Coconut Inventory Activities in the Pacific ? Wolf
Forstreuter
Slide 2
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 20150,751798196151,745
FLINT 2050,9121,2181,07953,209 CAROLINE 2013,0383,9782,74719,763
MALDEN NILNo Palms STARBUCK NILNo Palms VOSTOK NILNo Palms SUM
955,575
Slide 3
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
Slide 4
Display VHR Image Data Texture of pan-sharpened VHR image data
allows to separate palm and natural forest
Delineation of Palm Density 50 x 50 m grid helps
interpretation
Slide 7
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
Slide 8
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
Slide 9
Counting in MapInfo MapInfo automatically counts the number of
palms within the plots using SQL select SQL Result
Slide 10
Analysis in Access SumSum MinMin MaxMax MeanMean No PlotsNo
Plots Area plotsArea plots Area StratumArea Stratum (Pot. No.
Plots)(Pot. No. Plots)
Slide 11
Mapping at SPC and PIC SPC-SOPAC Fiji Agriculture Kiribati
Environment Kiribati
Slide 12
Complete Kiribati and Part of Tuvalu Mapped
Slide 13
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
Slide 14
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
Slide 15
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
Slide 16
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
Slide 17
Fertility Number of coconuts / bunch Number of coconuts / bunch
Three oldest bunches counted Three oldest bunches counted Average
calculated Average calculated
Harvesting Coconuts It is uneconomic to search for a coconut !
It is uneconomic to carry more than 300m !
Slide 22
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
Slide 23
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