Abstract: The field sampling method provides a mobile device, a central memory and a data transfer interface. The mobile device has a main storage, which contains GPS receiver, a mapping program, an external TSP algorithm program and at least one database. The mapping program displays a plurality of sampling point on the user interface of the mobile device. The user has the ability to select a set of sampling points on the user interface. The sampling points are written to a first database. The selected sampling points are processed by the external TSP algorithm program to determine an optimal route. The external TSP algorithm program sends the optimal route to the mapping program. The mapping program displays the optimal route on the screen of the mobile device such that the user can visit points and collect sampling data.

Abstract: An integrated data collection system which automates the collection of timber cruise data. A navigation system is integrated with a data collection system so that real-time positional data is fed directly into the data collection system. The invention guides a forester along a pre-defined cruise route and alerts the forester when a destination point is reached. The forester is then prompted to initiate a data collection cycle. Position data, cruise grid data (such as plot number), and other information is then automatically transferred from the navigation system to the data collection system. When the forester then inputs tree data (such as height, diameter, etc.), that data is automatically linked to the positional and cruise grid data transferred from the navigation system.