An Introduction to Digital Terrain Modelling in Forest Site Analysis—An Example from the Grabouw-Lebanon Key Area

SYNOPSIS An outline of the concept of digital terrain modelling (DTM) is provided which includes the model structure, data capture methods and approaches to analysis and display. Mention is made of the variety of work environments in which DTM is used. A demonstration of the use of DTM in forestry site analysis is given using site data from the Grabouw/Lebanon Key Area with examples of the outputs and their interpretation. Suggestions for the use of DTM in forestry are made, including integration with information systems. Topics for further research are discussed, such as the influence of scale, different data capture methods and information evaluation.