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General variables catalog

This section contains the comprehensive and unified dictionary of all variables used across the SIMANFOR platform. These variables cover both initial inventory metrics and those calculated by forest models and generated in output files.

Quick variable search

To instantly locate any variable by its descriptive name, output symbol (output), abbreviation, or accepted inventory synonym (aliases), use the search bar located in the upper-right corner of the screen (or press s or f).

Information levels

In SIMANFOR, variables are structured primarily into two hierarchical levels:

  • Plot-level variables: Describe overall stand, plot, or inventory characteristics per unit area (frequently scaled per hectare, such as density in trees/ha or basal area in m²/ha).
  • Tree-level variables: Record measurements and estimates of individual inventoried trees (diameter at breast height, total height, unit volume, biomass fractions).

Conventions and standards

  • Standardized units: All units are explicitly stated in lowercase (e.g., t/ha for stand biomass and carbon, kg for individual tree biomass and carbon, m3/ha and dm3 for volumes, cm for diameters, m for heights, - for dimensionless indices, and ratio for proportions between 0 and 1).
  • Output labels and symbols: Each variable specifies its symbol or header in output files produced by the simulator (output), following the cascade rule: technical abbreviation (abbreviation), descriptive name (names), or canonical code.
  • Accepted inventory aliases: The simulator flexibly and case-insensitively accepts common synonyms (aliases) when importing inventories from Excel, CSV, or JSON formats.
  • Multi-species variables: To perform stand calculations by species, some variables are presented broken down by species by adding the numerical suffix of the corresponding species (Species_SP1_name, Species_SP2_name, Species_SP3_name).
  • Dynamic management variables: Silvicultural interventions and demographic events incorporate standardized prefixes: _corta (harvest removals from thinning or felling), _muerto (natural mortality), and _incorporado (ingrowth, considering trees of inventoriable size (diameter at breast height >= 7.5 cm) and not seedlings from natural regeneration).

Thematic modules

The complete database is organized into the following thematic categories:

Module Description Base variables Link
Inventory identification and characteristics Variables designed to uniquely identify inventories, sample plots, and individual trees within the simulator, as well as qualitative parameters of form, quality, and health status. 28 View variables
Stand productivity and site quality Site quality metrics (site index at reference age, stand form) and relative productivity classes determining stand productive potential. 7 View variables
Forest dimensions and growth metrics Fundamental mensuration metrics measured and calculated at tree level (diameter at breast height, height, crown dimensions) and stand level (basal area, quadratic mean diameter, dominant height). 35 View variables
Timber volume Estimates of stem wood volume over and under bark, bark volume, and standard National Forest Inventory tariff models for both individual trees and per-hectare aggregates. 16 View variables
Wood products and classification Breakdown of timber volume classified by industrial merchantable assortments (unwinding, veneer, saw logs, canter, posts, stakes, chips, and cooperage staves). 28 View variables
Aboveground and belowground biomass Quantification of tree biomass fractions (stem wood, bark, thick, medium, and fine branches, foliage, stumps, and root systems) in dry weight. 54 View variables
Carbon stock Carbon fixation and stock metrics across different tree pools and at stand level. 16 View variables
Non-wood forest products Yield variables for non-wood forest resources, including cork (Quercus suber), pine cones and kernels (Pinus pinea), and wild edible mushroom production. 25 View variables
Stand dynamics and management Dynamic variables quantifying timber and biomass removals from thinnings and fellings, natural mortality losses, and ingrowth recruitment between simulation cycles. 33 View variables
Density and competition indices Stand density metrics, stocking ratios (Reineke SDI, Hart-Becking), and distance-dependent intra- and inter-specific competition indices (Hegyi, Voronoi). 14 View variables
Stand structure and canopy metrics Horizontal and vertical stand structure metrics (coefficients of variation, structural diversity indices, slenderness) and crown mensuration variables at plot and tree levels. 21 View variables
Biodiversity and deadwood indices Structural and species diversity indices (Shannon, Simpson, Margalef, Pielou) alongside standing and downed coarse woody debris indicators for ecological assessment. 6 View variables
Site quality and physiography Topographic parameters (slope, aspect, altitude) and site quality metrics (site index at reference age) determining stand productive potential. 13 View variables
Climatic variables and bioclimatic indices Meteorological precipitation, seasonal temperature parameters, and climatic indices (such as Martonne index) required by climate-sensitive growth models. 22 View variables
Canopy LiDAR metrics Statistical canopy metrics derived from airborne laser scanning point clouds (height percentiles, return density distributions, dispersion, and canopy cover) for remote sensing modeling. 36 View variables

Translated using AI translation assistant.