Transfer / Teaching

Capsis can be used to transfer models to end-users of for teaching. All Capsis modellers may transfer their models to their partners by building and sharing a customized installer containing all the free licensed core of the platform + their model (excluding the models of the other modellers to agree with the Capsis charter).

The modellers may keep track of their transfer/distribution/training/teaching actions here (most recent at the top of the list, in english or possibly in french on this particular page).

by Julien Sainte-Marie, Valentine Lafond (AgroParisTech Nancy, November 2024)

Context: Master 2 AETPF - AgroParisTech Nancy - UE 9.14 Models for forest science and management, coordinated by Julien Sainte-Marie

The unit is an introduction to concepts and methods of the modelling of forest resource and functioning. The courses focus on the different approaches to modelling forest growth and biogeochemical cycles. The key concepts of model building in relation to data and knowledge are detailed. The limitations of models, such as sources of uncertainty in predictions, are presented. Practical work, based on real case studies, gives students the opportunity to use different types of forest models. By the end of this course, students should be able to use a particular model and identify its potential and limitations.

Capsis has been involved since 2023 in several cases of study proposed to the students by scientist of the research unit SILVA:

• A Carbon sequestration evaluation based on Growth & Yield models Gymnos for Douglas fir and Fagacees for Sessile Oak (project developed by H. Wernsdörfer and J. Sainte-Marie).
• A study of the impact of management on trade-offs between production and biodiversity based on the phenomenological model Samsara2 (project developed by V. Lafond).
• A simulation of the impact of climate change on forest composition based on the mechanistic model ForCEEPS (project developed by M. Jourdan)

Note: Gymnos by Gauthier Ligot (University of Liège Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Gembloux, Belgium) ; Fagacees by Jean-Francois Dhote (Inrae BioforA, Orléans) and Patrick Vallet (Inrae LESSEM, Grenoble) ; Samsara2 by Benoit Courbaud (Inrae LESSEM, Grenoble) ; ForCEEPS by Xavier Morin (CNRS CEFE, Montpellier)

by Francois Lefèvre (INRAE URFM, Avignon, 22.4.2024)

Last week I organised a 2h simulation practice in an advanced course at CIHEAM Zaragoza about management to improve resilience in the Mediterranean forests (https://edu.iamz.ciheam.org/MediterraneanForests/en/). There were 25 participants from different Mediterranean countries, with very different background (one thing in common was the absence of background in genetics ): forest managers, forest decision-makers, forest consultant NGO, non-forest decision makers, a few academics (post-docs and teachers in different disciplins).

For this 2h session entitled “Facilitating genetic adaptation: a simulation practice”, I introduced the topic and take home messages (~20mn), the rest of the time was for them to discover the tool and simulate 3 thinning scenarios. Here is a brief summary of the session:

The fact that all trees within a forest have different adaptive capacities, due to microsite heterogeneity and genetic variability, leeds us to consider the overall forest capacities in a dynamic perspective:

1. forest capacities evolve during stand development;

2. forest capacities evolve from one generation to the next;

3. natural processes and management practices interfere on these evolutions.

To simulate these evolutions within and across generations of trees, we use the model Luberon2 that combines forest dynamics processes (growth, competition, reproduction), drought-like disturbance regimes (stochastic events that reduce growth and potentially lead to mortality), genetic diversity and inheritance of vigor and sensitivity to disturbance.

We simulate three management scenarios of a Cedrus atlantica stand under severe drought regime: (a) no silviculture scenario, (b) current silviculture, © silviculture with delayed thinning aiming to leave more room for natural selection processes at juvenile stage.

In these particular conditions, the simulations show that both silviculture scenarios result not only in better production (as expected!) but also in better improvement of the genetic adaptation than the no silviculture scenario. Simulations also show that, in these conditions, leaving some room for natural selection in addition to silviculture is beneficial for genetic adaptation without a cost on the final timber production.

by Céline Meredieu (INRAE BIOGECO, Pierroton), 31.03.2023

Céline Meredieu conducted a 1-hour tutoring session with Capsis, using FAGACEES and ModisPinaster models as examples, after a classroom course on forest models and their uses for forest management.

This morning was intended for 19 students of Bordeaux Sciences Agro and University of Bordeaux during the semester of Pre-specialization “Sustainable Forest Management and territories” (2nd year Engineering School and Master 1), supervised by Marie Charru.

One week ago, a tutorial to check the java version and install Capsis on their computer was sent (with all the internet links to the Capsis website). We ran short of time to do all exercises.

by Philippe Dreyfus, ONF RDI Avignon, 15.2.2023

Bonjour,

(je prends le relais de Christine Deleuze : merci à elle pour son action sur ce dossier depuis une dizaine d’années !)

Une nouvelle distribution de Capsis (https://capsis.cirad.fr/capsis/) et de certains modules, dans leur version de fin 2022, est disponible sur le partage ONF RDI. (…)

Les utilisateurs sont vivement invités à « témoigner » : indiquer brièvement pour quelle l’utilisation ; voir les indications dans le fichier en pièce jointe.

Il s’agit de vérifier que les modules* mis à notre disposition sont utilisés ; cela intéresse tout autant les développeurs de ces modules et de la plateforme Capsis, que nous, à l’ONF.

(sinon : soit il y a un manque d’information → il faut y remédier, soit le module n’est pas adapté à une utilisation ONF en expertise ou en R&D).

Un grand merci aux modélisateurs/référents qui acceptent cette mise à disposition de leurs modules … et à François de Coligny pour son action de développement informatique, de formation et d’animation, pour Capsis. À votre disposition. Philippe * mêmes modules que l’an dernier : artemis, ca1, castaneaonly, economics, (fcba/)piceaabies, (fcba/)pseudotsugamenziesii, forceps, gymnos, heterofor, laricio, lemoine, (lerfob/)fagacees, (lerfob/)abial, luberon2, mathilde, modispinaster, oakpine1, oakpine2, pp3, regix, salem, samsara, samsara2, simcop, sydy, sylvestris. voir les tableaux en annexe de la PJ.

cm-31.03.2022

Céline Meredieu (INRAE BIOGECO, Pierroton) carried out a 1.5h tutoring session with Capsis, using the FAGACEES model as an example, after a classroom course on forest models and their uses for forest management.

This morning was intended for 17 students of Bordeaux Sciences Agro and University of Bordeaux during the semester of Pre-specialization “Sustainable Forest Management and territories” (2nd year Engineering School and Master 1).

The students and their supervisor Johann Housset appreciated a lot the tutorial. A short tutorial made it easier for them to learn how tu use Capsis before they started the practical work, allowing them to understand the importance of silvicultural choices : intensity of thinning, harvesting of wood residue, impact of climate change on productivity.

Benoît Courbaud, INRAE Lessem, Grenoble, 18.02.2022

I gave this morning a three-hour tutorial with Samsara2 to 15 students of the “Biodiversity, Ecology, Evolution” master in Grenoble. The tutorial gave the students the opportunity to apply what they had learn during a three-hour course about forest management.

I started with a short presentation of the model (1/2 hour)

In a first exercise (1 hour) the students visualized and analyzed a mixed uneven-aged stand using the maps and various graphs available (species composition, DBH distribution, distribution of light on the ground, tree micro-habitats and dead wood…). They simulated the dynamics of this stand without any management over 200 years and commented on the changes in stand structure they observed.

In the second exercise (1/2 hour), they applied two contrasting thinnings described by lists of trees prepared in advance. They compared the stands after thinning and after 10 years. They commented on the effect of the number and DBH of cut trees on the ability of the stand to recover its density and basal area after 10 years.

In the third exercise (1 hour), the students used the “multicriteria thinner” tool in order to develop a cutting strategy applied every 10 years of a 50-year scenario. They had to define the rules applied to select four subpopulations within the stand: retention trees, target trees, harvested trees and thinned trees. The challenge was to produce a scenario allowing sustainable biodiversity conservation (tree species diversity, tree microhabitats, dead wood quantity) and sustainable wood production (harvest volume and value, standing volume and value).

I had prepared a fourth exercise about the simulation of an even-aged silviculture but we ran short of time.

The students appreciated a lot the tutorial and were happy to learn the basics of silvicultural reasoning in a concrete way. Thanks François for the development of this great tool!

Christine Deleuze, ONF RDI Dole, 1.2.2022

Bonjour à tous,

La version 2021 de Capsis pour l’ONF a été compilée hier et est disponible sur le partage de RDI.

Pour ceux qui souhaitent l’utiliser et n’ont pas accès au partage, je vous ferai un transfert sur demande.

N’hésitez pas à remonter des besoins ou des retours sur les modèles.

Encore un grand merci aux développeurs qui acceptent cet accès à leurs modules et toujours un énorme merci à François pour l’animation sur Capsis J.

Bonne journée,

Christine

25 modules en 2021 : abial, artémis, CA1, castaneaonly, economics, fagacees, forceps, gymnos, heterofor, laricio, lemoine, luberon2, mathilde, modispinaster, oakpine 1 et 2, picea-abies, pseudotsuga menziesii, pp3, regix, salem, samsara2, sydy, sylvestris et simcop.

https://capsis.cirad.fr/capsis/documentation/capsisonf

Christian Ginisty, INRAE EFNO Nogent sur Vernisson, 31.3.2021

Within the framework of the Master “Agrosciences, environment, territories, landscape, forest” and its course FMB “Forest and Wood Mobilization”, I was able to carry out a 3 h session of tutorial on modeling (with 20 students, alas in distanciel!), with as support the platform Capsis and various models. The students were able to appreciate the ergonomics of Capsis and its ease of use (as long as they were guided at the beginning).

With the Fagacees model, the students tuned different silviculture scenarios for the same starting stand and could immediately compare the results on the graphs or stand evolution tables. Still with Fagacees, for the Beech, they tested the “birth date” effect and saw the simulated effect of productivity changes. With the Laricio and Sylvestris models, they tested the effect of plantation density on productivity and the quality of the wood produced (stem diameter, branching). With the Sydy model, they discovered different ways to control the silviculture of a stand: with the dominant height, the basal area, the RDI, … thanks to the automatic silviculture of this model! Finally, Samsara, for mixed irregular mountain forests, was presented briefly without being able to explore its use… due to lack of time!

A big thank you to the developers and modellers who maintain and enrich the Capsis platform and allow us to use their models for teaching (Capsis tutorials are also organised in Nancy by Holger Wernsdörfer and in Grenoble by Benoit Courbaud, others perhaps elsewhere?)

fc-21.12.2020

La distribution Capsis-ONF-2020 a été construite et diffusée par Christine Deleuze le 10 décembre 2020.

Cette année, Christine Deleuze est repartie de la liste de 2019, à laquelle elle a ajouté les modèles pin maritime d'INRAE Bordeaux avec l'accord de Céline Mededieu. Voici la liste des modèles de cette distribution avec leurs contacts.

• Abial (Frédéric Mothe, INRAE Silva, Nancy)
• Artémis (Mathieu Fortin, Canadian Forest Service, Ottawa, Canada)
• CA1 (François Courbet, INRAE URFM, Avignon)
• Déesses (Patrick Vallet, INRAE Lessem, Grenoble)
• Economics (Priscilla Cailly, FCBA, Bordeaux)
• Fagacées (Frédéric Mothe, INRAE Silva, Nancy)
• ForCEEPS (Xavier Morin, CNRS CEFE, Montpellier)
• Gymnos (Gauthier Ligot, ULG, Gembloux, Belgique)
• Heterofor (Mathieu Jonard, UCL, Louvain la Neuve, Belgique)
• Laricio (Sandrine Perret, INRAE, Nogent-sur-Vernisson)
• Lemoine (Céline Méredieu et Thierry Labbé, INRAE, Bordeaux)
• Lubéron2 (François Lefèvre, INRAE URFM, Avignon)
• Mathilde (Mathieu Fortin, Canadian Forest Service, Ottawa, Canada)
• Modispinaster (Térésa Fonseca, UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal)
• NRG (Philippe Dreyfus, ONF, Avignon)
• Oakpine 1 et 2 (Thomas Pérot, INRAE, Nogent-sur-Vernisson)
• Picea-abies FCBA (Priscilla Cailly, FCBA, Bordeaux)
• PNN2 (Philippe Dreyfus, ONF, Avignon)
• Pseudotsuga menziesii_FCBA (Priscilla Cailly, FCBA, Bordeaux)
• PP3 (Céline Méredieu et Thierry Labbé, INRAE, Bordeaux)
• Regix (Priscilla Cailly, FCBA, Bordeaux)
• Salem (Patrick Vallet, INRAE Lessem, Grenoble)
• Samsara2 (Benoit Courbaud, INRAE Lessem, Grenoble)
• sydy (Philippe Dreyfus, ONF, Avignon)
• Sylvestris (Sandrine Perret, INRAE, Nogent-sur-Vernisson)

Christine Deleuze, ONF RDI Dole, 9.1.2020

L'installeur Capsis-0NF 2019 a été construit et diffusé par Christine Deleuze le 9 janvier 2019.

Destinataires : DFRN-RDI, Thierry Sardin, Médéric Aubry, Xavier Gauquelin, Marie-Claire Maréchal, Paul Del-Rey, Francis Maugard, Denis Feuillerat, Pauline Delord, Xavier Mandret, Sébastien Laguet, Eric Mermin, Michel Chartier, Simon Martel, tous les développeurs CAPSIS participants et François de Coligny

En 2018-19, 23 modules étaient accessibles, le module Deesses a été remplacé par Salem et le module Luberon2 a été ajouté, soient 24 modules cette année : abial, artémis, CA1, economics, fagacees, forceps, gymnos, heterofor, laricio, luberon2, mathilde, modispinaster, NRG, oakpine 1 et 2, organon, picea-abies, pseudotsuga menziesii, PNN2, regix, salem, samsara2, sydy, sylvestris. Le module Simcop pourra être disponible dans un second temps en fonction des demandes.

Un installeur contenant ces 24 modules a été créé et se trouve sur le dossier partagé de l'ONF : dans le sous- dossier Capsis_ONF2019

Click on the image for a larger view

Francois Lefèvre, INRAE URFM Avignon, 16.12.2019

Luberon2 was used for a short practice session (1h30) during a training workshop for ~20 participants on “Methods in forest conservation genetics” organised by the project GenTree December 2019. The objective was to illustrate the potential impacts of silviculture on the genetic diversity.

The challenge was to have all participants make their own simulations on a demo case in such a short session, with no previous experience in silviculture and without knowing anything about CAPSIS. Participants had just been asked to install java 1.8 on their computers before the training, based on the recommandations of the CAPSIS web page. An installer of Luberon2 had been created (very easy and straghtforward), and the .jar file was simply distributed at the begining of the session with a simple instruction to install.

Technically, everything was very easy: no surprise with the java version, immediate and successful installation of the module for all participants with no exception, great! The introductive presentation of (i) the platform, (ii) the specific content of the module Luberon2 and (iii) the particular scenario in the demo took more time than expected, because it raises a lot of questions. Still, participants had time to run at least one silviculture scenario fully by themselves, and Francois Lefèvre ran the others “live” on his computer projected on the screen, with their support. The participants very much enjoyed the exercise.

To conclude: it was technically easy (but I heard that installing java 1.8 had been sometimes troublesome: do it in advance), more comfortable would have been a 2h time slot including the installation, the simulation plan was a bit too ambitious, i.e. long, for this practice.