Nowa jakość systemów informacji przestrzennej w lasach państwowych w kontekście problemów edukacyjnych

In the paper, the thematic scope of II National Conference .Geographical Information Systems in the State Forests is described. In the summary of the opening session and six thematic sessions the following problems were discussed: green light for SIS in the State Forests and in the universities; rapid development of SIS in Poland and in the world; development directions of the Forest Numerical Map standard; more and more intensive use of digital maps; implementation of results of geomatic research; overproduction of forestry engineers and shortage of SIS administrators in the State Forests; forest SIS in commercial companies; forest SIS in science and education. An assessment of the state of research and education, including implementation was made. Attention was drawn to: rapid development of numerical methods in geodesy, cartography, remote sensing and photogrametry; rapid development of SIS applications in various industries at various levels,from local through national to global one; geomatics teaching both in the universities and in the secondary schools. The state of implementation and use of SIS in the State Forests was assessed as very good resulting in ever stronger relations of the forestry with the region and in an increase of the need forSIS, thus stimulating further rapid growth of research, education and applications. Achievements in implementation of geomatic techniques in Polish forestry were emphasised as compared to developments in this area in European and world forestry. High marks were given to: l) general application of SIS to the solving of various forestry problems from a student in technical college to the general director of the State Forests: 2) good ten-year cooperation of many institutions engaged in the development of forestry SIS, which resulted in achievement in practice of much more than it was planned and envisaged. Attention was drawn to the following research problems: theoretical and conceptual aspects of data collecting, analysing, modeling, visualization, communication and generalisation; functionality of spatial data on forests at minimum loss of information; SIS adapting processes in the society and resulting changes in the perception of space also in the context of natura! and forestry education; new methods of data registration and coding: an increase in SIS applications and privacy od citizens: studies of uncertainty and errors in spatial data. Research themes in the area of SIS in forestry were formulated: drawing up of new identification algorithms linking graphic bases with descriptive bases; concept of metadata; SIS in the Internet; updating and accuracy of forest digital maps. The scope of common research was also formulated: orthophotomap as the basie map in multi-function forestry; raster database in forest management; automatic image interpretation in forest terrains; vidualisation of spatial data as basie tool of forest manager. Wide use is envisaged, among others, of photogrametry, remote sensing, GPS, laser scaners, Internet, visualization techniques, artificial intelligence as well as close links of geomatics with telecommunication. The problem of necessary changes in the teaching programs were discussed and attention was drawn to: l) two factors determining education - changes in the understanding of forest function and development of geomatics; 2) Bologne Declaration on European Space for Higher Education signed in 1990 by 29 European countries, including Poland, comprising 6 ohjectives to be achieved by 2010. Current teaching programs were discussed on single stage master.s degree studies and two stage studies introduced in 2003/2004 (3.5-year engineer degree and 1.5-year master.s degree studies). Draft new minimum program for forestry specialisation was presented as an achievement of persons involved in geomatics, including: general subjects, basie subjects and 7 blocks ofspecialised subjects - including a block of geomatics in forestry (forest geodesy, photogrametry and remote sensing, SIS). A number of detailed issues were discussed, including: l) important role of commercial companies in the development of forest SIS, high profesionalism of training courses organised by the State Forests with the participation of employees of these companies, and the need for their participation in education in the universities, in forest technical colleges and on postgraduate courses. 2) the need to prepare diploma thesis (particularly those of engineers) according to the requirements of forest district offices, providing an opportunity of employment for their authors.