"Analysis of human tree selection behaviour". Lectures at Göttingen University, Germany, 19 - 21 June 2014.
Natural and human disturbances are common and frequent features in forest ecosystems. Some of them even owe their existence and structure to the regular occurrence of disturbances. Given the comparatively long lifetime of managed and natural forests, disturbances are inevitable and both forest research and practice have to develop methods and strategies to come to terms with them.
Studying natural disturbances has a fairly long tradition in forest ecology, however, anthropogenic disturbances such as those caused by deliberate forest management and by accidental activities have so far received comparatively little attention and yet they often influence forest structures much more than natural disturbances and other processes. As such this research topic is at the boundary between natural sciences and psychology. Possible applications inlude the marking of trees for thinnings by forestry staff, the virtual removal of trees in harvester simulators, the selection of trees by indigenous people as well as the selection of trees for burial in forest cemeteries.
A new type of experiment, the marteloscope, has emerged to carry out research on human decision making and marking behaviour in forests. It complements existing types of experiments and can also be combined with computer experiments, that extend traditional field experiments and allow time-lapse analyses.
Here you can find some material relating to the lectures.
Contents
Learning outcomes
- Improve the command of R as an analysis and simulation tool
- Introduction to disturbance analysis
- Understanding and appreciating the uniqueness of human disturbances
- Learning how to analyse human marking behaviour
Introduction to R (19.06.2014)
- Guide RguideAp.pdf
- Associated R code and data files InitialR.zip
Lectures on tree selection behaviour (20.06.2014)
- Handout part 1 ExperimentalSilviculture02H1.pdf
- Handout part 2 ExperimentalSilviculture02H2.pdf
- Handout part 3 ExperimentalSilviculture02H3.pdf
- Handout part 4 ExperimentalSilviculture02H4.pdf
- Associated R code and data files MarteloscopeR.zip
Marteloscope experiment at Reinhausen FD (21.06.2014)
As part of this course, all participants will take part in a marking experiment in a mixed Norway spruce - beech - oak woodland at Reinhausen Forest District.
- Map of the marteloscope
- Data of the marteloscope plot (MS Excel)
- Data of the marteloscope plot (ASCII)
- Initial R script for analysing the experiment
- Marking form
- Data of the marteloscope plot (MS Excel) including the marking results of all test persons
Additional material
- Article on using marteloscopes for training
- Blog of a test person participating in a marteloscope
- Research note for practitioners on research in human tree selection behaviour/marteloscope research.
Assessment
Analyse the marking behaviour of your class and write a scientific essay of no more than 10 pages A4 (1.5 line spacing). Also reflect on your own marking behaviour in the context of the class. The essay should be structured in the way of research acrticles using the headers abstract, introduction (including a brief literature review and a statement of your objectives), materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusions and references. Include scientific publications in this essay.
