Introduction to Computing Applications in Forestry and Natural Resource Management

Due to the complexity of operational forestry problems, computing applications are becoming pervasive in all aspects of forest and natural resource management. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to computers and their applications in forest and natural resource management and is designed for both undergraduate and graduate students in forestry and natural resources. It introduces state-of-the-art applications for several of the most important computer technologies in terms of data acquisition, data manipulation, basic programming techniques, and other related computer and Internet concepts and applications. This book consists of six parts and 19 chapters.

Section I Foundations. Fundamental Computing Concepts. Programming Languages and Software Engineering. Section II Data Manipulation and Analysis. Elementary Data Manipulation Using Excel. Statistical Analysis and Mathematical Programming Using Excel. Visual Basic for Applications in Microsoft Excel. Section III Database Management. Database Concepts and the Entity-Relationship Model. Introduction to MS Access. Structured Query Language and Access Query Examples. Section IV Handheld Devices. Handheld Computers and Windows Mobile. Handheld PC Applications: An Integrated Computer-Based. Cruising System. Introduction to Geospatial Technology Applications in Forest. Management. Section V Visual Basic .NET Programming. Introduction to Visual Basic .NET Programming. VB.NET Controls, Project, and Menu Design. VB.NET Programming Fundamentals. Programming Application Examples in Forest Resource Management. Programming for Mobile Devices and Applications in Time. Study of Timber Harvesting Machines. Section VI Web-Based Applications. Introduction to HTML. Introduction to ASP.NET. ASP/ASP.NET Applications.

Dr. Jingxin Wang is Professor and Associate Director for Research, and the Director of Renewable Materials and Bioenergy Research Center in the Division of Forestry and Natural Resources at West Virginia University, USA. He received his degrees in Forest/Mechanical Engineering from Northeast Forestry University, China. He received a M.S. in Computer Science from West Virginia University, and a Ph.D. in Forest Resource Management from the University of Georgia, USA. His research interests include biomass energy and bioproducts, forest carbon sequestration and optimization, computer simulation and system modeling, and forest ecosystem management and climate change. Dr. Wang has authored or coauthored 150 refereed papers, and 12 books or book chapters. Currently, he is a leading PI for seven USDA and USDOE biomass energy and bioproducts projects. He has served as an editorial board member and associate editor for four international journals and adjunct professor for four Chinese universities/institutions. He is an active member in six international professional societies.