Publications

This study developed an integrated decision support system (DSS) to assist land managers in taking a long-term holistic approach to integrated land-use decisions. ?MyLand? is a unique combination of existing methods and techniques: meta-modelling calibrated off-productivity surfaces for spatial application, a decision tree for selecting options, multiple land-use analysis, multiple outputs and a mapping interface deployed over the Web. The design provides visualisation of geospatial information and enables multiple stakeholders to contribute to a more collaborative land-use planning process. Techniques to solve forestry modelling challenges have been generalised and applied in modelling pastoral and forestry land-use types. Forestry yield modelling is accommodated by a two-stage approach of spatial modelling of a productivity index followed by meta-modelling output from forest stand growth models. Livestock farming is modelled using the property owner's estimates of livestock carrying capacity of land management units in a whole property stock reconciliation model. The environmental performance of the property is calculated from the land-use type and management regime. A case study is described to demonstrate the use of ?MyLand? and results of user evaluation of the DSS are presented.This study developed an integrated decision support system (DSS) to assist land managers in taking a long-term holistic approach to integrated land-use decisions. ?MyLand? is a unique combination of existing methods and techniques: meta-modelling calibrated off-productivity surfaces for spatial application, a decision tree for selecting options, multiple land-use analysis, multiple outputs and a mapping interface deployed over the Web. The design provides visualisation of geospatial information and enables multiple stakeholders to contribute to a more collaborative land-use planning process. Techniques to solve forestry modelling challenges have been generalised and applied in modelling pastoral and forestry land-use types. Forestry yield modelling is accommodated by a two-stage approach of spatial modelling of a productivity index followed by meta-modelling output from forest stand growth models. Livestock farming is modelled using the property owner's estimates of livestock carrying capacity of land management units in a whole property stock reconciliation model. The environmental performance of the property is calculated from the land-use type and management regime. A case study is described to demonstrate the use of ?MyLand? and results of user evaluation of the DSS are presented.

Decision support systems (DSSs) are indispensable tools in preparing a forest management plan for a better combination of multiple forest values. This study attempted to develop and explain a stand-based forest management DSS (Ecosystem-based multiple-use forest planning [ETÇAP]) comprising a traditional simulation, linear programming (LP), metaheuristics and geographic information system. The model consists of five submodels; traditional management approach to handle inventory data, an empirical growth and yield model, a simulation to conceptualize management actions, a LP technique to optimize resource allocation and a simulated annealing approach to directly create a spatially feasible harvest schedule. The ETÇAP model has been implemented in a comparative two case study areas; Denizli?Honaz and Akseki?Ibrad?. Both simulation and optimization models outperformed to the traditional management plan. The periodical change of growing stock, allowable cuts, carbon sequestration and water production are used as performance indicators. The results showed that more amount of wood could be harvested over time compared to traditional level of harvesting. It could be concluded that various management strategies allowed managers to stimulate more decision options for better outputs through intertemporal trade-offs of management interventions as the model provided tools to quantify forest dynamics over time and space. Challenges exist to establish the functional relationships between forest structure and values for better quantification and integration into the management plans.Decision support systems (DSSs) are indispensable tools in preparing a forest management plan for a better combination of multiple forest values. This study attempted to develop and explain a stand-based forest management DSS (Ecosystem-based multiple-use forest planning [ETÇAP]) comprising a traditional simulation, linear programming (LP), metaheuristics and geographic information system. The model consists of five submodels; traditional management approach to handle inventory data, an empirical growth and yield model, a simulation to conceptualize management actions, a LP technique to optimize resource allocation and a simulated annealing approach to directly create a spatially feasible harvest schedule. The ETÇAP model has been implemented in a comparative two case study areas; Denizli?Honaz and Akseki?Ibrad?. Both simulation and optimization models outperformed to the traditional management plan. The periodical change of growing stock, allowable cuts, carbon sequestration and water production are used as performance indicators. The results showed that more amount of wood could be harvested over time compared to traditional level of harvesting. It could be concluded that various management strategies allowed managers to stimulate more decision options for better outputs through intertemporal trade-offs of management interventions as the model provided tools to quantify forest dynamics over time and space. Challenges exist to establish the functional relationships between forest structure and values for better quantification and integration into the management plans.

We present a decision support tool for guiding the selection of marked stands based on airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. We describe three stages, namely (1) wall-to-wall mapping of the stands matured for cutting using low-density ALS data; (2) tree-level inventory of these stands using high-density ALS data and (3) theoretical bucking of the imputed tree stems to produce detailed information on their characteristics. We tested them in a Scots pine dominated boreal forest area in Eastern Finland, where 79 sample plots were measured in the field. The detection of the stands matured for cutting had a success rate of 95% and our results demonstrated a further potential to limit the result towards stands dominated by certain species by means of intensity values derived from the low-density ALS data. The applied single-tree detection and estimation chain produced detailed tree-level information and realistic diameter distributions, yet the detection was highly emphasised on the dominant tree layer. The error levels in the estimates were generally less than standard deviations of the field attributes. Finally, plot-level accumulations of saw-log volumes were found rather similar, whether the input was based on the imputed tree data or trees measured in the field. The results are considered useful for ranking the stands based on their properties, whether the aim in the wood procurement is to focus on certain species or to select stands suitable for production needs.We present a decision support tool for guiding the selection of marked stands based on airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. We describe three stages, namely (1) wall-to-wall mapping of the stands matured for cutting using low-density ALS data; (2) tree-level inventory of these stands using high-density ALS data and (3) theoretical bucking of the imputed tree stems to produce detailed information on their characteristics. We tested them in a Scots pine dominated boreal forest area in Eastern Finland, where 79 sample plots were measured in the field. The detection of the stands matured for cutting had a success rate of 95% and our results demonstrated a further potential to limit the result towards stands dominated by certain species by means of intensity values derived from the low-density ALS data. The applied single-tree detection and estimation chain produced detailed tree-level information and realistic diameter distributions, yet the detection was highly emphasised on the dominant tree layer. The error levels in the estimates were generally less than standard deviations of the field attributes. Finally, plot-level accumulations of saw-log volumes were found rather similar, whether the input was based on the imputed tree data or trees measured in the field. The results are considered useful for ranking the stands based on their properties, whether the aim in the wood procurement is to focus on certain species or to select stands suitable for production needs.

Over the last decade, researchers have developed a range of decision support systems (DSS) which seek to improve the evidence-base for decision-making in the forestry sector in Great Britain. Many are now integral to the systems of forest management and planning used. However, in some cases, levels of adoption have been lower than expected. This problem is neither unique to Great Britain nor to forestry, and increasingly it is being explained in terms of the quality of stakeholder engagement during DSS development and implementation. Thus, social research was undertaken to understand the factors affecting DSS uptake. The methods included an online survey completed by 81 members of the Institute of Chartered Foresters and Forestry Commission staff and 30 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders. Four sets of factors were seen to influence uptake: professional judgement and cultural resistance; communication and access; training, support and consolidation; and meeting user requirements. More generally, our conclusions highlight the need for a shift in the quality of interactions at the science?policy?practice interface: from knowledge-transfer (a unidirectional ?bridging of gaps?) to knowledge-exchange (dialogue between collaborating partners) and knowledge-interaction (shared cultures and institutions).Over the last decade, researchers have developed a range of decision support systems (DSS) which seek to improve the evidence-base for decision-making in the forestry sector in Great Britain. Many are now integral to the systems of forest management and planning used. However, in some cases, levels of adoption have been lower than expected. This problem is neither unique to Great Britain nor to forestry, and increasingly it is being explained in terms of the quality of stakeholder engagement during DSS development and implementation. Thus, social research was undertaken to understand the factors affecting DSS uptake. The methods included an online survey completed by 81 members of the Institute of Chartered Foresters and Forestry Commission staff and 30 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders. Four sets of factors were seen to influence uptake: professional judgement and cultural resistance; communication and access; training, support and consolidation; and meeting user requirements. More generally, our conclusions highlight the need for a shift in the quality of interactions at the science?policy?practice interface: from knowledge-transfer (a unidirectional ?bridging of gaps?) to knowledge-exchange (dialogue between collaborating partners) and knowledge-interaction (shared cultures and institutions).

The Finnish state forest enterprise, Metsähallitus, defines the regional harvest levels for a 10-year period in a strategic-level natural resources plan. Although this plan defines stand-level harvest schedules for all stands, in practice, it cannot be used, as the harvests need to be clustered in time and in space. It is applied by giving each subregion goals they need to fulfill in a tactical level planning process, and the harvests are manually clustered into predefined groups of adjacent stands (departments). In this study, we developed a hierarchical optimization process making use of departments for clustering the harvests. For each of the departments, 91 different stand-level harvest schedules (plans) were determined using incomes from one period and the forest value at the end as objectives. The department-level plans were then used as alternatives in a region-level goal optimization problem. The resulting hierarchic plan was compared to the stand-level solution of the strategic-level plan which served as a benchmark plan. The hierarchical plan clustered the harvests and achieved the goals set better than the benchmark plan, but the net present income was 3.3% lower. The approach turned out usable, but further developing of the approach is needed to reduce the costs of clustering.The Finnish state forest enterprise, Metsähallitus, defines the regional harvest levels for a 10-year period in a strategic-level natural resources plan. Although this plan defines stand-level harvest schedules for all stands, in practice, it cannot be used, as the harvests need to be clustered in time and in space. It is applied by giving each subregion goals they need to fulfill in a tactical level planning process, and the harvests are manually clustered into predefined groups of adjacent stands (departments). In this study, we developed a hierarchical optimization process making use of departments for clustering the harvests. For each of the departments, 91 different stand-level harvest schedules (plans) were determined using incomes from one period and the forest value at the end as objectives. The department-level plans were then used as alternatives in a region-level goal optimization problem. The resulting hierarchic plan was compared to the stand-level solution of the strategic-level plan which served as a benchmark plan. The hierarchical plan clustered the harvests and achieved the goals set better than the benchmark plan, but the net present income was 3.3% lower. The approach turned out usable, but further developing of the approach is needed to reduce the costs of clustering.

The use of optimization techniques is well established in forest short-term planning and decision-making. Yet, existing techniques may pose some limitations for tackling with stochastic factors impacting in the execution of forest operations, such as delays, equipment breakdowns and other unexpected events. This paper explores the potential of using optimization techniques in combination with discrete-event simulation (DES) models for planning harvesting and logistics operations acknowledging uncertainty. DES models may be useful for assessing the performance and identifying bottlenecks associated with the execution of the deterministic plans retrieved with optimization techniques, when such stochastic events occur. This paper further presents an approach for the combination of a heuristic and a DES model developed in SIMIO. This approach was used to solve the raw material reception problem (RMRP) at a Portuguese pulp mill. This paper concludes with the analysis of the performance of deterministic schedules for the wood trucks considering uncertainty in their arrival at the mill.The use of optimization techniques is well established in forest short-term planning and decision-making. Yet, existing techniques may pose some limitations for tackling with stochastic factors impacting in the execution of forest operations, such as delays, equipment breakdowns and other unexpected events. This paper explores the potential of using optimization techniques in combination with discrete-event simulation (DES) models for planning harvesting and logistics operations acknowledging uncertainty. DES models may be useful for assessing the performance and identifying bottlenecks associated with the execution of the deterministic plans retrieved with optimization techniques, when such stochastic events occur. This paper further presents an approach for the combination of a heuristic and a DES model developed in SIMIO. This approach was used to solve the raw material reception problem (RMRP) at a Portuguese pulp mill. This paper concludes with the analysis of the performance of deterministic schedules for the wood trucks considering uncertainty in their arrival at the mill.

In this study, an interactive forest planning process corresponding to the practical demands was developed and further tested in a challenging forest planning situation in northeastern Finland. The process includes prior preparation of alternative stand-level treatments and a small amount of holding-level forest plans; an interactive planning session consisting of the primary choice of the forest owner's profile; the owner's selection of the best holding-level plan; and finally a local improvement of this plan. The method as a whole aims to bridge the gap between the prevailing planning culture that has developed for private forest planning over three decades in Finland and the planning approach suggested by multiobjective forest planning theory. The usability and characteristics of the process were evaluated through an exercise set given to both forestry students and forest professionals. Tests of the process indicated, among other things, that comparison particularly of stand-level alternatives and offering owners the possibility to make changes and truly affect the end-result of the planning process are seen as important characteristics of the process.In this study, an interactive forest planning process corresponding to the practical demands was developed and further tested in a challenging forest planning situation in northeastern Finland. The process includes prior preparation of alternative stand-level treatments and a small amount of holding-level forest plans; an interactive planning session consisting of the primary choice of the forest owner's profile; the owner's selection of the best holding-level plan; and finally a local improvement of this plan. The method as a whole aims to bridge the gap between the prevailing planning culture that has developed for private forest planning over three decades in Finland and the planning approach suggested by multiobjective forest planning theory. The usability and characteristics of the process were evaluated through an exercise set given to both forestry students and forest professionals. Tests of the process indicated, among other things, that comparison particularly of stand-level alternatives and offering owners the possibility to make changes and truly affect the end-result of the planning process are seen as important characteristics of the process.

In many recent studies, the value of forest inventory information in the harvest scheduling has been examined. Usually only the profitability of measuring simultaneously all the stands in the area is examined. Yet, it may be more profitable to concentrate the measurement efforts to some subset of them. In this paper, the authors demonstrate that stochastic optimization can be used for defining the optimal measurement strategy simultaneously with the harvest decisions. The results show that without end-inventory constraints, it was most profitable to measure the stands that were just below the medium age. Measuring the oldest stands was not profitable at all. It turned out to be profitable to postpone the measurements until just before the potential harvests. Introducing a strict end-inventory constraint increased the number of stands that could be profitably measured. In this case, also the length of the planning horizon had a clear effect on what stands were profitable to measure. With a 15-year planning horizon, measuring the oldest stands was profitable while with longer planning horizons it was not. The interest rate did not affect the number of stands measured much, but it had a clear effect on the timing of the measurements.In many recent studies, the value of forest inventory information in the harvest scheduling has been examined. Usually only the profitability of measuring simultaneously all the stands in the area is examined. Yet, it may be more profitable to concentrate the measurement efforts to some subset of them. In this paper, the authors demonstrate that stochastic optimization can be used for defining the optimal measurement strategy simultaneously with the harvest decisions. The results show that without end-inventory constraints, it was most profitable to measure the stands that were just below the medium age. Measuring the oldest stands was not profitable at all. It turned out to be profitable to postpone the measurements until just before the potential harvests. Introducing a strict end-inventory constraint increased the number of stands that could be profitably measured. In this case, also the length of the planning horizon had a clear effect on what stands were profitable to measure. With a 15-year planning horizon, measuring the oldest stands was profitable while with longer planning horizons it was not. The interest rate did not affect the number of stands measured much, but it had a clear effect on the timing of the measurements.

In northern Sweden, the forests are used simultaneously for both timber production and reindeer husbandry. During the winter months, lichen is the most important fodder for reindeer. Forest management operations are generally considered having a negative impact on reindeer husbandry as harvesting and dense stands remove or obscure the ground lichen cover. In this study, we simulate three different scenarios for forest management, differing in the intensity and types of harvest operations. The resulting 100-year scenarios are analyzed with respect to their estimated suitability for providing reindeer pasture areas. Suitability is determined by vegetation type, stand density and stand height. The results indicate that the current trend of a decrease in lichen area will continue if existing forestry practice prevails. Implementing continuous cover forestry as a management alternative and carrying out precommercial thinning could halt the decrease in reindeer pasture area and even lead to a future increase in pasture area, with losses of approximately 5% in the net present value of forestry.In northern Sweden, the forests are used simultaneously for both timber production and reindeer husbandry. During the winter months, lichen is the most important fodder for reindeer. Forest management operations are generally considered having a negative impact on reindeer husbandry as harvesting and dense stands remove or obscure the ground lichen cover. In this study, we simulate three different scenarios for forest management, differing in the intensity and types of harvest operations. The resulting 100-year scenarios are analyzed with respect to their estimated suitability for providing reindeer pasture areas. Suitability is determined by vegetation type, stand density and stand height. The results indicate that the current trend of a decrease in lichen area will continue if existing forestry practice prevails. Implementing continuous cover forestry as a management alternative and carrying out precommercial thinning could halt the decrease in reindeer pasture area and even lead to a future increase in pasture area, with losses of approximately 5% in the net present value of forestry.

Sustainable forest management usually involves the use of criteria and indicators (C&I) allowing the monitoring, reporting and assessment of management activities at national, regional and forest management unit levels. Experiences of such concepts are scarce in Nepal, particularly with regard to the evaluation of management activities within a Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) framework. In this contribution we describe how a MCA approach can be used to efficiently exploit information, knowledge, and preferences of stakeholders to address community forest management problems. Beside rating and ranking techniques, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to examine the importance of six criteria and forty-four indicators in a sustainable forest management context with a broad range of stakeholder groups. An evaluation of four management strategies in the Shree Gyneshwar community forest user group allows to demonstrate the relevance of changing priorities for different criteria. A passive adaptive management strategy focusing on a multiple use of natural resources and the introduction of production-oriented measures were identified as the most preferable option. The results of this study show that the multi-criteria analysis approach, and in particular the AHP, can assist decision- makers in efficiently evaluating management problems and generating ideas for the long-term strategic planning process of community forest management, even under complex socio-economic and ecological conditions. In that context, compromise solutions enjoy a higher possibility of being successful, taking into account the different views of stakeholder groups. ©iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry. © Forest - Biogeosciences and Forestry.