Enhancin forest inventories with mountain pine beetle infestation information

Polygon decomposition is an approach for integrating different data sources within a GIS. We use this approach to understand the impacts associated with mountain pine beetle red attack. Three different sources of red attack information are considered: aerial overview sketch mapping, helicopter GPS surveys, and Landsat imagery. Existing inventory polygons are augmented with estimates of the proportion and area of red attack damage. Although differences are found in the area of the infestation, the affected forest stands have similar characteristics. Polygon decomposition adds value to existing forest inventories through update and the incorporation of new attributes applicable to forest management.