the Internet with just a Web browser. The software makes centrally maintained
information and applications easy to update and retrieve from just about anywhere.
classification (1) The process of grouping similar entities into named types or classes based on
shared characteristics. (2) The grouping of similar types (in this case, vegetation) according to
criteria (in this case, physiognomic and floristic) that are considered significant for this specific
purpose. The rules for classification must be clarified before the types are identified in the
classification standard. The classification methods should be clear, precise, quantitative where
possible, and based on objective criteria so that the outcome will be the same no matter who
developed the definition (or description). Classification by definition involves definition of class
boundaries (FGDC 1997, citing UN-EP/FAO 1995).
coordinates In mapping, pairs of numbers that express horizontal distances along orthogonal
axes; or, triplets of numbers measuring horizontal and vertical distances (FGDC 1998).
dataset Collection of related data. See also geospatial data (USDA Forest Service 2004).
desired future condition (DFC) A description of the land or resource conditions that are
believed necessary if goals and objectives are fully achieved (Helms 1998)
down woody material Dead pieces of wood > 3.0 inches in diameter. Down woody material
includes downed, dead tree and shrub boles, large limbs, and other woody pieces that are severed
from their original source of growth or are leaning more than 45 degrees from vertical (Bechtold,
Patterson 2005).
dominance The extent to which a given species has a strong influence in a community because
of its size, abundance, or coverage. Strong dominance affects the fitness of associated species
(adapted from Lincoln et al. 1998).
E-Authentication USDA e-Authentication account identification consists of a User ID, a
password, and a customer profile that enables one to access a range of USDA applications. It
provides the convenience of transacting business with USDA online, anytime, anywhere.
ecoregion A contiguous geographic area having a relatively uniform macroclimate, possibly
with several vegetation types, and used as an ecological basis for management or planning
(Helms 1998).
ecosystem A complete interacting system of organisms and their environment (USDA Forest
Service 1991).
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
evaluation The comparison of dynamic sampling results to management objectives consisting
of predetermined standards, expected norms, threshold values, and/or trigger points (Brohman
and Bryant 2005).
Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) An interagency committee, organized in 1990
under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-16 that promotes the
coordinated use, sharing, and dissemination of geospatial data on a national basis. The FGDC is
composed of representatives from 17 Cabinet-level and independent Federal agencies (USDA
Forest Service 2004).
GeoDB An ArcGIS geodatabase is a collection of geographic datasets of various types held in a
common file system folder, a Microsoft Access database, or a multiuser relational database (such
as Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, or IBM DB2).
geographic information system (GIS) The term frequently applied to geographically oriented
computer technology. In its broadest sense, GIS is a system for capturing, storing, checking,
manipulating, analyzing, and displaying data that are spatially referenced to the Earth (Lachowski
et al. 1996).
geospatial data Information that identifies the geographic location and characteristics of
natural or constructed features and boundaries on the earth. This information may be derived
from remote sensing, mapping, and surveying technologies (FGDC 1998).
Geospatial Interface (GI) Geospatial Interface (GI) is an ArcMap extension that helps
resource specialist’s work efficiently with ArcMap by providing tools which simplify loading
data and providing various custom products to display and output data.
grid (1) A set of grid cells forming a regular, or nearly regular, tessellation of a surface. (2) Set
of points arrayed in a pattern that forms a regular, or nearly regular, tessellation of a surface. The
tessellation is regular if formed by repeating the pattern of a regular polygon, such as a square,
equilateral triangle, or regular hexagon. The tessellation is nearly regular if formed by repeating
the pattern of an “almost” regular polygon such as a rectangle, nonsquare-parallelogram, or
nonequilateral triangle (FGDC 1998).
habitat (1) The combination of environmental or site conditions and ecological processes
influencing a plant community (Jennings et al. 2004). (2) Area or type of environment in which
an organism or population normally lives or occurs (Brohman and Bryant 2005).
holocoen
Holocenosis q.v.; ecosystem q.v. (Lincoln et al. 1998).
holocenosis The concept of the environment or an ecosystem as a single integrated, coherent
comples in which all parts interact (Lincoln et al. 1998).
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
interface computers A hardware and software link that connects two computer systems, or a
computer and its peripherals, for data communication (Helms 1998).
invasive species A species that is 1) non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration
and 2) whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm
to human health. Invasive species can be plants, animals, and other organisms (e.g., microbes).
Human actions are the primary means of invasive species introductions (NISIC 2006).
inventory The systematic acquisition, analysis, and organization of resource information
needed for planning and implementing land management (adapted from USDA NRCS 1997).
iterative (1) Marked by or involving repetition. (2) math of, relating to, or being a
computational procedure to produce a desired result by replication of a series of operations that
successively better approximates the desired result (Webster 1984).
lichen A composite organism formed from the symbiotic association of a true fungus and an
alga (Helms 1998).
litter The surface layer of the forest floor that is not in an advanced stage of decomposition,
usually consisting of freshly fallen leaves, needles, twigs, stems, bark, and fruits (Helms 1998).
map (1) A spatial representation, usually graphic on a flat surface, of spatial phenomena
(FGDC 1998). (2) A representation, usually on a plane surface, of a region of the Earth or
heavens (Robinson et al.1978).
map scale The extent of reduction required to display a portion of the Earth’s surface on a
map; defined as a ratio of distances between corresponding points on the map and on the ground
(Robinson et al. 1978). Scale indirectly determines the information content and size of the area
being represented. The mapping scale is determined by the agency’s business needs and the
characteristics of the data obtained for the project area. Maps generated from digital imagery can
appropriately be displayed at a range of scales (Brohman and Bryant 2005).
map unit A collection of features defined and named the same in terms of their vegetation
characteristics (USDA Soil Survey Division Staff 1993). Each map unit differs in some respect
from all others in a geographic extent. Map units are differentiated in map unit design and
defined in a map unit description. Design of map units generalizes the taxonomic units present to
the smallest set that (1) meets the objectives of the map, and (2) is feasible to delineate with
available resources and technology (Brohman and Bryant 2005).
media The physical devices used to record, store, and (or) transmit data (FGDC 1998).
metadata Refers to “data about data”; describes the content, quality, condition, and other
characteristics of a given set of data. Its purpose is to provide information about a dataset or
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
some larger data holdings to data catalogues, clearinghouses, and users. Metadata is intended to
provide a capability for organizing and maintaining an institution’s investment in data to provide
information for the application and interpretation of data received through a transfer from an
external source (Jennings et al. 2004, as modified from FGDC 1997).
modeling In reference to geospatial data, the process of creating a new GIS layer by combining
or operating on existing layers. Modeling creates images) that contain several types of
information comprising several GIS variables; e.g., a scene may be considered in terms of its
vegetation, elevation, water, and climate at the same time (Lachowski et al. 1996).
monitoring (1) The systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of resource data to
evaluate progress toward meeting management objectives (adapted from SRM 1989). (2) The
collection and analysis of resource data to measure changes in the amounts, spatial distribution,
or condition of resource types or parameters over time (Brohman and Bryant 2005).
nearest neighbor (neighbour) method A method of plotless sampling of populations in which
the distance is measured from an individual (chosen on the basis of its proximity to a randomly
selected point) to its nearest neighbour, and the procedure repeated; population density estimates
can be based on these measurements as for example, by the formula m=1/4r2 where m is the mean
density per unit area and r is the mean distance between nearest neighbours (Lincoln et el. 1998).
National Information Technology Center (NITC) Is part of the Office of the Chief
Information Officer (OCIO) for the USDA. The mission of NITC is to provide reliable and costeffective Information Technology Solutions to achieve effective mission performance delivery
for the USDA, its agencies, and others.
physiognomic class A level in the classification hierarchy defined by the relative percent
canopy cover of the tree, shrub, dwarf shrub, herb, and nonvascular life-form in the uppermost
strata during the peak of the growing season (FGDC 1997).
post-stratification
(see stratification).
A statistical tool used to sort existing plots into a particular stratification
Robo Help A software program that assists in implementing on-line customer help by linking
directly to the appropriate part of the electronic User Guide.
SDE ESRI interface between RDBMS and the ESRI line of GIS display systems, including
ArcGIS, ArcGIS Engine, ArcGIS Server, and ArcIMS. SDE works with a type of data called
FEATURES and RASTERS contained in GeoDataBases, in comparison with previous ESRI
architectures of COVERAGES or SHAPEFILES that represented points, lines and polygons, and
GRIDS that represented surfaces.
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
spatial data Data that record the geographic location and shape of geographic features and
their spatial relationships to other features (USDA Forest Service 2004).
species In biological classification, the category below genus and above the level of subspecies
and variety; the basic unit of biological classification (adapted from Lincoln et al. 1998).
strata Nonoverlapping subdivisions of the population such that each primary sampling unit is
assigned to one and only one subdivision (or stratum). The relative sizes of these strata are used
to compute strata weights (Bechtold, Patterson 2005).
stratification A statistical tool used to reduce the variance of the attributes of interest by
partitioning the population into homogenous strata. It may also involve partitioning a highly
variable but small portion of the population (Bechtold, Patterson 2005).
stratum In general, one of a series of layers, levels, or gradations in an ordered system. In the
natural environment, the term is used in the sense of (1) a region of sea, atmosphere, or geology
that is distinguished by natural or arbitrary limits, or (2) a layer of vegetation, usually of the same
or similar height (adapted from FGDC 1998).
tabular data Data that describe things using characters and numbers formatted in columns and
rows (USDA Forest Service 2004).
trees Woody plants that generally have a single main stem and have more or less definite
crowns. In instances where life form cannot be determined, woody plants at least 5 meters in
height are considered trees (FGDC 1997).
understory All forest vegetation growing under an overstory (Helms 1998).
Use Case Descriptions of the major functions that the system will perform for external actors,
and also the goals that the system achieves for those actors along the way.
vegetated Areas having at least 1 percent or more of the land or water surface with live
vegetation cover at the peak of the growing season (FGDC 1997).
vegetation The total plant life or cover in an area; also used as a general term for plant life; the
assemblage of plant species in a given area; cf. faunation (Lincoln et al. 1998).
volume table A listing showing, for one or more species, the average cubic or merchantable
contents of trees or logs according to easily measured tree dimensions, such as tree diameter or
height—note such tables are constructed from samples of felled trees or from detailed thee
dimensional data, and are used for estimating the timber contents of either individual trees or
stands (Helms 1998).
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
Glossary References
Bechtold, W.A.; Patterson, P.L. eds. 2005. The enhanced forest inventory and analysis
program—national sampling design and estimation procedures. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-80.
Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 85 p.
Brohman, R.; Bryant, L. eds. 2005. Existing Vegetation Classification and Mapping Technical
Guide. Gen. Tech. Rep. WO–67. Washington, CD: U.S Department of Agriculture Forest
Service, Ecosystem Management Coordination Staff. 305 p.
Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)—Vegetation Subcommittee. 1997. Vegetation
classification standard. FGDC-STD-005. Reston, VA: Federal Geographic Data Committee, U.S.
Geological Survey [online]. Available: http://www.fgdc.gov/standards/projects/FGDC-standardsprojects/vegetation/vegclass.pdf [February 2, 2009].
Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). 1998. Content standard for digital geospatial
metadata. FFGDC-STD-001-1998. Reston, VA: Federal Geographic Data Committee. U.S.
Geological Survey [online]. Available: http://www.fgdc.gov/standards/projects/FGDC-standardsprojects/metadata/base-metadata/v2_0698.pdf. [February 2, 2009].
Helms, J.A., editor. 1998. The dictionary of forestry. Bethesda, MD: Society of American
Foresters.
Jennings, M.; Faber-Iangendoen, D.; Peet, R.; et al. 2004. Guidelines for describing associations
and alliances of the U.S. national vegetation classification. Version 3.0. Vegetation Classification
Panel. Washington, DC: Ecological Society of America.
Lachowski, H.J.; Powell, T.; Wirth, P.; et al. 1996. Monitoring aspen decline using remote
sensing and GIS: Gravelly mountain landscape, southwestern Montana. Dillon, MT: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.
Lincoln, R.J.; Boxshall, G.A.; Clark, P.F. 1998. A dictionary of ecology, evolution and
systematics. 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, USA.
National Invasive Species Information Center (NISIC) 2006. U.S. Department of Agriculture,
National Agricultural Library. Definition submitted by the definitions subcommittee of the
Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC). Aproved by ISAC April 27, 2006 [online].
Available: http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/whatis.shtml [February 3, 2009].
Robinson, A.H.; Sale, R.; Morrison, J.L. 1978. Elements of cartography. 4th ed. New York: John
Wiley & Sons.
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service. 1991a. FSH 2090.11—Ecological
classification and inventory handbook. Missoula, MT: Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service, Northern Region.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service. 1991b. FSM 2060—Ecosystem
Classification, Interpretation, and Application. Washington, DC: Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). 1997.
National range and pasture handbook. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural
Resources Conservation Service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service. 2004. Forest Service metadata users
guide—metadata terms and definitions. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service, Geospatial Advisory Committee [online]. Available:
http://www.fs.fed.us/gac/metadata/glossary.html [February 3, 2009].
Webster’s II new Riverside university dictionary. 1984. Boston, MA: The Riverside Publishing
Company. 1536 p.
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Software Requirements Specification for the Analytical Tool for Inventory & Monitoring
Analysis Tool for Inventory and Monitoring
Appendix C: Analysis Models
(2)
Summarization
Process
(1)
“Raw” Inventory
Data - Tree lists
coming from FIA,
R1, CVS, R5,
etc.
(8)
Spatially intersect
(9)
“Corporate” (i.e.,
Standard) Spatial
Data Layers - Raster
or Polygon - e.g.,
State, HUCs, etc
(4)
“Compiled”
Inventory Data
- Summarized
at plot / subplot
level - e.g. BA,
Vol., TPA
(23)
Spatial output of
standar errors for
each of the
Areas of Interest
and Total Area
(7)
“Summary
Database” plot / subplot
(6)
Merge Tables
(3)
Classification
Algorithms
(5)
“Classified”
Inventory Data Summarized at
plot / subplot level
- e.g., Forest
Type, Dom. Type,
Old Growth,
Wildlife Habitat
(10)
“Raw”
Inventory Data
with / attributes
from spatial
layers
(12)
User-defined
Spatial Data
Layers - Raster or
Polygon
(11)
Summary
Database w /
attributes from
spatial layers
(13)
Spatially intersect Other spatial output
(15)
Subset of the “Raw”
Inventory data Attributed with userdefined Area of
Interest code
(14)
Spatial Data
Output - Point or
Polygon
(20)
Spatial output of
estimates for
each of the
Areas of Interest
and Total Area
Page 28
(16)
Table of Area
for each
user-defined
area of
interest
(18)
Estimation Process
(21)
Join tabular
estimaes with
spatial data
(22)
Estimates and
Standard Errors
for each of the
Areas of Interest
and Total Area
(17)
Subset of the
Summary Database
- Attributed with
user-defined Area
of Interest code
(19)
Spatial Data
Output - Point or
Polygon