The ModERFoRest software (Modelling Environmental Requirements for Forest Restoration) is available (free of charge) from the INIA website. Mainly oriented to the scientific and technical community, this tool is used for a large number of modelling and calculation processes in the fiel of forest ecology. ModERFoRest allows to integrate, disseminate and apply the information derived from the studies on the Autecology of Forest Species initiated in 1967 (at the IFIE, Instituto Forestal de Investigaciones y Experiencias) and continued and completed at INIA.
A summary of this line of research and its results can be found in López-Senespleda et al. (2018). This text analyses the evolution of the methodologies applied, parallel to the innovation of statistical methods and the development of computer science.
The software consists of three modules that are integrated into a common core and three data calculation tools. Each of the modules develops different applications:
- SDM Module (Species Distribution Models): allows the elaboration of distribution models of the species of interest from environmental variables in raster format and locations of presence of the studied taxon.
- SSER Module (Species Suitability for Ecosystem Restoration): orders the species according to their suitability or ecological homologation for a specific site, in a similar way to the former PINARES software.
- FSR Module (Forest Stands Resemblance): indicates the seed source of the chosen species that most closely resembles the studied stand.
The three calculators implemented are:
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Soil calculator: allows obtaining the soil variables of each profile, from data obtained by horizons, to be used in the different modules. In addition, it performs the calculation of these variables at surface level, being able to vary the depth of calculation.
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Climatic calculator: allows the calculation of a wide range of climate variables from raw data from weather stations or raster models, using monthly precipitation and temperature data.
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Combined calculator: allows to integrate, in a single procedure, the two previous calculators to produce a single output file directly usable in the SSER and FSR modules.
The calculators return the result in the format and units needed to be used in any of the three modules mentioned above.
It is to interpret the results obtained with this application in terms of the reliability of the data provided. They should be used, above all, to compare different temporal and spatial situations, rather than as an absolute proposal. The results guide the reasoning on each case, they should not be applied without prior discussion.
The authors hope that this software will be useful for research and management in the forestry sector.
How to cite the work?
Please, cite the work with the following reference:
López-Senespleda, E; Alonso-Ponce, R; Ruiz-Peinado, R; Gómez, V; Serrada, R; Montero, G (2023). ModERFoRest: A new software for assessing the environmental performance of forest species. Forest Systems, Volume 32, Issue 1, eRC01.https://doi.org/10.5424/fs/2023321-19406