Canopy, Plot Reduce, and Plot Hound are software programs developed and implemented by SilviaTerra, a company that combines biometrics, remote sensing, big data, cloud computing and mobile applications to streamline and accelerate forest inventory work and analysis. The company combines free Landsat satellite imagery, National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) information and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) with algorithms they have developed to assess timber stands. For forests larger than 10 acres, SilviaTerra can determine the diameters and species of trees in the area with 95% accuracy for trees per acre and basal area. Primary clients include larger timber companies, for whom the software works to assess optimal cutting, planting and fertilizing schedules to maximize profit. Forest inventories are made more efficient with a fine-grained stratification of the forest using less than half of the plots needed for a conventional cruise yielding the same degree of accuracy. Plots are clustered to reduce travel times, further increasing efficiency.

SilviaTerra’s software package works as follows:

1. Users first download the free Canopy software (Silviaterra’s cruising workflow and reporting system) (https://www.silviaterra.com/canopy/#gettingstarted-scroll) to design cruises and analyze results.
2. Through Canopy, users add stands via a map or upload GIS files, and input their cruise protocol online.
3. Users download the Plot Hound app. The cruise defined using canopy is uploaded to the Plot Hound app.
4. Plot Hound is used to collect data during the cruise. Results are available in Canopy.