RU2768039C1 - Method for accounting for the yield of seeds of coniferous trees - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: forestry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to forestry and can be used to assess the yield of seeds of coniferous species in forest areas, objects of a permanent forest seed base and temporary forest seed plots. The method for accounting for the yield of seeds of coniferous trees includes shooting a forest area in the infrared range with obtaining images and processing the obtained images. The survey of the forest area is carried out in the period before the onset of the phase of physiological maturity of seeds in unopened cones of trees to obtain a spectral thermogram of the distribution of temperature fields of fresh cones relative to the crown of trees. When processing the obtained images, an assessment of the seed yield in the forest area is carried out.

EFFECT: improving the accuracy of assessing the yield of cones and seeds of conifers in forest plantations 3-4 months before the start of collection.

1 cl, 8 dwg, 3 tbl

Description

The invention relates to forestry, forest seed production and can be used in assessing the yield of coniferous seeds in forest plantations, at permanent forest seed base and temporary forest seed plots for early determination of volumes and places of harvesting coniferous seeds for artificial reforestation.

There is a method of long-term forecasting of the yield of cones of Scots pine and European spruce, based on meteorological observations [1]. The disadvantage of this method is the low level of accuracy in predicting the yield of seeds due to the heterogeneity of the natural and climatic conditions of different regions and the lack of a direct relationship between climate and the yield of conifers. It should also be noted that in this method there is no information about the possibility of predicting the yield of cones for other conifers, for example, Siberian spruce, European larch, Sukachev, Siberian, etc.

There is a known method for predicting the yield of spruce cones in the European North using the method of A.I. Drum [2]. The disadvantage of this method is the use of regional peculiarities of accounting for the yield of cones only for spruce and the impossibility of its application in other regions of the country.

There is a known method for determining the yield and volume of resources when collecting seeds of Siberian stone pine [3], which involves assessing the possibility of collecting seeds by the method of continuous visual accounting or counting fruits (seeds, cones) on 3 ... 5 model trees with the transfer of their average number on one tree over the entire area of the workpiece. The disadvantage of this method is the complexity of the process and the need for a visual field survey of forest areas potentially suitable for collecting forest seeds. Also, a selective accounting of the yield of individual model trees does not provide the necessary accuracy in determining the volume of seeds when recalculated for the entire forest area.

There is a method of accounting for the harvest of forest seeds [4, 5] which provides for a visual forecast, accounting for the harvest of cones and seeds by conducting phenological observations of individual trees and forests in phases: mass flowering (I phase), mass formation of ovaries (II phase), beginning maturation of cones and seeds (phase III). Yield accounting is carried out on trial plots laid and placed in such a way that they most fully characterize the fruiting of the corresponding type of forest plants in various places of harvesting. To do this, before laying the trial plots, all harvesting sites are divided into homogeneous (by composition, quality class, age, types of forest conditions, etc.) groups, in each of which one trial plot is laid. On forest seed plantations and permanent forest seed plots, permanent trial plots are laid or accounting trees are selected with their selection in kind. In other places of harvesting, temporary trial plots are laid, each of which should contain at least 100 trees of the corresponding type of forest plants. When conducting phenological observations in phases I and II, ground field surveys are carried out with a visual determination of the area of fruit-bearing plantations and the intensity of seed production in all places of harvesting, where it is advisable to collect forest seed raw materials (cones of coniferous species). Accounting for the yield and determining the economically feasible collection of coniferous seeds is carried out according to phase III on each trial plot (temporary or permanent). The disadvantage of this method is the complexity of the process of laying trial plots and a long period of field phenological observations. Visual inspection of the crowns of coniferous trees through binoculars and counting the cones on the branches takes a long time, however, it allows to determine with sufficient accuracy the quantitative indicators of the seed productivity of individual trees on the test plots, but when extrapolating the data to the entire area of the analyzed forest area, it is impossible to obtain accurate data on the reserves of forest seed raw materials per unit area, therefore, only the intensity of seed production is estimated.

There is a known method for estimating the biomass of vegetation, in which images of satellite images of various geographical regions are processed, sections of the image are sequentially converted into digital matrices of the dependence of brightness on spatial coordinates, the numerical characteristics of the matrices are calculated, pixel-by-pixel alignment of matrices is carried out, the elements of which are composed of zonal ratios of the brightness of the spectral-zonal image and matrices of the radar image of the same areas, the elements are vectorized and the resulting matrices are obtained, the autocorrelation functions of the resulting matrices are additionally calculated. The stock of biomass plots is calculated by regression dependence (patent for the invention of the Russian Federation No. 215572, publ. 10.09.2000).

The closest technical solution chosen by the applicant as a prototype is a method including recording the intensities of the reflected electromagnetic radiation in two wavelength ranges, characterized in that, in order to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the assessment, the wavelength ranges of the reflected electromagnetic radiation are selected in the infrared and red regions. spectrum, and the degree of damage to forest stands is judged by the ratio of the level of reflected electromagnetic radiation in the infrared region of the spectrum to the level of reflected electromagnetic radiation in the red region of the spectrum (RF patent No. 2017396, publ. 15.08.1994).

This method is used only for remote assessment of the state of the forest stand.

The technical task of the proposed method is to increase the accuracy and speed of assessing the yield of cones and seeds of coniferous species in forest plantations, at permanent forest seed base and temporary forest seed plots.

The technical result of the invention is to obtain reliable and up-to-date data on the seed productivity of forest plantations and individual trees, which is especially important at the objects of a permanent forest seed selection base and temporary forest seed plots for collecting seeds in order to grow planting material of conifers with an open and closed root system during artificial reforestation cuttings, burnt areas, dead stands, forest reclamation and compensation.

The technical problem is achieved by the fact that the method of accounting for the yield of seeds of coniferous trees includes shooting a forest area in the infrared range with obtaining images, processing the obtained images, characterized in that the shooting of the forest area is carried out in the period before the onset of the phase of physiological maturity of seeds in unopened cones of trees with obtaining spectral thermograms of the distribution of temperature fields of fresh cones relative to the crown of trees, and when processing the obtained images, an assessment of the seed yield in the forest area is carried out.

Comparison of the proposed technical solution with the prototype shows that it has the following features:

- shooting of the forest area is carried out in the period before the onset of the phase of physiological maturity of seeds in unopened tree cones;

- shooting is carried out with obtaining a spectral thermogram of the distribution of temperature fields of fresh cones relative to the crown of trees;

- when processing the obtained images, an assessment of the seed yield in the forest area is carried out.

Therefore, it can be assumed that the claimed invention meets the criterion of "novelty".

The invention can be carried out using known equipment, so it meets the criterion of "industrial applicability".

On FIG. 1 shows a spectral image showing trees with a high yield of cones, FIG. 2 shows a spectral image characterizing the low yield of cones in the forest area, FIG. 3 shows the identification of Scotch pine cones on a thermogram, FIG. 4 shows coniferous cones having a higher temperature compared to the crown, FIG. 5 shows the identification of Siberian spruce cones on a thermogram, FIG. 6 shows the zones of seed productivity of the analyzed forest area, in Fig. 7 shows the identification of Sukachev larch cones on the thermogram (fresh cones with seeds are shown in brighter color, and last year's empty cones are displayed in dark), Fig. 8 shows dry, half-opened Scots pine cones without seeds; they are not identified on the thermogram.

When assessing the yield of coniferous seeds in forest plots, objects of a permanent forest seed base and temporary forest seed plots, a forest massif or individual trees are surveyed using satellite services, aircraft or hand tools in the infrared spectrum (Fig. 1-5) in the period before the onset of the phase physiological maturity of seeds in unopened cones 3-4 months before seed collection.

As a result of research by the applicant, it was found that immature cones of conifers have a high moisture content and density, compared with branches and needles, due to which the thermal infrared radiation from the sun is absorbed by the cones more intensively, and their surface temperature is 5 times higher than that of the tree crown. -15°C. When processing spectral images, it is possible to obtain a spectral thermogram with the distribution of temperature fields relative to the crowns of trees, which makes it possible to analyze the presence of cones in the crowns of trees, followed by an assessment of seed productivity (Fig. 6).

An important feature of the method is the ability to ignore last year's empty cones on trees. An accurate calculation of the yield of Sukachev larch seeds by a visual method is practically impossible, since the cones continue to hang on the branches after opening for several years. The claimed method of accounting for the yield of coniferous seeds allows you to identify only fresh cones containing seeds. On the thermogram, fresh larch cones with seeds are displayed in a brighter color, and last year's empty cones are dark (Fig. 7).

Dry half-opened Scotch pine cones without seeds are also not identified on the thermogram (Fig. 8).

When conducting patent information research, the claimed set of features was not identified, therefore, the claimed technical solution meets the criterion of "inventive step".

The current regulatory document "Procedure for harvesting, processing, storage and use of forest plant seeds" (2014) provides a three-point scale for conducting phenological observations at all objects of the forest seed base, developed by V.A. Bryntsev (2001):

1 point - there is no flowering and fruiting (seeding) or it is very weak - subsequent harvesting of seeds (seed raw materials) is impossible;

2 points - flowering and fruiting (seed-bearing) is weak or medium, the subsequent harvesting of seeds (seed raw material) is advisable only to meet the annual need;

3 points - flowering and fruiting (seed-bearing) is good (abundant), subsequent harvesting of seeds (seed raw materials) is expedient, both to meet the annual need and to form insurance funds (for seeds that can be stored for more than one year).

When conducting phenological observations, the intensity of fruiting (seed-bearing) of forest plant species is visually determined in all possible places of harvesting. At the same time, a field survey is carried out in specific places of seed harvesting in order to determine their availability during the harvesting period, and the volumes and financing of the relevant work are planned.

Accounting for the seed yield (economically possible seed collection) is carried out before the start of mass seed ripening. In plantations (including cutting areas) and in plus plantations, the seed yield is recorded on temporary trial plots laid and placed in such a way that they most fully characterize the fruiting (seed production) of the corresponding type of forest plants in various places of harvesting.

On forest seed plantations and on permanent forest seed plots, the seed yield is recorded on permanent trial plots (seed plants isolated in nature), one trial plot for each of these objects.

At least 50 trees of the corresponding type of forest plants should be presented on the trial plots.

Harvest accounting is carried out 1-2 months before the start of mass harvesting of seeds, when ripening cones are clearly visible in the crown of the tree. The harvest is carried out only in dry weather, when the old cones open and it is possible to distinguish fresh cones from last year's empty ones.

Every year, before starting work on crop accounting, a reconnaissance survey is carried out and a yield scale is developed (Table 1). To do this, 15-25 model trees are selected along a diagonal course, differing in visual assessment of the size of the crop, from the most productive to the weakly seed-bearing, if possible, their representation in the area. The number of model trees should not include trees without cones and with single cones (less than 10). The number of model trees should be the greater, the higher the variability of fruiting, which is usually characteristic of low-yielding years and for sites with heterogeneous forest conditions.

The selected model trees count the total number of cones in the crown. In older trees (over 20 years old), especially with abundant seed production, you can limit yourself to counting cones on half of the crown on the eastern or western side, and double the result.

The next stage of the work is the assessment of the degree of seed production of the previously selected and registered accounting trees with filling in the work sheet for determining the seed yield (Table 2). In this case, all accounting trees are assigned to one of the following categories:

0 trees without cones or having a single (up to 10 pieces) number of cones;

I - with a weak harvest;

II - with an average yield;

III - with a good harvest.

With the help of model trees, the average number of cones on one tree of each fruiting category is calculated. According to the relative representation of trees of different categories of seed production, they find (as a weighted average) the average yield per tree, then the total yield of cones per 1 ha.

Using long-term data on the average weight of cones and the yield of seeds from them for a specific zone (region, farm), the expected seed yield per 1 ha and on the entire sample plot is found.

Accounting for the yield of coniferous species according to the claimed method was carried out using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual type with a dual camera (visual and thermal imaging channels), which allows creating optical and thermal frames (infrared spectrum). The integration of two different types of cameras at once in one housing allows the operator to perform various flight tasks, providing equipment versatility. The optical sensor of the camera is capable of taking photographs with the measurement of the temperature of various objects, which allows you to create thermograms for further analysis. Office data processing was carried out using Map Info and QGIS geoinformation systems.

After surveying the forest area, the actual number of accounting trees within the boundaries of the analyzed trial area was calculated. Further, the accounting trees were distributed into 4 yield groups, the yield of cones on the forest plot, the yield of cones per 1 ha and the average yield of cones per 1 tree were calculated. The expected seed yield is calculated on the basis of long-term data on the average weight of 1 cone and the yield of seeds from cones (Table 3).

Thus, the proposed method improves the accuracy of the assessment and reduces the time for obtaining data on the presence of cones and seeds on one tree or per unit area 3-4 months before the start of collection.

Literature

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Claims (1)

A method for accounting for the yield of seeds of coniferous trees, including shooting a forest area in the infrared range with obtaining images, processing the obtained images, characterized in that the shooting of a forest area is carried out in the period before the onset of the phase of physiological maturity of seeds in unopened tree cones with obtaining a spectral thermogram of the distribution of temperature fields fresh cones relative to the crown of trees, and when processing the obtained images, an assessment of the seed yield in the forest area is carried out.

Images