Using GIS to locate productive stands DECIDING MAPLE SYRUP PRODUCTION POTENTIAL Jessica Williams GIS 4390 December 10, 2013

 13 species of Maple trees  Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and black maple (Acer nigrum) are the most preferred. (Koelling 1996)  Sap collection starts in late winter or early spring and last 6-8 weeks.  Technology has evolved, but collection is still basically the same.  Maple sap producing trees are tapped with a spiel (a spout inserted into a 1-3 inch hole drilled into the tree).  The sap then flows out of the spiel and into either a metal bucket hung on the spiel or a tube system that enables delivery of the sap back to the sugar shack. INTRODUCTION Objective: To determine if the study area is a suitable location for harvesting maple sap used for the production of maple syrup.

 A small, 1,400-hectare (ha) woodlot in the Acadian-New England forest region of North America  New England/Acadian forest covers portions of the Canadian provinces Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and parts of American states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. (World Wildlife Fund) STUDY AREA

 Create haul zones  Prep roads by joining roads and clines layers into one all_roads layer  Merge tool in ArcToolbox (Data Management Tools\General)  Define zones of 25, 50, and 75 meters around all_roads layer  Multiple Ring Buffer tool in ArcToolbox (Analysis Tools\Proximity)  Distances easily accessibly by foot, sled, and ATV  Define tolerant hardwood stands within the haul zones  Prep data by joining Volume table with Cover Type layer  Cover Type layer classifies tree types within each stand (polygon)  Volume table defines percentage of tree types  Select stands (polygons) with tolerant hardwoods  Use Select by Attribute tool to find all polygons with a TH_ value >= 50  Define stands within the haul zones  Overlay tool in ArcToolbox (Analysis Tools\Overlay)  Output layer called Sap_Zones  Shows only the portion of the stand that is within the haul zones METHODS

 Classify stands by sap potential  Add field to Sap_Zone attribute table called Sap_Potential  Label each zone based on the size and percentage of sugar maple trees present  Select volume of tree maturity / total volume of trees => 10%  Two methods  Select by Attribute Tool and VB Script in Field Calculator size volume  Calculation  Present potential – sawlog (SM_S) and veneer (SM_V) sized trees  (volume sm_s + volume sm_v)/cover vh >=0.10  Label as PP  Future potential – pulpwood (SM_P) sized trees  Volume sm_p /cover vh >=0.10  Label as FP  Limited potential  No calculation needed  All zones not classified as PP or FP METHODS

Not quite 1 hectare of Present Potential Just over 1 hectare of Future Potential RESULTS

 It takes 150 mature trees per hectare to be considered productive.  1-3 taps per tree depending on tree size  An average single tap can yield between 5 and 15 gallons  It takes approximately 10 gallons of sap to produce 1 quart of syrup. (Blumestock, B. 2007)  To produce 200 gallons (53 liters) of syrup, 400–800 tap holes would be required. (Tminski W., 2011)  taps per hectare  Less than 2 hectare productive potential in study area  Study area would produce quarts of maple syrup DISCUSSION

Q1: Why are there just three features (records) in the Multiple Ring Buffer results?  There are only three features in the MRB results because we chose to find only three distances from the center lines Each feature represents a distance from the center lines. Q2: What does the Keep only matching records option accomplish?  The Keep only matching records option removes any records that do not have a matching record in the joined table. This keeps the table compact and eliminates unnecessary data. Q3: What is the difference between intersect and union overlays?  The intersect overlay finds specific features that intersect with a second specific feature class and creates a new feature class only including those intersecting features. The union overly finds all features from two feature classes that occupy the same location. The resulting feature class includes all features. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS/ANSWERS

Q4: What purpose do those parentheses () server in a Field Calculator expression?  The parentheses are used to perform a mathematical equation prior to selecting features based on other selected attributes. Q5: How would you compile a cross tabulation in hectare rather than square meters?  In order to compile a cross tabulation in hectare rather than square meters, you must first convert square meters into hectares. 1 square meter is equal to hectares. In Excel create a new column labeled Area_ha. In the first row use the function This will calculate square meters into hectares. Next click on Insert Pivot Table and use the following fields in the pivot table setup:  Columns = Sap_Potential  Rows = distance  Values = sum of Area_ha DISCUSSION QUESTIONS/ANSWERS

 With less than 1 hectare of present potential stands and just over 1 hectare of future potential stands it does not appear that this study area would make a productive maple sap collection area. CONCLUSION

 Blumestock, B., How to Tap Maple Trees and Make Maple Syrup. Bulletin #7036. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension.  Koelling, Melvin R., Ph.D, Heiligmann, Randall B., Ph.D North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual, Bulletin 856. The Ohio State University Extension  Tyminski Jr., William Paul., Ph.D The Utility of Using Sugar Maple Tree-Ring Data to Reconstruct Maple Syrup Production in New York.  World Wildlife Fund. New England Acadian Forest. REFERENCES