MARTELOSCOPE DESIGN, INSTALLATION AND APPLICATION FOR PRACTICAL TRAINING AND ACTUAL INCORPORATION OF ECONOMIC, ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL VALUES TO SILVICULTURAL TREATMENTS IN FOREST STANDS

Abstract

A Marteloscope is a didactic tool for silvicultural training (virtual tree selection exercises). The availability of stand data on mobile devices (tablets) in combination with an appropriate software allows direct feedback on silvicultural decisions and resulting economic and ecological effects. Through this Teaching Innovation Project, we have designed, implemented and made preliminary tests of a Marteloscope in Sierra de Cazorla(Jaén). As a result, we have set up a permanent plot of 1 ha in the forest, where all trees have been geolocated, measured, marked and valued for microhabitats. We have developed the corresponding software for pc or tablets to simulate in real time the effects of silvicultural exercises, producing instantaneous outputs showing the effects of simulated thinnings on spatial distribution of trees and economic and ecological value of remaining and removed trees. We have preliminary tested the marteloscope in a UCO extension course on Forestry Practice, april 2017.