to develop this front-end system. The front-end was 
required to do the following: (1) access and store 
information within the Landsat-derived geographic data 
base; (2) facilitate registration of new Landsat and 
ancillary data to the data base; (3) subset the data base 
into user defined geographic areas; (4) assist the analyst 
in performing defoliation assessments via an executive 
that submits user-specified image analysis programs; and 
(5) tabulate the results of the defoliation assessment. 
The following is an example of how this management front- 
end system would be used. An analyst wishes to estimate 
the extent and severity of insect defoliation within the 
hardwood forests of a specific county using the previously 
described analysis procedure. The appropriate Landsat 
data acquired during the appropriate gypsy moth defoliation 
cycle would be registered to the data base. The county 
boundary of interest would be extracted from the data base 
to isolate the geographic area of interest. The forest/ 
non-forest mask could then be usedto mask out non-forest 
cover types. Using the management front-end executive 
index, the Ratio Vegetation Index would be applied to the 
new "masked" county image to delineate areas of defoliation. 
Results could then be summarized in statistical, image or 
graphic formats. Turner and Baumer provide a more complete 
discussion of the data management system. 
SUMMARY 
The Joint Research Project between NASA/Goddard and the 
Bureau of Forestry, Division of Forest Pest Management has 
provided simplified digital analysis procedures to produce 
a statewide forest resource map and defoliation assessment 
for Pennsylvania using current remote sensing technology. 
The Landsat derived geographic data base and management 
front-end system, resident on computers at the Penn State 
University Computation Center, will facilitate defoliation 
assessments by allowing quick retrieval of statistics, 
selected satellite imagery, and defoliation maps. 
Interactive digital analysis capabilities will facilitate 
not only the defoliation assessment but also future 
updating of the forest resource base map. These advances 
will enable forest entomologists to prepare timely 
surveillance reports and pest management plans. However, 
the utility of even the most advanced digital processing 
and analysis system is dependent on the users capability 
to manipulate the system. As more experience is gained, 
the management front end may be modified to accommodate 
different levels of remote sensing expertise. 
Advances achieved during this JRP will be made available 
to the scientific community by way of a detailed final 
report. Also, NASA/GSFC and BOF/DFPM will conduct a 
symposium on remote sensing applications in the field of 
forest insect damage assessment in Harrisburg, PA in 
December, 1982.