Forest Management Planning Process Research Articles

Multicriteria Decision Analysis and Group Decision-Making to Select Stand-Level Forest Management Models and Support Landscape-Level Collaborative Planning

Forest management planning is a challenge due to the diverse criteria that need to be considered in the underlying decision-making process. This challenge becomes more complex in joint collaborative management areas (ZIF) because the decision now may involve numerous actors with diverse interests, preferences, and goals. In this research, we present an approach to identifying and quantifying the most relevant criteria that actors consider in a forest management planning process in a ZIF context, including quantifying the performance of seven alternative stand-level forest management models (FMM). Specifically, we developed a combined multicriteria decision analysis and group decision-making process by (a) building a cognitive map with the actors to identify the criteria and sub-criteria; (b) structuring the decision tree; (c) structuring a questionnaire to elicit the importance of criteria and sub-criteria in a pairwise comparison process, and to evaluate the FMM alternatives; and (d) applying a Delphi survey to gather actors’ preferences. We report results from an application to a case study area, ZIF of Vale do Sousa, in North-Western Portugal. Actors assigned the highest importance to the criteria income (56.8% of all actors) and risks (21.6% of all actors) and the lowest to cultural services (27.0% of all actors). Actors agreed on their preferences for the sub-criteria of income (diversification of income sources), risks (wildfires) and cultural services (leisure and recreation activities). However, there was a poor agreement among actors on the sub-criteria of the wood demand and biodiversity criteria. For 27.0% of all actors the FMM with the highest performance was the pedunculate oak and for 43.2% of all actors the eucalypt FMM was the least preferable alternative. The findings indicate that this approach can support ZIF managers in enhancing forest management planning by improving its utility for actors and facilitating its implementation.

Effects of Plot Positioning Errors on the Optimality of Harvest Prescriptions When Spatial Forest Planning Relies on ALS Data

Forest management planning is increasingly relying on airborne laser scanning (ALS) in forest inventory. The area-based method to interpret ALS data requires sample plots measured in the field. The aim of this study was to assess and trace the impacts of the positioning errors of field plots along the entire forest management planning process, from their effect on forest inventory results to the outcome of forest management planning. This research links plot positioning errors with the spatio-temporal allocation of forest treatments and calculates the inoptimality losses arising from plot positioning errors in ALS-based forest inventory. The study area was a forest management unit in Central Spain. Growing stock attributes were predicted for a grid of square-shaped cells. Alternative management schedules were simulated for the grid cells by using growth and yield models. Then, a spatial forest planning problem aiming at maximizing timber production with even-flow cuttings was formulated. Spatial objective variables were used to cluster management prescriptions into dynamic treatment units. We used simulated annealing to conduct spatial optimization. First, the true plot locations were used and then the whole process was repeated with normally distributed random errors with standard deviation equal to 2.5, 5 and 10 m, resulting in an average error of 1.47, 3.06 and 8.34 m, respectively. Increasing the level of positioning errors resulted in higher variability in the estimated growing stock attributes and in the achieved values of management goals. Sub-optimal prescriptions caused by the tested plot positioning errors caused up to 4.62% losses in timber production and up to 3.35% losses in utility. The losses increased with increasing plot positioning error.

Impact of forest management intensity on mushroom occurrence and yield with a simulation-based decision support system

Well-researched and sound integration of non-wood forest products into a forest management planning process presents an opportunity to understand the fundamental causative basis of forest dynamics through decision support systems (DSS). The aim of this study is to present a simulation-based mushroom integrated decision support system, ETÇAPSimulation model, and forecast the effects of forest management intensity on mushroom productivity and occurrence. This is conducted through five policy sets with different planning scenarios, representing timber-oriented forest management (T1), multipurpose forest management (M1, M4, M6), and no intervention (NI). The study area involves the Kızılcasu Planning unit from the northwestern part of Turkey. The spatial distribution and productivity models of Lactarius delisiosus and L. salmonicolor generated for the Kızılcasu Planning unit were used in the simulation based model. The results indicated that both minimum harvesting ages and the intensity of forest management interventions are very important for increasing mushroom productivity and occurrence in the case study area. Under the T1 forest management scenario, mushroom productivity is estimated to be approximately 12,469 tonnes. When the planning approach changes to NI, M1, M4 and M6, however, mushroom productivity experiences 86%, 28%, 26% and 33% reduction rates, respectively. Despite these reductions, spatial distribution of mushrooms has been positively affected by forest management interventions.Simulations with multipurpose management policy would probably lead lower estimations of spatial distribution areas and productivity of mushroom than timber-oriented forest management policy would. Multiple-use planning approach seems to contribute less to mushroom productivity and the occurrence than does timber-oriented approach. In fact, determining optimal harvesting ages and the intensity of forest management interventions for each forest value presents a great challenge for decision makers. The DSS tools like ETÇAPSimulation are of great importance to understand the long term effects of various management plans on forest dynamics. Active management of forest resources will be important for achieving simultaneous production of timber products and mushrooms.

On the risk of systematic drift under incoherent hierarchical forest management planning

In theory, linkages between hierarchical forest management planning levels ensure coherent disaggregation of long-term wood supply allocation as input for short-term demand-driven harvest planning. In practice, these linkages may be ineffective, and solutions produced may be incoherent in terms of volume and value-creation potential of harvested timber. Systematic incoherence between planned and implemented forest management activities may induce drift of forest system state (i.e., divergence of planned and actual system state trajectories), thus compromising credibility and performance of the forest management planning process. We describe hierarchical forest management from a game-theoretic perspective and present an iterative two-phase model simulating interaction between long- and short-term planning processes. Using an illustrative case study, we confirm the existence of a systematic drift effect, which we attribute to ineffective linkages between long- and short-term planning. In several simulated scenarios, the planning process fails to ensure long-term wood supply sustainability, fails to reliably meet industrial fiber demand over time, and exacerbates incoherence between wood supply and fiber demand over several planning iterations. We show that manipulating linkages between long- and short-term planning processes can reduce incoherence and describe future work on game-theoretic planning process model formulations that may improve hierarchical planning process performance.

Governance of private forests in Eastern and Central Europe: An analysis of forest harvesting and management rights

A property rights-based approach is proposed in the paper to underline the common characteristics of the forest property rights specification in ten ECE countries, the specific patterns governing the harvesting of timber in private forestry and the role of the forest management planning in determining the content of the property rights. The analysis deals with the private forests of the individuals (non industrial ownership) from ten countries, covering 7.3 million ha and producing yearly some 25 million m3 timber. The study shows that the forest management rights in private forests belong to the State and that the withdrawal rights on timber, yet recognised in the forest management plans, are in reality strongly restricted from an economic viewpoint. The forest management planning is the key instrument of the current forest governance system, based on top-down, hierarchically imposed and enforced set of compulsory rules on timber harvesting. With few exceptions, the forest owners’ have little influence in the forest planning and harvesting. The rational and State-lead approach of the private forest management has serious implications not only on the economic content of the property rights, but also on the learning and adaptive capacity of private forestry to cope with current challenges such the climate change, the increased industry needs for wood as raw material, or the marketing of innovative non wood forest products and services. The study highlights that understanding and comparing the regime of the forest ownership require a special analysis of the economic rights attached to each forest attribute; and that the evolution towards more participatory decision-making in the local forest governance can not be accurately assessed in ECE region without a proper understanding of the forest management planning process.

Fir Working Circles in Functional Forest Management Plans of Regional Forestry Directorate of Kastamonu

Fir, which is one of the main tree species with natural distribution in Turkey, has four taxa. These taxa include Abies nordmanniana subsp. bornmulleriana, Abies nordmanniana subsp. equi-trojani, Abies nordmanniana subsp. nordmanniana, Abies cilicica subsp. cilicica and Abies cilicica subsp. isaurica. Our own species, Abies nordmanniana subsp. bornmulleriana is widely distributed in the borders of Regional Forestry Directorate of Kastamonu. Forest management planning process, started in Hendek (Adapazari) in 1917, and proceeding with some improvements, has been maintained as functional planning. The borders of Sub-district Directorate is divided into working circles in terms of various issues (rotation, tree species, etc.) in the scope of planning performed on the basis of Sub-district Directorate. The Regional Forestry Directorate of Kastamonu, constituting a basis for the topic of this study, has 133 forestry Sub-district Directorates. Working circles identified in the management plans of forestry Sub-district Directorates within the distribution areas of fir are reviewed in this study. Issues such as in which Sub-district Directorate has a separated fir working circle, characteristic of working circle (pure or mixed stands) and the aims of working circle are tried to be identified. Maps showing the distribution areas of fir within the borders of Sub-district Directorates have been prepared by means of geographical information systems.

A GIS-BASED DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANS IN TURKEY

This study is designed to develop a Geographic Information System (GIS) based contemporary forest management planning model (ET APKlasik) enabling to embrace the features of forest management planning guidelines. The model is implemented at a forest management unit level for even-age, uneven-age and coppice forests. The model has four modules as Data Input with inventory compilation, Harvest Scheduler with classical approach and Data Output as reporting and mapping with GIS functionalities. The model has been successfully tested on a case study site in Kizilcasu planning unit in Turkey. The results showed that ET APKlasik model easily compiled the sampling data from field inventory and mapped the results of plan (forest stratification, age class and site maps etc.). Harvest scheduling was conducted according to even-age and uneven-age planning methods. The outputs are generated according to the management guidelines. In conclusion, the model has contributed to the forest management process with the help of information technologies enabling the process to be faster, sound and timely using relatively less amount of time and labor. ET AKlasik has the potential for use in preparing contemporary forest management planning process.

Democratising Terai Forestry Governance: Emerging Innovations in the Western Terai Region of Nepal

The Government of Nepal has had a high interest in the Terai forest in order to harness its enormous revenue potential. However, the policies and plans formulated to this end have not attained the intended results, as these have failed to fully understand the emerging complexities in the Terai. Accordingly, policy response has often been ad hoc, inconsistent and unstable, leading to confusion and conflict on Terai forest management. Drawing on the cases of three districts of Lumbini zone in the Western Terai of Nepal, this paper discusses the forest management context of Nepal Terai, and identifies key innovations that have emerged at district and local levels. It argues that these innovations have the potential for a creative transformation of forest management planning process at district and local level, and for their wider replication and diffusion. This paper also discusses key issues that need further attention so as to maximise the impact of these innovations by putting them into practice. It highlights that emerging complexity of Nepal Terai requires much wider stakeholder engagement in order to facilitate forest management planning and implementation that benefit both the government and the people. Full text is available at the ForestAction websiteDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jfl.v8i2.2306 Journal of Forest and Livelihood 8(2) February 2009 pp.27-38

Developing a silvicultural framework and definitions for use in forest management planning and practice

Lack of a management framework on which to base silviculture options has plagued the forest management planning process in Ontario. The Forest Management Planning Manual for Ontario’s Crown Forests directs that strategic silvicultural options be developed and identified in terms of the (i) applicable forest unit, (ii) associated assumptions, and (iii) extent to which they can be used on a forest management unit. In this paper, we describe a framework for classifying management (or silviculture) intensity and propose definitions for extensive, basic, intensive, and elite intensities of silviculture to support the framework’s use in planning and application. We outline how the Canadian Ecology Centre – Forestry Research Partnership, a research partnership between Tembec Inc., the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Natural Resources Canada, is considering applying these in the forest management planning process. The framework and definitions can be used to develop strategic silviculture options within an active adaptive management approach. This framework should help to reduce uncertainties associated with forest development, treatment costs, response to treatments, and success rates provided appropriate monitoring. The framework and definitions described were specifically developed for silviculture related to reforestation of even-aged boreal forests. Key words: intensive silviculture, adaptive management, forest management

Developing a Multi-Objective Forest Planning Process with Goal Programming: A Case Study

In this study, multi-objective forest management planning process and application were realized in a case study involving faculty research forest. Forest values were quantitatively determined. Goal programming was used in developing multi objective forest management planning model. Forest function considered as forest management objectives (goals) in the model include wood production, soil protection and water production. Four different models containing different goals combinations were developed. Goals were prioritized differently in these models. The goals were fully achieved. Moreover, for the tree goals, the optimum GP solutions presented wanted deviations with respect to the initial target values. Forest function maps were prepared according to models solutions in the end of this study.

Understanding self-evaluations of effectiveness by forestry advisory committee members: A case of Ontario's Local Citizens Committee members

Researchers have devised many criteria that could assist with the development of an effective public participation process. Few studies, however, have linked these criteria to the effectiveness of decision-making resulting from these processes. We assess whether several criteria postulated by others for designing an effective decision-making process are associated with evaluations of the effectiveness of decision-making by advisory group members from a forest management planning process in Ontario, Canada. Data were collected by written questionnaires from 197 advisory group members in 2001. Four criteria were linked to the effectiveness evaluations including process control (influence), trust in decision-makers, information credibility, and process efficiency. The criterion of knowledge along with contextual variables related to experience, economic dependence on forestry, and geographical residence were not associated with evaluations of effectiveness.

Forest harvesting, resource-based tourism, and remoteness: an analysis of northern Ontario's sport fishing tourism

This paper assesses the impact that the routine application of Ontario's forest management planning process has on the revenue generation of sport fishing tourism sites. The analysis employs a hedonic pricing model to examine jointly these effects on revenue for three tourism experiences. These tourism experiences offer different degrees of remoteness, and as a consequence, require different levels of effort and cost to visit. Modelling the relationship between price and attributes of sites such as remoteness permits the analysis to forecast the revenue generation potential of sport fishing tourism sites under a range of forest management schemes. The results show that the extent of forest harvesting had no statistical relationship with prices charged for fishing packages at road-, boat-, or train-accessible sites and a negative but small impact on the prices charged for fishing packages at sites accessible by float plane.

Enhancing public participation in natural resource management using Soft OR––an application of strategic option development and analysis in tactical forest planning

This article presents a case study where a modified version of strategic option development and analysis (SODA) is applied to enhance the level of citizens’ participation in a strategic forest management planning process managed by the Danish Forest and Nature Agency. The case is interesting because of structural differences between traditional Soft OR and public participation settings. Research shows that SODA can nevertheless improve public involvement in several ways, including stakeholders’ perception of being involved, stakeholders’ commitment, structuring of the planning context, communication of stakeholder perspectives, identification and management of conflicts, decision process transparency, and agency accountability for final planning outcomes. The primary problems encountered relate to the difficulty of reading the cognitive maps, time requirements, and selection of facilitator. The general impression is that SODA can improve the present practice, and moreover provide a feasible platform for wider integration of stakeholder groups in the tactical planning process.

Indigenous knowledge in sustainable forest management: Community-based approaches achieve greater success

Forests continue to play a critical part in the spiritual and cultural life of Aboriginal people. In turn, Aboriginal people are striving to revitalize their role in maintaining a healthy relationship with these ecosystems. In Canada, the past two centuries have seen Aboriginal people largely excluded from forest management activities. This has begun to gradually change due to ongoing Aboriginal efforts in the courts as well as to national and international recognition of the potential contribution of Indigenous Knowledge to sustainable forest management. Such change is bringing about new opportunities for the meaningful involvement of Aboriginal people and Indigenous Knowledge in sustainable forest management activities. The increasing participation of Aboriginal people in sustainable forest management is both called for and reflected in various forest policies, practices and programs in Canada. While this represents a positive development, the degree and type of Aboriginal involvement called for have thus far generally been unsatisfactory from an Aboriginal perspective. Interviews conducted with both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal participants in Ontario's new forest management planning process indicate that this recently developed process has nonetheless yielded some hopeful results in terms of Aboriginal involvement in certain instances. It was found that both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal interview respondents most often described the Aboriginal consultation process to be a success where control over the nature and methods of sharing of information was relinquished to the participating Aboriginal communities. Contexts and implications of these findings are briefly discussed. Key words: Traditional ecological knowledge, native values mapping, Aboriginal forestry, sustainable communities

Fair and Effective Decision Making in Forest Management Planning

Creating a fair and effective decision-making process in forest management planning is more than a lofty public policy goal; it is increasingly becoming a legal requirement. An integral component of a fair and effective decision-making process is an effective public involvement process. By increasing public involvement, both the process and outcomes from the process should be perceived as fairer and, consequently, more effective. This study examines the utility of applying the social psychology paradigm of procedural fairness to decision-making processes in forest management planning. Specifically, we examine whether the involvement level that resource-based tourism operators have with Ontario's forest management planning process influences their evaluations of the process and outcomes from the process. The study also contributes toward identifying effective and measurable indicators to assess fair and effective decision making in forest management planning, which could serve in a criteria and indicator framework of forest sustainability.

Strategic multiple-use forest planning in Lithuania — applying multi-criteria decision-making and scenario analysis for decision support in an economy in transition

While many Western European countries mourn the loss of their natural forest ecosystems, a country such as Lithuania enjoys large areas of forests with natural characteristics. Paradoxically, the long rotation ages used in traditional Lithuanian forestry, which are prerequisites for the many appreciated environmental values of the forests, have been questioned from the utilitarian market-economy criterion of maximising net present value. In order to evaluate such beliefs, this study presents a methodology that incorporates environmental values into the strategic forest-management planning process, using the Dubrava Forest in Central Lithuania as a case area. Simulation, scenario analysis, optimisation and multi-criteria decision-making techniques are used in strategic analysis of different management rationalities. The case study is based on recent (1998) management prescriptions, sales prices, labour costs and an interest rate of 2%. The study analyses the effects on the environmental values if the traditional management approach is changed into management based on optimisation of net present value. It is concluded that traditional Lithuanian forest-management supports recreational and ecological functions at a significantly higher level than would forests managed after economic optimisation alone. The methodology used in the study proves a promising tool for policy analysis, providing decision-makers with a flexible platform for evaluation of different multiple-use management approaches. If the importance of the multiple use of Lithuanian forests is not continuously recognised in forest management, there is a risk that the forests will lose many of the recreational and near-natural ecosystem characteristics, which are rarely found in Western Europe.

Object-oriented abstraction of contemporary forest management design

This paper presents a conceptual object-oriented design (OOD) framework for abstracting forest management design components. The framework for OOD encompassing modularity, encapsulation, interface and inheritance is used to abstract a forest management system in a modular way. We presented that using OOD approaches, a forest management model can be developed generically enough to accommodate various components of forest management modeling. The model framework is flexible and can be updated with relative efficiency, as the system design components are modularized and less independent than those designed with conventional approaches. We identified the basic components and discussed in detail their interface and behavior (functions) in a typical forest management planning process with three distinct modeling approaches; simulation, optimization and meta heuristics. We established OO management design framework which is both generic enough to provide the fundamental services to any types of forest management modeling such as simulation optimization and meta heuristics – however, we demonstrated the latter – and capable of providing specific services such as handling forest development patterns, forming strategies, forecasting and reporting forest changes. We concludes that the OOD approach for abstracting forest management design process allows a great deal of flexibility in constructing flexible, extensible, and adaptable forest management decision support systems tools and provides important information essential for the sustainable management of forested ecosystems.

Investigating the 40-Year Legacy of Forest Management Plans in Eastern Black Sea Forests of Turkey

Eastern Black Sea forests in Turkey have been managed with both even-aged and uneven-aged management approaches. The forests, however, are severely degraded and depleted as a result of mismanagement particularly in applying uneven-aged management practices. This paper explains and discusses the results of management plans in two consecutive periods, 1971-1990 and 1983-2004. The analysis showed that considerable changes occurred in planning parameters between the two periods: the forest landbase and allowable cut levels decreased and the growing stock increased. We demonstrated that several factors (inconsistent volume and increment tables, lack of silvicultural plans, lack of site classification, poor regional socio-economic structure, inconsistent forest management planning process and personnel policy) were together accountable for such dramatic changes and suggested few recommendations for better management of the regions diverse and fragile forest in the future.

Developing a woodland caribou habitat mosaic on the Ogoki-Nakina North Forests of northwestern Ontario

The Ogoki-North Nakina Forests consist of (10 638 km2) unroaded boreal forest approximately 400 km northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario (lat 50°- 51°31'N, long 86°30'- 89°W). Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) inhabit discrete portions within these forests based on minimal current and past historical data. As part of the Forest Management Planning process, for the period 1997-2097, a woodland caribou habitat mosaic has been developed to coordinate present and future forest management activities with the retention and development of current and future woodland caribou habitat. Several criteria including, past fire history, forest structure, age, species composition, proximity to current road access and location of existing and potential caribou habitat, helped identify and delineate 50 mosaic harvest blocks. Each harvest block will be logged in one of five 20 year periods over a 100 year rotation (1997¬2097). The harvest blocks have been developed to simulate a pattern of past wildfire history in an area that has not been subjected to past forest management activities, while managing for woodland caribou, a locally featured species.

A spatial decision support system for long‐term forest management planning by means of linear programming and a geographical information system

The increased concern for environmental values increases the complexity of long‐term forest management planning. Environmental issues have to be dealt with over space and time. By creating links between existing aspatial long‐term forest management models and geographical information systems (GIS), environmental issues can be treated within the forest management planning process. In this article, a spatial decision support system (SDSS) developed by incorporating a forest management planning model into a GIS is presented. A case study is employed to illustrate the usefulness of the SDSS using real data. In order to preserve the water bodies in a forest area, the allowable treatments in areas falling within certain distances of lakes, streams, and swamps were restricted. Treatment schedules were simulated for all stands, and linear programming was utilized to maximize the net present value (NPV) subject to a non‐declining felling path. The NPV was reduced by 6.9% due to the treatment restrictions, and the annual harvest flow was reduced by about 10%. Various thematic maps of future time periods may be produced for subjective evaluation of the results.