Spatial implementation of models in forestry

Advances in GIS and digital remote sensing are improving our ability to obtain estimates of spatially distributed forest properties such as forest biomass or productivity. The availability of such tools for implementing models in a spatially explicit manner provides opportunities to integrate ecological or process-based models into resource management applications. This article provides guidelines for implementing such models for spatially explicit applications to forest management. Project objectives may vary greatly from one application to another, but scaling, model evaluation, error assessment, and procedural improvement are all aspects that require a common strategic approach. Three examples of implementation of spatial models dealing with the mapping of forest biomass, site index and forest productivity are also presented. The guidelines can be extended to other applications, in particular to those in resource management where either ecological modelling or the inclusion of new technologies such as remote sensing is required.