Difference between revisions of "CONES"

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{{DSS description, Name, responsible organisation and contact person
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{{DSS, Wiki quality control
|Name=Computergestützte Optimierung von NutzungsEingriffen im Seilgelände (german for computer based support for optimizing silvicultural and harvest operations in steep terrain)
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|Has flag=N/A
|Acronym=CONES
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|Responsible organisation=Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna
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|Type of the owner organization=forest enterprise, research institution
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|Institutional framework=research prototype (R&D project)
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|Contact person for the Wiki=Harald Vacik
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|Contact e-mail for the Wiki=harald.vacik@boku.ac.at
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|Contact person for the DSS=Harald Vacik, Manfred J. Lexer and Karl Stampfer
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|Contact e-mail for the DSS=harald.vacik@boku.ac.at
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|Additional information=It was developed during 2001-2004 by the Institute of Silviculture and the Institute of Forest Engineering at the University of Natural Sciences and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU)
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}}
 
}}
{{DSS description, Scope of the tool
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{{DSS, Name, responsible organisation and contact person
|Description=The greater part of the forested area of the Austrian Federal Forests Company (ÖBf-AG) is located in mountainous regions, which forces forest managers to find optimal solutions between silviculture and forest engineering. Selection of the optimal management strategy is quite a challenge for the people involved in the decision-finding process (forest taxator, forester, forest engineer), given the complexity of the problems that arise when considering the two fields together (spatial relation, time horizon of measures, accomplishing multiple goals, stand and site factors). Possibilities of assessing the consequences of a given extraction strategy in advance are fairly limited. This bears the risk that because of the complexity of the decision-finding process only sub-optimal solutions are chosen. Therefore a practicable and easy to use spatial decision support system (SDSS) was developed for the people invnvolved in the decision making process at the ÖBf-AG.
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|Has full name=Computergestützte Optimierung von NutzungsEingriffen im Seilgelände (german for computer based support for optimizing silvicultural and harvest operations in steep terrain)  
|Modelling dimension=Economical indicators, Forest indicators, Ecological indicators
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|Has acronym=CONES
|Temporal scale=short term (operational)
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|Has wiki contact person=Harald Vacik
|Spatial context=spatial with neighbourhood interrelations
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|Has wiki contact e-mail=harald.vacik@boku.ac.at
|Spatial scale=stand level
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|Objectives dimension=multiple objectives
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|Goods and services dimension=market wood products
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|Forest management goal=silvicultural regime, species selection, multi-functional
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|Supported tree species=Norway Spruce, Europ. Larch, Scots Pine, Silver Fir, Europ. Beech, Maple, Birch, Sycamore
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|Supported silvicultural regime=even-aged, uneven-aged/natural regeneration
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|Decision making dimension=more than one decision maker/stakeholder
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|Participatory planning tasks supported=N/A
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|Additional information=CONES is a spatial decision support system based on ArcGIS which assists the forester on site in compromising silvicultural and harvest operations. It allows the user to evaluate different treatment alternatives as a combination of harvest and forest regeneration strategies in order to select the pareto-optimal solution for a given situation. Cable yarding system in steep terrains requires the consideration of three previous questions:
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- What is the best silvicultural strategy? (e.g., type and density of entry)
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- Which is the best suitable harvesting system?
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- What is the optimal location of the skyline trails?
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Cable yarding system needs to consider high timber volumes in order to cover installation costs. In this system, close to nature forestry involving single tree or group selection systems is sometimes economically unsustainable, leading to strip cuts and clear cuts, which involve lot of ecology, multipurpose forestry, regeneration, natural hazards, and soil erosion problems.
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}}
 
}}
{{DSS description, Concrete application
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{{DSS, Software identification
|Typical use case=t allows the user to evaluate different treatment alternatives as a combination of harvest and forest regeneration strategies in order to select the pareto-optimal solution for a given situation.
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|Has software=CONES.Software
|User profile=public land managers (i.e. state-owned, federal, cantonal, communal forests)
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|Country=Austria
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|Number of users=<=10
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|Number of real-life applications=<=30
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|Utilisation in education: kind of utilisation (demo, use)=used by students
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}}
 
}}
{{DSS description, Installation and support
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{{DSS, Description
|Status=under development
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|Has description=The greater part of the forested area of the Austrian Federal Forests Company (ÖBf-AG) is located in mountainous regions, which forces forest managers to find optimal solutions between silviculture and forest engineering. Selection of the optimal management strategy is quite a challenge for the people involved in the decision-finding process (forest taxator, forester, forest engineer), given the complexity of the problems that arise when considering the two fields together (spatial relation, time horizon of measures, accomplishing multiple goals, stand and site factors). Possibilities of assessing the consequences of a given extraction strategy in advance are fairly limited. This bears the risk that because of the complexity of the decision-finding process only sub-optimal solutions are chosen. Therefore a practicable and easy to use spatial decision support system (SDSS) was developed for the people invnvolved in the decision making process at the ÖBf-AG.
|Accessibility=N/A
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|Has modelling scope=Economical indicators, Forest indicators, Ecological indicators
|Commercial product=No
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|Has temporal scale=Short term (operational)
|Deployment cost=N/A
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|Has spatial context=Spatial with neighbourhood interrelations
|Price=
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|Has spatial scale=Stand level
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|Has objectives dimension=Multiple objectives
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|Has related DSS=CONES
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|Has goods and services dimension=Market wood products
 +
|Has decision making dimension=More than one decision maker/stakeholder
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|Has forest management goal=silvicultural regime, species selection, multi-functional
 +
|Supports tree species=Norway Spruce, Europ. Larch, Scots Pine, Silver Fir, Europ. Beech, Maple, Birch, Sycamore
 +
|Supports silvicultural regime=even-aged, uneven-aged/natural regeneration
 
}}
 
}}
{{DSS description, Data, data model and data management}}
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{{DSS, Concrete application
{{DSS description, Models and methods, MBMS, decision support techniques}}
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|Has typical use case=allows the user to evaluate different treatment alternatives as a combination of harvest and forest regeneration strategies in order to select the pareto-optimal solution for a given situation.
{{DSS description, Support of knowledge management process
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|Has user profile=Non-industrial private owners, national forest administration
|Integrated KM techniques to identify and structure knowledge=
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|Has country=Austria
|Integrated KM techniques to analyse and apply knowledge=
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|Has references about examples of application=VACIK H. (2005): Development and application of Decision Support Systems for silvicultural Planning and Decision making. International Workshop on “Success and Failure of Decision Support Systems for Integrated Water Resource Management”, 06-07. October 2005, Venice, Italy. VACIK H., LEXER M.J., PALMETZHOFER D., STAMPFER K., LIMBECK-LILIENAU B. (2004): Application of the spatial decision support system CONES for the regeneration planning in mountain forests. Cable Yarding Suitable for Sustainable Forest Management, 23. sept. 2004, Idrija, Slovenia
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|Has number of users=<=10
 +
|Has number of real-life applications=<=30
 +
|Has utilisation in education=used by students
 +
|Has research project reference=https://forschung.boku.ac.at/fis/suchen.projekt_uebersicht?sprache_in=en&menue_id_in=300&id_in=3423
 
}}
 
}}
{{DSS description, Support of social participation
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{{DSS, Decision support techniques used in the DSS
|Stakeholder identification support=
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|Has decision support techniques=CONES.Decision support techniques
|Planning criteria formation support=
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|Planning process monitoring and evaluation=
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|Planning outcome monitoring and evaluation=
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}}
 
}}
{{DSS description, User interface and outputs
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{{DSS, Support of Knowledge Management
|User access control=Yes
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|Has knowledge management processes=CONES.Knowledge management process
|Parameterised GUI=No
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}}
 
}}
{{DSS description, System design and development
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{{DSS, Support of social participation
|Stakeholder identification support=
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|Has support for social participation=CONES.Support of social participation
|Planning criteria formation support=
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}}
 
}}
{{DSS description, Technological architecture, integration with other systems
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{{DSS, DSS development
|Scalability=No
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|Has DSS development=CONES.Description of DSS development
 
}}
 
}}
{{DSS description, Ongoing development
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{{DSS, Documentation
|Adaptation effort (man years)=N/A
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|Has website=http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/cones.html
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|Has manual=Yes
 +
|Has technical documentation=Yes
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|Has reference=https://forschung.boku.ac.at/fis/suchen.projekt_uebersicht?sprache_in=en&menue_id_in=300&id_in=3423
 
}}
 
}}
{{DSS description, Documentation
 
|Manual=No
 
|Technical documentation=No
 
}}
 
 
 
CONES is a computer based multiple criteria decision support tool for optimizing silvicultural and harvest operations in steep terrain with cable yarding system.
 
 
 
[[Image:CONES_screenshot.jpg|thumb|400px|A screenshot from CONES v1.0]]
 
 
__TOC__
 
 
=== Scope of the system ===
 
CONES is a spatial decision support system based on ArcGIS which assists the forester on site in compromising silvicultural and harvest operations. It allows the user to evaluate different treatment alternatives as a combination of harvest and forest regeneration strategies in order to select the pareto-optimal solution for a given situation. 
 
 
Cable yarding system in steep terrains requires the consideration of three previous questions:
 
* What is the best silvicultural strategy? (e.g., type and density of entry)
 
* Which is the best suitable harvesting system?
 
* What is the optimal location of the skyline trails?
 
Cable yarding system needs to consider high timber volumes in order to cover installation costs. In this system, close to nature forestry involving single tree or group selection systems is sometimes economically unsustainable, leading to strip cuts and clear cuts, which involve lot of ecology, multipurpose forestry, regeneration, natural hazards, and soil erosion problems.
 
 
=== System origin ===
 
* It was developed during 2001-2004 by the [http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/waldbau.html?&L=1 Institute of Silviculture] and the [http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/508.html?&L=1 Institute of Forest Engineering] at the [http://www.boku.ac.at/home.html?&L=1 University of Natural Sciences and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU)].
 
* The greater part of the forested area of the [http://www.oebf.at Austrian Federal Forests Company (ÖBf-AG)] is located in mountainous regions, which forces forest managers to find optimal solutions between silviculture and forest engineering. Selection of the optimal management strategy is quite a challenge for the people involved in the decision-finding process (forest taxator, forester, forest engineer), given the complexity of the problems that arise when considering the two fields together (spatial relation, time horizon of measures, accomplishing multiple goals, stand and site factors). Possibilities of assessing the consequences of a given extraction strategy in advance are fairly limited. This bears the risk that because of the complexity of the decision-finding process only sub-optimal solutions are chosen. Schematic or intuitive solutions provide no desirable alternatives for the ÖBf AG. Therefore a practicable and easy to use spatial decision support system (SDSS) was developed for the people involved in the decision making process at the ÖBf-AG.
 
* is it a non commercial product
 
* The DSS CONES v1.0 is currently being tested by the Austrian Federal Forests Company in the planning of the use of cable yarding system, and was recently evaluated as part of a thesis <ref>[http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/cones.html CONES website]</ref>.
 
 
=== Support for specific issues  ===
 
 
CONES is a spatial decision support system based on ArcGIS aimed to assist the forester on site in compromising silvicultural and harvest operations.
 
 
Within the GIS environment the user provides basic input data about the current stand and site conditions, designs silvicultural treatment options and selects harvesting systems. The user is supported by various wizards to define the kind of treatment, the number of entries, the planning horizon or individual settings like labor costs or timber prices. Additional information (e.g. location of skyline corridors,  uphill/ downhill extraction) about the harvesting system has to be provided. Expected outcomes of alternative actions are estimated by different models.
 
 
=== Support for specific thematic areas of a problem type  ===
 
* Silvicultural
 
* Conservation
 
* Restoration
 
* Transportation
 
* Policy/intervention alternatives
 
* Sustainability impact assessment (SIA)
 
 
<div style="color:red">
 
=== Capability to support decision making phases  ===
 
* Intelligence:
 
 
(Click [[Simon's decision making model|here]] to see a more detailed explanation)
 
* Intelligence (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
 
* Design (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
 
* Choice (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
 
* Monitor (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS) </div>
 
 
=== Related systems  ===
 
* [[DSD]]
 
 
== Data and data models ==
 
 
=== Typical spatial extent of application  ===
 
Stand level.
 
 
<div style="color:red">
 
=== Forest data input  ===
 
Describe the basic forest input (forest level, stand level, or individual tree level), and appropriate meta-data, such as data provenance (Areal coverage, Sample of plots, stands, Contiguous forest cover). GIS information is to be considered here, namely include cover tyes and type of information (raster or vectorial, necessity of topological information)  If necessary describe surrogate sources of information
 
 
If necessary describe other types of required data (economic, social)
 
 
=== Type of information input from user (via GUI) ===
 
Describe what is the information that the user directly inputs in the system if any): expert knowledge, opinion, goals and production objectives, preferences, stand/site information.... </div>
 
 
 
== Models ==
 
 
=== Forest models ===
 
* For the individual sub-processes (felling, limbing and transporting) from logging on steep slopes productivity models are used.
 
* The stand growth simulator PROGNAUS describes the growth and mortality for the species of the planning unit in the different diameter classes using growth functions.
 
* To estimate the damage risk qualitative response models are used, able to describe the probability for the occurrence of an event.
 
 
 
== Decision Support ==
 
 
=== Definition of management interventions ===
 
CONES v1.0 allows comparison of silvicultural system analytical procedures before making a decision for the treatment procedure. It makes possible for the forest manager and the forestry technicians to work together in order to find solutions that not only optimize the forestry benefits or forest technology availabe, but take into account both aspects under a spatial and temporal dimension.
 
 
=== Typical temporal scale of application ===
 
Operational and tactical level.
 
 
<div style="color:red">
 
=== Types of decisions supported  ===
 
*Management level
 
**strategic decisions
 
**administrative decisions
 
**operating control decisions
 
* Management function
 
* planning decisions
 
**organizing decisions
 
**command decisions
 
**control decisions
 
**coordination decisions
 
*decision making situation
 
**unilateral
 
**Bargaining / participative decision making
 
 
=== Decision-making processes and models ===
 
*Logic modeling
 
*Operations research modeling
 
**Direct approaches
 
**Heuristic manipulation of simulation models
 
*Business modeling
 
*Simulation (with and without stochasticity)
 
*Multiple criteria/ranking
 
*Other
 
 
 
== Output ==
 
 
=== Types of  outputs ===
 
 
Types of outputs produced (tables, maps, 3-D visualizations, pre-programmed summaries, etc)
 
 
=== Spatial analysis capabilities  ===
 
* integrated capabilities
 
* facilitates links to GIS (wizards, etc.)
 
* provides standard data import/export formats
 
* allows spatial analysis (e.g. topology overlays (e.g. multi layering of different maps, selection of objects based on selection criteria, aggregation by attributes (e.g. areas of similar characteristics), Linking by logical means, Statistics by area, analysis with digital terrain model)
 
 
=== Abilities to address interdisciplinary, multi-scaled, and political issues  ===
 
Evaluate interactions between different basic information types (biophysical, economic, social). Produce coordinated results for decision makers operating at different spatial scales facilitate social negotiation and learning
 
</div>
 
 
 
== System ==
 
 
=== System requirements  ===
 
* Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows OS
 
* Other software needed: The decision support tool is implemented using available software packages such as ArcView and MS Access.
 
* Development status: CONES v1.0 is currently available
 
 
<div style="color:red">
 
=== Architecture and major DSS components ===
 
Describe the basic architecture of the system in software and hardware. Desktop client-server, web based, as well as the  integration with available systems. Basic data flow, focusing on retrieval of required input and propagation and implementations of decisions. Mention its modular and scalability capabilities. </div>
 
 
=== Usage ===
 
Government use.
 
 
<div style="color:red">
 
=== Computational limitations ===
 
Describe the system limitations: e.g. number of management units, number of vehicles, time horizon
 
 
=== User interface ===
 
Describe the quality of user interface and the Prerequisite knowledge for using the system </div>
 
 
=== Documentation and support ===
 
Information about CONES can be found at the [http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/cones.html CONES website], where e-mail directions of the responsible researchers are given.
 
 
<div style="color:red">
 
=== Installation ===
 
* Prerequisite knowledge: Level of effort to become functional
 
* Cost: (purchase price, development costs, demonstrated return on investment, cost of use, training costs, licence and maintenance costs)
 
* Demo: allows the download/utilization of a trial version. If yes, where is it available and what are the trial conditions.
 
</div>
 
 
 
==References==
 
 
===Cited references===
 
<references/>
 
 
===External resources===
 
* VACIK H. (2005): ''Development and application of Decision Support Systems for silvicultural Planning and Decision making''. International Workshop on “Success and Failure of Decision Support Systems for Integrated Water Resource Management”, 06-07. October 2005, Venice, Italy. ([http://www.feem-web.it/transcat_forum/download.php?id=93 Fulltext available]) (Oral Communication)
 
 
* VACIK H., LEXER M.J., PALMETZHOFER D., STAMPFER K., LIMBECK-LILIENAU B. (2004): ''Application of the spatial decision support system CONES for the regeneration planning in mountain forests''. Cable Yarding Suitable for Sustainable Forest Management, 23. sept. 2004, Idrija, Slovenia ([http://petelin.gozdis.si/zicnice/fin/pdf_articles/vacik.pdf Fulltext available]) (Oral Communication)
 

Latest revision as of 15:42, 2 April 2013

Wiki quality control

Has flag N/A

Name, responsible organisation and contact person

Has full name Computergestützte Optimierung von NutzungsEingriffen im Seilgelände (german for computer based support for optimizing silvicultural and harvest operations in steep terrain)
Has acronym CONES
Has wiki contact person Harald Vacik
Has wiki contact e-mail harald.vacik@boku.ac.at

Software identification

Has software CONES.Software

Description

Has description The greater part of the forested area of the Austrian Federal Forests Company (ÖBf-AG) is located in mountainous regions, which forces forest managers to find optimal solutions between silviculture and forest engineering. Selection of the optimal management strategy is quite a challenge for the people involved in the decision-finding process (forest taxator, forester, forest engineer), given the complexity of the problems that arise when considering the two fields together (spatial relation, time horizon of measures, accomplishing multiple goals, stand and site factors). Possibilities of assessing the consequences of a given extraction strategy in advance are fairly limited. This bears the risk that because of the complexity of the decision-finding process only sub-optimal solutions are chosen. Therefore a practicable and easy to use spatial decision support system (SDSS) was developed for the people invnvolved in the decision making process at the ÖBf-AG.
Has modelling scope Economical indicators, Forest indicators, Ecological indicators
Has temporal scale Short term (operational)
Has spatial context Spatial with neighbourhood interrelations
Has spatial scale Stand level
Has objectives dimension Multiple objectives
Has related DSS CONES
Has goods and services dimension Market wood products
Has decision making dimension More than one decision maker/stakeholder
Has forest management goal silvicultural regime, species selection, multi-functional
Supports tree species Norway Spruce, Europ. Larch, Scots Pine, Silver Fir, Europ. Beech, Maple, Birch, Sycamore
Supports silvicultural regime even-aged, uneven-aged/natural regeneration

Concrete application

Has typical use case allows the user to evaluate different treatment alternatives as a combination of harvest and forest regeneration strategies in order to select the pareto-optimal solution for a given situation.
Has user profile Non-industrial private owners, national forest administration
Has country Austria
Has references about examples of application VACIK H. (2005): Development and application of Decision Support Systems for silvicultural Planning and Decision making. International Workshop on “Success and Failure of Decision Support Systems for Integrated Water Resource Management”, 06-07. October 2005, Venice, Italy. VACIK H., LEXER M.J., PALMETZHOFER D., STAMPFER K., LIMBECK-LILIENAU B. (2004): Application of the spatial decision support system CONES for the regeneration planning in mountain forests. Cable Yarding Suitable for Sustainable Forest Management, 23. sept. 2004, Idrija, Slovenia
Has number of users <=10
Has number of real-life applications <=30
Has utilisation in education used by students
Has research project reference https://forschung.boku.ac.at/fis/suchen.projekt_uebersicht?sprache_in=en&menue_id_in=300&id_in=3423
Has tool dissemination

Decision support techniques used in the DSS

Has decision support techniques CONES.Decision support techniques

Support of Knowledge Management

Has knowledge management processes CONES.Knowledge management process

Support of social participation

Has support for social participation CONES.Support of social participation

DSS development

Has DSS development CONES.Description of DSS development

Documentation

Has website http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/cones.html
Has online demo
Has manual Yes
Has technical documentation Yes
Has reference https://forschung.boku.ac.at/fis/suchen.projekt_uebersicht?sprache_in=en&menue_id_in=300&id_in=3423