The short answer is that it is a set of powerful and user-friendly tools neatly packaged in a free computer program. A new update compatible with Windows 7, 8 and 10 (no longer supported on XP) is available from October 2016.

 Here are some key points

The Farm Forestry Toolbox is a collection of programs (we call tools) for assisting managers of shelter belts, plantations or native forests. These tools have been developed to be user-friendly and among other things offer ways to estimate:

• how much wood might grow in your pine or eucalypt or teak plantation;
• how much standing volume by log products you have to sell now;
• the volume and value of your cut logs; and
• keys to assist diagnosing health problems (Australian pines and eucalypts)

The Toolbox was originally developed for use in farm forestry in Australia, but many tools are suitable for use elsewhere. The Toolbox has now been in use for over 15 years and is undergoing constant updating and improvement by its founders Dr Andy Warner and Adrian Goodwin. Adrian now manages the Toolbox and his extensive programming and modeling skills are hard at work behind the user-friendly interfaces and useful output screens. Contact Adrian at Adrian.Goodwin@buhlogic.com.au

Recent updates by Adrian allow the user to define and easily change the units (metric or imperial) and currency used. A new plantation teak taper equation developed by Andy has been included from Thailand where the Toolbox is now being used.

Before undertaking any significant forestry project it is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice.

The Toolbox has been developed to make it easier to do some of the complex tasks necessary to manage your investment in trees.

Under an agreement with the Tasmanian Private Forests government agency, from where the initial Toolbox version originated, the latest version can be downloaded at no charge from:

http://www.pft.tas.gov.au/services/services

 As well as detailed on screen Help, there is a Manual and a workbook with detailed worked examples.

Are you interested in:

• Mapping and annotating areas from an aerial photo or satellite image in the background.
• Calculating the financial analysis and breakeven values for any plantation cost or revenue
  
• Estimating the volume and value of trees?

… then you should look at the Farm Forestry Toolbox

Last updated: 2016-10-23 15:21:14