Visualizing the Impact of Proposed Management Activity in Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) Stands on the Eastern Shore of Maryland
ABSTRACT Visual impact assessment has recently become an integral and occasionally required component of forest management activity, as the aesthetics of landscapes subsequent to management activities is critical to public acceptance. In an effort to provide more realistic representations of the landscape and visual impacts of management activity, forest planners and managers have increasingly been turning to more powerful 3D visualization techniques. Some of the more popular techniques include image draping, video imaging, and geometric modeling. The following paper details the application of a geometric modeling technique involving the use of GIS data in conjunction with a commercially available terrain modeling, visualization, and rendering software package. This particular application involved creating visualizations to illustrate the impact of different management scenarios in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands located on the eastern shore of Maryland.
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