Wildlife Habitat Clumps (WHC) Tool

Table of Contents

• Overview
• When to Use This Tool
• How to Use the Tool
• Understanding the Results
• WHC Analysis Modes
• Best Practices
• Troubleshooting

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Overview

The Wildlife Habitat Clumps (WHC) tool helps forestry professionals calculate wildlife habitat retention requirements for cutting operations. This tool ensures compliance with environmental regulations by determining the number of wildlife habitat clumps needed and the minimum area that must be retained to protect wildlife habitat trees.

Location: Analysis Panels → Report → Wildlife Habitat Clumps

Key Capabilities:

• Calculate WHC requirements based on Provcoupe area
• Two analysis modes: MATHAB and EUCHAB
• Current state and scenario analysis
• Determine number of clumps required
• Calculate habitat tree retention requirements
• Save and manage multiple WHC analyses

Example Use Cases:

• Planning wildlife habitat retention for harvest operations
• Meeting regulatory requirements for habitat tree retention
• Evaluating different harvest scenarios for WHC compliance
• Documenting WHC requirements for forest management plans

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When to Use This Tool

Ideal Scenarios

Harvest Planning:

• Determining WHC requirements before starting operations
• Planning clump locations to meet retention targets
• Calculating minimum habitat area to preserve

Regulatory Compliance:

• Meeting wildlife habitat retention requirements
• Documenting clump calculations for permits
• Ensuring adequate habitat tree protection

Scenario Analysis:

• Comparing different harvest layouts
• Evaluating impact of boundary changes
• Testing alternative clump configurations

Forest Management:

• Long-term habitat planning
• Multi-year harvest scheduling
• Conservation strategy development

Not Recommended For

• Detailed tree inventories (use field survey methods)
• Individual tree marking (use on-site assessment)
• Other wildlife management calculations (specific tools may be required)

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How to Use the Tool

Step 1: Select Analysis Type

Choose between Current or Scenario analysis:

Type	When to Use
Current	Analyze existing Provcoupe without modifications
Scenario	Test alternative boundaries using My Layer polygons

Current Analysis:

• Uses existing Provcoupe boundaries from the system
• Quick calculation for standard operations
• Most common analysis type

Scenario Analysis:

• Uses custom polygon boundaries from My Layers
• Test "what-if" situations
• Compare alternative harvest layouts
• Requires pre-existing polygon in My Layers

Step 2: Configure Report Settings

The Report switch (currently disabled):

• Report Off: Calculate WHC requirements only
• Report On: Generate detailed report (future feature)

Step 3: Enter Provcoupe Information

Provcoupe Field:

• Enter the Provcoupe code for your cutting area
• Required field for all analyses
• Case-insensitive
• Example: PROV12345A

WHC Mode Selector: Choose the appropriate habitat analysis mode:

• MATHAB: Mature habitat analysis
• EUCHAB: Euclidean habitat analysis

Select based on your forest type and regulatory requirements.

Step 4: Create New WHC Analysis (Optional)

To save a new WHC calculation:

1. Enter a unique WHC Title in the title field
2. Click the Upload button (⬆️) to save
3. System validates that title doesn't already exist
4. New analysis is added to your saved titles list

Title Requirements:

• Must be unique (no duplicates allowed)
• Descriptive names recommended
• Example: PROV12345A_2024_Scenario1

Step 5: Select Scenario Layer (Scenario Mode Only)

If using Scenario analysis:

1. My Layers dropdown appears
2. Select a polygon layer from your saved My Layers
3. This polygon defines the alternative boundary for analysis
4. "None" is not valid—you must select a layer

Step 6: Run the Analysis

Using Existing Analysis:

1. Select a saved WHC title from Select Title dropdown
2. Click Process button
3. Results display in the results card below

Creating New Analysis:

1. Enter Provcoupe and WHC Title
2. Click Upload button to save
3. Results display immediately after saving

The Process button will show a loading indicator while calculating.

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Understanding the Results

Results Card

After processing, a results card displays with the following information:

Summary Notice

A highlighted notice box provides the key requirements:

A minimum of [X] WHCs areas are required to meet the WHC requirement. The combined clumps should retain at least [Y] - [Z] habitat trees, or large trees.

Detailed Metrics

Coupe area (ha) beyond 200m:

• Area of cutting operation beyond 200 meters from existing development
• Used as base calculation for clump requirements
• Displayed in hectares

No. of clumps required:

• Number of wildlife habitat clumps needed
• Based on coupe area and regulatory formula
• Minimum clumps to meet requirements

Estimated min. total WHC area (ha):

• Combined area of all required clumps
• Minimum total hectares to preserve
• Does not specify individual clump sizes

No. hab trees:

• Range of habitat trees to retain
• Shown as minimum-maximum values
• Applies across all clumps combined

Interpreting Results

Small Coupe Area:

• Fewer clumps required
• Lower habitat tree retention numbers
• Simpler layout planning

Large Coupe Area:

• More clumps needed
• Higher habitat tree requirements
• May require strategic clump placement

Planning Considerations:

• Clumps should be distributed across the cutting area
• Individual clump size not specified (minimum 0.5 ha typical)
• Locate clumps in areas with highest habitat value
• Consider connectivity between clumps
• Avoid areas with operational constraints

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WHC Analysis Modes

MATHAB (Mature Habitat)

Purpose: Analysis for mature forest habitat

When to Use:

• Mature forest stands
• Areas with established canopy
• Older growth forests
• Standard habitat calculations

Characteristics:

• Emphasizes mature tree retention
• Higher habitat value per tree
• Common for most operations

EUCHAB (Euclidean Habitat)

Purpose: Euclidean distance-based habitat analysis

When to Use:

• Different regulatory requirements
• Alternative calculation method
• Specific forest management approaches

Characteristics:

• Distance-based calculations
• May have different retention requirements
• Less commonly used than MATHAB

Selecting the Right Mode:

• Check your forest management plan requirements
• Consult with regulatory guidelines
• Default to MATHAB unless specified otherwise
• Mode affects calculation results

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Best Practices

Analysis Planning

1. Verify Provcoupe: Confirm Provcoupe code before starting analysis
2. Choose Correct Mode: Select MATHAB or EUCHAB based on requirements
3. Use Descriptive Titles: Name saved analyses clearly for future reference
4. Document Scenarios: Keep records of different scenario analyses

Scenario Analysis

Creating Alternative Boundaries:

1. Use map editing tools to create polygon in My Layers
2. Save with clear, descriptive name
3. Ensure polygon accurately represents proposed boundary
4. Run scenario analysis to compare with current

Comparing Results:

• Run current analysis first as baseline
• Create multiple scenarios with different boundaries
• Save each with unique title
• Document differences in clump requirements

Regulatory Compliance

1. Save Analyses: Use unique titles to preserve calculations
2. Document Parameters: Record Provcoupe, mode, and date
3. Print Results: Screenshot results card for records
4. Verify Requirements: Confirm mode and results meet local regulations

Field Application

After Analysis:

1. Note number of clumps required
2. Calculate total area to preserve
3. Identify high-quality habitat areas on site
4. Distribute clumps across cutting area
5. Ensure adequate spacing between clumps
6. Mark clump boundaries clearly in the field

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Troubleshooting

Common Error Messages

"Please enter a provcoupe"

• Cause: Provcoupe field is empty
• Solution: Enter a valid Provcoupe code before clicking Process

"Please select a layer from My Layers"

• Cause: Scenario mode selected but no My Layer polygon chosen
• Solution: Select a polygon layer from the My Layers dropdown, or switch to Current mode

"This WHC title already exists. Please choose a different title."

• Cause: Attempting to save with a duplicate title name
• Solution: Choose a unique title name or select existing title from dropdown

"Fetch Reports Failed" or "Fetching Reports Failed"

• Cause: Unable to load saved WHC titles or My Layer polygons
• Solution:
  • Check network connection
  • Refresh the page
  • Try again in a few moments
  • Contact support if issue persists

"Data added successfully" but no results appear

• Cause: Results saved but not displayed
• Solution: Select the newly saved title from Select Title dropdown and click Process

Performance Issues

Slow Processing:

• Large Provcoupe areas take longer to calculate
• Network latency may affect response time
• Solution: Wait for loading indicator to complete

My Layers Not Loading:

• May indicate My Layers service issue
• Solution: Check that My Layers panel works properly, create test polygon if needed

Results Not Updating:

• May be viewing cached results
• Solution: Select different title, then reselect desired title and click Process again

Data Issues

Unexpected Clump Numbers:

• Verify correct Provcoupe code entered
• Check that appropriate mode (MATHAB/EUCHAB) is selected
• Confirm scenario polygon (if applicable) covers intended area
• Solution: Recalculate with verified inputs

Zero or Very Small Requirements:

• May indicate Provcoupe area is small or within 200m buffer
• Check that Provcoupe exists in system
• Solution: Verify Provcoupe code and check on map

Getting Help

When contacting support, please provide:

1. Analysis Parameters:

   • Provcoupe code
   • WHC mode (MATHAB/EUCHAB)
   • Analysis type (Current/Scenario)
   • WHC title (if applicable)

2. Error Details:

   • Exact error message
   • Screenshot of results (if any)
   • Steps taken before error occurred

3. System Information:

   • Browser type and version
   • Horizon version
   • Date and time of analysis