Coconut Inventory Activities in the Pacific ? Wolf Forstreuter

Coconut Resource Known ? “Kiribati has 3,827,913 coconut palms” “Kiribati has 3,827,913 coconut palms” Believable? Believable? LINE GROUP Atoll Name NoPlotsDECSDCSCCTotal CHRISTMAS ISLAND 20153,863164,719133,722452,304 FANNING ISLAND 20259,9048,8569,794278,554 WASHINGTON ISLAND 20150, ,745 FLINT 2050,9121,2181,07953,209 CAROLINE 2013,0383,9782,74719,763 MALDEN NILNo Palms STARBUCK NILNo Palms VOSTOK NILNo Palms SUM 955,575

Palm Resource Mapping with VHR Satellite Images A.Separation of coconut palm from other vegetation possible B.Density stratification is possible C.Counting is possible in scattered and semi dense stands with 95% accuracy (dense underestimation) D.Field work necessary but reduced to statistical minimum

Display VHR Image Data Texture of pan-sharpened VHR image data allows to separate palm and natural forest

Density Classes A.Scattered 25 – 50 palms / hectare B.Semi dense 50 – 150 palms / hectare C.Dense > 150 palms / hectare

Delineation of Palm Density 50 x 50 m grid helps interpretation

Selection of Sample Plots for Coconut Palm Counting 1. Select are only plots that are fully covered by one stratum 2. Randomly selection of about 20 % plots 3. Counting palms / plot

Counting Palms in Plots Placing a dot on top of every visible palm Placing a dot on top of every visible palm Digital overlay with grid and counting in MapInfo (GIS software) dots per grid cell Digital overlay with grid and counting in MapInfo (GIS software) dots per grid cell Transfer to Access Transfer to Access

Counting in MapInfo MapInfo automatically counts the number of palms within the plots using SQL select SQL Result

Analysis in Access SumSum MinMin MaxMax MeanMean No PlotsNo Plots Area plotsArea plots Area StratumArea Stratum (Pot. No. Plots)(Pot. No. Plots)

Mapping at SPC and PIC SPC-SOPAC Fiji Agriculture Kiribati Environment Kiribati

Complete Kiribati and Part of Tuvalu Mapped

Field Sample Plots Needed Counting palms / hectare in dense stands Counting palms / hectare in dense stands Counting amount of hybrids Counting amount of hybrids Estimation coconut production Estimation coconut production Recording extent of diseases Recording extent of diseases Estimation of palm age Estimation of palm age Estimation of timber volume (diametre and height) Estimation of timber volume (diametre and height) 50 – 100% under estimation of palms / hectare in dense stands 50 – 100% under estimation of palms / hectare in dense stands

Field Plots 40 x 40 m in scattered and semi dense stands 40 x 40 m in scattered and semi dense stands Selection of image sample plots Selection of image sample plots GPS assistance for location identification in the field GPS assistance for location identification in the field

New Methods of GPS Mapping 4 satellites have to be received to get position 4 satellites have to be received to get position New instruments receive also Russian (and European) satellites New instruments receive also Russian (and European) satellites Own base station allows mapping with sub metre accuracy Own base station allows mapping with sub metre accuracy  Satellite image plot can be exactly identified in the field

Age / Height Measurement Length of 11 leave scares in cm Length of 11 leave scares in cm Height of palm Height of palm – Distance to bottom – Angle to bottom – Angle to top

Fertility Number of coconuts / bunch Number of coconuts / bunch Three oldest bunches counted Three oldest bunches counted Average calculated Average calculated

Diseases Top: Stick insect Right: Rhinoceros beetle Top: Stick insect Right: Rhinoceros beetle

Timber Volume DBH DBH Height Height Form factor Form factor Timber factor Timber factor

Calculation is Coded Palm Measurements Input PlotNo PalmNo AngleDown AngleUp DistanceDown DBH Length11Leave NoCoconutsB1NoCoconutsB2NoCoconutsB3 Hybrid CoconutBeetle StickInsect FALSETRUEFALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSETRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSETRUE FALSETRUE FALSETRUEFALSE FALSE TRUE Value per Palm Palm_IDDBHHeightAgeFertilityRB_AttackSI_AttackHybridVolume 0001_ TRUEFALSE _ FALSE _ FALSE _ FALSE _ FALSETRUEFALSE _ TRUE FALSE _ FALSETRUEFALSE _ FALSETRUEFALSE _ FALSETRUEFALSE _ TRUE FALSE _ TRUE FALSE _ TRUEFALSE _ FALSETRUEFALSE0.58

Harvesting Coconuts It is uneconomic to search for a coconut ! It is uneconomic to carry more than 300m !

Distance to Road Create buffer zones around tracks and roads Create buffer zones around tracks and roads Overlay over stratified area Overlay over stratified area Recalculate productive area Recalculate productive area

Thanks Remote sensing, GIS and GPS technology provide new avenues for coconut resource inventories Remote sensing, GIS and GPS technology provide new avenues for coconut resource inventories Utilising these technologies enables quantitative estimation of available resource Utilising these technologies enables quantitative estimation of available resource