Management Objectives Research Articles

The Value of Information is Context Dependent: A Demonstration of Decision Tools to Address Multispecies River Temperature Management Under Uncertainty

Trade‐offs among objectives in natural resource management can be exacerbated in altered ecosystems and when there is uncertainty in predicted management outcomes. Multi‐criteria decision analysis and value of information (VOI) are underutilized decision tools that can assist fisheries managers in handling trade‐offs and evaluating the importance of uncertainty. We demonstrate the use of these tools using a case study in the Sacramento River, California, USA, where two imperiled species with different temperature requirements, winter‐run Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and Green Sturgeon Acipenser medirostris, spawn and rear in the artificially cold Shasta Dam tailwater. A temperature‐control device installed on Shasta Dam maintains cool water for Chinook Salmon; however, uncertainties exist related to the effects of temperatures on the spawning and rearing of both species. We consider four alternative hypotheses in models of early life‐stage dynamics to evaluate the effects of alternative temperature management strategies on Chinook Salmon and Green Sturgeon management objectives. We used VOI to quantify the increase in management performance that can be expected by resolving hypothesis‐based uncertainties as a function of the weight assigned to species‐specific objectives. We found the decision was hindered by uncertainty; the best performing alternative depends on which hypothesis is true, with warmer or cooler alternative management strategies recommended when weights favor Green Sturgeon or Chinook Salmon objectives, respectively. The value of reducing uncertainty was highest when Green Sturgeon was slightly favored, highlighting the interaction between scientific uncertainty and decision makers' values. Our demonstration features multi‐criteria decision analysis and VOI as transparent, deliberative tools that can assist fisheries managers in confronting value conflicts, prioritizing resolution of uncertainty, and optimally managing aquatic ecosystems.

Open conversations: Finding ways to improve communication between family forest landowners and consulting foresters

Alabama is comprised of 23 million acres of forestland, of which family forest landowners (FFLs) own 56 % of that acreage. Therefore, FFLs are vital to maintaining the quality and diversity of Alabama's forests. However, FFLs possess varying attitudes towards management, value their land for different reasons, and have differing management objectives. In addition, FFLs are comprised of diverse backgrounds, own vastly different acreages, and fall within differing income brackets, all of which have been shown to affect management usage. This research aims to assess consulting foresters and FFLs in Alabama to learn why FFLs are hesitant to use consulting foresters for land management. It also aims to educate FFLs and consulting foresters in Alabama on better communicating their needs, services, and benefits. To study these two groups, a set of interviews and two surveys were used to collect perceptions, experiences, and needs. While consulting foresters are willing to work with smaller acreage, there are still constraints preventing management, and cost was mentioned by both groups. Still, FFLs are interested in consulting foresters' services, but many do not actively market FFLs. As a result, FFLs are unaware of the different types of forestry professionals, causing competition for consulting foresters who must be registered. Both consulting foresters and FFLs need to become more active in organizations, and consulting foresters need to adopt newer marketing techniques, while FFLs should seek more educational opportunities and opportunities to interact with consulting foresters directly.

Forest structural complexity and ignition pattern influence simulated prescribed fire effects

BackgroundForest structural characteristics, the burning environment, and the choice of ignition pattern each influence prescribed fire behaviors and resulting fire effects; however, few studies examine the influences and interactions of these factors. Understanding how interactions among these drivers can influence prescribed fire behavior and effects is crucial for executing prescribed fires that can safely and effectively meet management objectives. To analyze the interactions between the fuels complex and ignition patterns, we used FIRETEC, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics fire behavior model, to simulate fire behavior and effects across a range of horizontal and vertical forest structural complexities. For each forest structure, we then simulated three different prescribed fires each with a unique ignition pattern: strip-head, dot, and alternating dot.ResultsForest structural complexity and ignition pattern affected the proportions of simulated crown scorch, consumption, and damage for prescribed fires in a dry, fire-prone ecosystem. Prescribed fires in forests with complex canopy structures resulted in increased crown consumption, scorch, and damage compared to less spatially complex forests. The choice of using a strip-head ignition pattern over either a dot or alternating-dot pattern increased the degree of crown foliage scorched and damaged, though did not affect the proportion of crown consumed. We found no evidence of an interaction between forest structural complexity and ignition pattern on canopy fuel consumption, scorch, or damage.ConclusionsWe found that forest structure and ignition pattern, two powerful drivers of fire behavior that forest managers can readily account for or even manipulate, can be leveraged to influence fire behavior and the resultant fire effects of prescribed fire. These simulation findings have critical implications for how managers can plan and perform forest thinning and prescribed burn treatments to meet risk management or ecological objectives.

Efficacy of non‐lead ammunition distribution programs to offset fatalities of golden eagles in southeast Wyoming

AbstractGolden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) face many anthropogenic risks including illegal shooting, electrocution, collision with wind turbines and vehicles, and lead poisoning. Minimizing or offsetting eagle deaths resulting from human‐caused sources is often viewed as an important management objective. Despite understanding the leading anthropogenic sources of eagle fatalities, existing scientific research supports few practical solutions to mitigate these causes of death. We implemented a non‐lead ammunition distribution program in southeast Wyoming, USA, and evaluated its effectiveness as a compensatory mitigation action to offset incidental take (i.e., fatalities) of golden eagles at wind energy facilities. In 2020 and 2022, we distributed non‐lead ammunition to 699 hunters with big‐game tags specific to our >400,000‐ha study area. These hunters harvested 296 pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), 14 deer (Odocoileus spp.), and 33 elk (Cervus canadensis) in the study area, which accounted for 6.9% and 6.5% of the harvest in these hunt units in 2020 and 2022, respectively. We used road surveys in 2020 to estimate a density of 0.036 (95% CI = 0.018–0.058) golden eagles/km2 during the big game hunting season in our study area. Model output suggests that our non‐lead ammunition distribution program offset the fatality of 3.84 (95% CI = 1.06–23.72) eagles over the course of these 2 hunting seasons. Our work illustrates the potential usefulness of non‐lead ammunition distribution programs as an action to mitigate eagle fatalities caused by wind facilities or other anthropogenic causes of death.

A global assessment of large terrestrial carnivore kill rates.

Through killing and instilling fear in their prey, large terrestrial carnivores shape the structure and function of ecosystems globally. Most large carnivore species have experienced severe range and population declines due to human activities, and many are now threatened with extinction. Consequently, the impacts of these predators on food webs have been diminished or lost completely from many ecosystems. Kill rates provide a fundamental metric for understanding large carnivore ecology and assessing and comparing predation within and across ecological communities. Our systematic review of large terrestrial mammalian carnivore kill rates reveals significant positive geographic (North America, Europe, and Africa) and taxonomic (grey wolf Canis lupus, puma Puma concolor, lion Panthera leo, and Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx) bias, with most studies apparently motivated by human-carnivore conflict over access to ungulate prey and wildlife management objectives. Our current understanding of the behaviour and functional roles of many large carnivore species and populations thus remains limited. By synthesising and comparing kill rates, we show that solitary carnivores (e.g. brown bears Ursus arctos and most felids) exhibit higher per capita kill rates than social carnivores. However, ungulate predation by bears is typically limited to predation of neonates during a short period. Lower per capita kill rates by social carnivores suggests group living significantly reduces energetic demands, or, alternatively, that group-living carnivores defend and consume a greater proportion of large prey carcasses, or may acquire more food through other means (e.g. scavenging, kleptoparasitism) than solitary hunters. Kill and consumption rates for Canidae - measured as kilograms of prey per kilogram of carnivore per day - are positively correlated with body mass, consistent with increasing energy costs associated with a cursorial hunting strategy. By contrast, ambush predators such as felids show an opposite trend, and thus the potential energetic advantage of an ambush hunting strategy for carnivores as body mass increases. Additionally, ungulate kill rates remain relatively constant across solitary felid body sizes, indicative of energetic constraints and optimal foraging. Kill rate estimates also reveal potential insights into trophic structuring within carnivore guilds, with subordinate carnivores often killing more than their larger counterparts, which may be indicative of having to cope with food losses to scavengers and dominant competitors. Subordinate carnivores may thus serve an important role in provisioning food to other trophic levels within their respective ecosystems. Importantly, kill rates also clarify misconceptions around the predatory behaviour of carnivores (e.g. spotted hyaenas Crocuta crocuta and wolverines Gulo gulo are often considered scavengers rather than the capable hunters that they are) and thus the potential impacts of various carnivore species on their ecological communities. Despite the importance of kill rates in understanding predator-prey interactions, their utility is not widely recognised, and insufficient research limits our ability to fully appreciate and predict the consequences of modified predation regimes, justify current management actions affecting carnivores, or inform effective conservation measures. Together with other important research on predator-prey interactions, robust kill rate studies that address the research deficiencies we highlight will provide a deeper understanding of the foraging behaviours and potential ecosystem impacts of many of the world's carnivores, thus aiding effective conservation and management actions.

Self-assembled ROS-triggered Bletilla striata polysaccharide-releasing hydrogel dressing for inflammation-regulation and enhanced tissue-healing

The antimicrobial and pro-healing properties remain critical clinical objectives for skin wound management. However, the escalating problem of antibiotic overuse and the corresponding rise in bacterial resistance necessitates an urgent shift towards an antibiotic-free approach to antibacterial treatment. The quest for antimicrobial efficacy while accelerating wound healing without antibiotic treatment have emerged as innovative strategies in skin wound treatment. Here, a dual-function hydrogel with antimicrobial and enhanced tissue-healing properties was developed by utilizing cyclodextrin, ferrocene, polyethyleneimine (PEI), and Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP), through multiple non-covalent interactions, which can intelligently release BSP by recognizing the wound inflammatory microenvironment through the cyclodextrin-ferrocene unit. Moreover, the porosity (65 % - 85 %), Young's modulus (400 KPa - 140 KPa), and DPPH scavenge rate (18 % - 40 %) of the hydrogel are modulated by varying the BSP content. The hydrogel exhibits outstanding antibacterial properties (98.3 % reduction of Escherichia coli observed after exposure to HTFC@BSP-20 for 24 h) and favorable biocompatibility. Furthermore, in a rat full-thickness skin wound model, the dual-function hydrogel significantly accelerates wound healing, increased CD31 expression promotes vascular regeneration, reduced TNF-α express and inhibited the inflammation. This multifunctional ROS responsive hydrogel provides a new perspective for antibiotics-free treatment of skin injuries.

Identifying temperature refuges in Utah using temperature, biota, and habitat data

AbstractUnderstanding where on landscapes to make investments, such as designating protected areas, is a critical component of biodiversity management. Locations for management actions should achieve current management objectives while also having the best chance of continued success in the future. Climate change has the potential to undermine biodiversity management, as it may lead to substantial changes in environmental conditions that are outside local managers' control. Following changes in environmental conditions, areas on the landscape may become unsuitable for the species or habitats that the initial actions were intended to benefit. The potential for local actions to be undermined by global‐scale threats makes it essential to account for and minimize exposure to temperature change. We present a series of analyses identifying priority areas for wildlife and habitat management. We conducted our analyses using a systematic landscape planning approach that identifies areas within species' ranges or current distributions of key habitats that are predicted to be less affected by future temperature change. We used the ranges of 142 animal and 149 plant species identified as species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) together with the distributions of 14 terrestrial and 19 aquatic key habitats in Utah, USA. We measured temperature change in 2 ways: as changes in mean annual temperature between 2020 and the year 2100 (temperature difference) and by quantifying how far a species range or habitat would have to shift to maintain its current temperature envelope (climate velocity). We identified the sub‐watersheds with hydrologic unit code 12 (HUC 12) that collectively encompassed the ranges of our SGCNs and key habitats while minimizing overall exposure to temperature change. These high priority HUC 12s represented areas that were not only hotspots for SGCNs and key habitats but also acted as temperature refugia, where management actions are likely to be robust to temperature change. We hope that our identification of high‐priority HUC 12s will help inform and guide future management actions to improve their long‐term outcomes.

Sustainability as Proper Investment: Organisational and Field Level Effects of Grand Challenges in the Case of Swiss Banking

For business firms Grand Challenges (GCs) have become both a social expectation they must meet and a promising opportunity to make profits. Based on the insights of the organisation-society approach, we use the example of banks to show how social and ecological problems are translated into manageable objects and how this translation corresponds to changes at the field level. We identify new forms of collaboration, the emergence of new professionals, and the further trainings of established professionals as a promising research perspective.

Breathing for Two: Asthma Management, Treatment, and Safety of Pharmacological Therapy during Pregnancy.

The primary objectives of asthma management during pregnancy are to achieve adequate symptom control, reduce the risk of acute exacerbations, and maintain normal pulmonary function, all of which contribute to ensuring the health and well-being of both the mother and the baby. The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) recommends that pregnant women with asthma continue using asthma medications throughout pregnancy, as the benefits of well-controlled asthma for both the mother and fetus outweigh the potential risks of medication side effects, poorly controlled asthma, and exacerbations. The classification of asthma medications by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) into categories A, B, C, D, and X is no longer applied. Instead, the potential benefits and risks of each medication during pregnancy and lactation are considered individually. The use of medications to achieve good asthma control and prevent exacerbations during pregnancy is justified, encompassing inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), some leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA), short-acting beta-2 agonists (SABA), long-acting beta-2 agonists (LABA), short-acting muscarinic antagonists (SAMA), long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA), and, recently, biological therapies, even in the absence of definitive safety data during pregnancy.

Визуальная интерпретация парадигмы управления организационной системой c разнородными производственными ресурсами

The object of the study is developing a formalized mechanism for managing an organizational system that implements complex production activities, including different types of industrial production, and applies the corresponding heterogeneous resources. The subject of the article is an important intermediate stage of this development, which is an abstract interpretation of the optimal management paradigm of limited resources of such an organizational system, proposed earlier by the authors. The interpretation will allow reasonably forming a strict mathematical model of objects and control processes. The management mechanism in any subject area, providing for adopting management decisions by people authorized to do so, must have an ergonomic development and appropriate information support for these decisions. The so-called result information plays the role of such support, that is the information on the characteristics of the current and planned states of the management object in the problem being solved which is the productivity of the organizational system resources. It seems advisable to carry out such ergonomic and information development of the designed problem-oriented management mechanism in the form of a visual interpretation of its substantive concept. The prototype of such interpretation tools is graphic images used in modelling and designing technical systems, developed in this work in the field of management in organizational systems with heterogeneous resources. The article provides examples of their application, demonstrating the possibility of visual representation of the current state of the organizational system and the set of its possible controlled states.

Role of Information Technology (IT) in Human Resource Management

The world has been changed with Information Technology. Our daily life and the way weinterconnect with others have been changed via Internet, how we study and learn, how we work, andspend our time. Information Technology plays a vital role in all aspects of life and causes to bringaccuracy, speed, availability and easiness in our daily life. Information technology, as a package ofoffered program is available to individuals and organizations through hardware infrastructure and playsa vital role in the growth of Human Resources. This paper covers a introduction of the role of informationtechnology in human resource management, Objectives of Human Resource Management, Scope ofInformation Technology in Human Resource Management, Opportunities for implementing IT with HRfunction.

Efforts of The Nagari Taram Government in Improving Community Welfare Through Kapalo Banda Tourism

The main problem in this study is the effort to improve community welfare through the development of Kapalo Banda tourism. Limited basic infrastructure such as inadequate road conditions and minimal supporting facilities are the main obstacles. Access roads to the location of tourist attractions are still in poor condition, there is a lot of damage and obstacles making it difficult for tourists to reach them. infrastructure problems, management of Kapalo Banda tourism objects by the Taram regional government has also not been implemented optimally. The type of research used by the researcher is field research using qualitative descriptive research methods to obtain data from the problems studied. Kapalo Banda tourism has created new jobs for the community, thereby reducing unemployment in the area. The economic impact of Kapalo Banda tourism development improves the quality of life of the community, increasing the standard of living and social welfare of the Nagari Taram community. Kapalo Banda tourism has a positive impact on the economy and social welfare of the community. get increased income, job opportunities and a better quality of life. Kapalo Banda tourism has created new jobs for the community, thereby increasing job opportunities, reducing unemployment. The development of Kapalo Banda tourism has increased community income, both from the tourism sector and other economic sectors related to the existence of tourist attractions.

Enhancing Energy Efficiency and Mitigating Environmental Degradation through Anaerobic Co-digestion of Palm Oil Mill Effluent and Solid Residues

The utilization of palm oil mill residues for sustainable biogas production presents a promising avenue to mitigate environmental challenges associated with waste disposal and energy demand in palm oil processing. The study explores the use of palm oil mill residues for sustainable biogas production, focusing on the impact of mixing ratios of POME and three raw milled residues on biogas yield through anaerobic co-digestion. Results indicate that co-digestion significantly enhanced biogas production compared to mono-digestion of POME alone. The highest biogas yield of 370 ml was recorded in the digester with 40% residues followed by 50% with a cumulative biogas of 190 ml. The two digesters were higher than 80 ml recorded for POME alone. The findings underscore the potential of integrating palm oil mill residues into biogas systems to achieve dual objectives of waste management and renewable energy generation

Task-Oriented Robot Cognitive Manipulation Planning Using Affordance Segmentation and Logic Reasoning.

The purpose of task-oriented robot cognitive manipulation planning is to enable robots to select appropriate actions to manipulate appropriate parts of an object according to different tasks, so as to complete the human-like task execution. This ability is crucial for robots to understand how to manipulate and grasp objects under given tasks. This article proposes a task-oriented robot cognitive manipulation planning method using affordance segmentation and logic reasoning, which can provide robots with semantic reasoning skills about the most appropriate parts of the object to be manipulated and oriented by tasks. Object affordance can be obtained by constructing a convolutional neural network based on the attention mechanism. In view of the diversity of service tasks and objects in service environments, object/task ontologies are constructed to realize the management of objects and tasks, and the object-task affordances are established through causal probability logic. On this basis, the Dempster-Shafer theory is used to design a robot cognitive manipulation planning framework, which can reason manipulation regions' configuration for the intended task. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method can effectively improve the cognitive manipulation ability of robots and make robots preform various tasks more intelligently.

THE ESSENCE OF GOODWILL IN DISCLOSING THE INTANGIBLE VALUE OF BUSINESS IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

The intangible component of business value is increasing, yet remains inadequately disclosed in financial reporting. Current accounting standards have not fully developed the tools and methodologies for its comprehensive recognition, measurement, assessment, and full disclosure in reports. Discussions on the essence of goodwill have long been ongoing, and it's evident that this category extends beyond accounting and financial reporting. Digital transformation enhances the interest of researchers, scholars, and practitioners in the essence of goodwill, emphasizing the necessity to consider it as a means of disclosing the intangible value of business in modern conditions.The methodological basis of the conducted research includes methods of analysis, synthesis, historical conceptual review, comparison, logical generalization, grouping, abstraction, and a systematic approach.Studying the history of the development of the goodwill concept allowed identifying the main stages of its formation as an object of accounting, reporting, and management. An in-depth critical analysis of definitions supplemented economic, legal, and accounting approaches to understanding the essence of goodwill with new ones, such as marketing, branding, value, emotional, quantitative, and systemic. The developed classification allows considering all aspects of goodwill manifestation and the views of various assessment subjects on its essence and role in disclosing the intangible value of the business. It is proposed to define goodwill as the intangible value of a business reflecting its reputation, brand, customer loyalty, intellectual property, innovative and technological capabilities, digital user experience, online presence, and a set of other unique intangible assets, which together contribute to the sustainable growth of the company's market value and create competitive advantages, enabling adaptation to changes in the era of digital transformation.Goodwill is a category that exists not only in consolidated reporting, as it characterizes the intangible components of business value and requires appropriate recognition and management.

Study on Improving Fire Safety in Traditional Markets

In this study, we analyzed fire-safety management regulations and problems with fire-alarm equipment in traditional markets, as failures can cause significant damage in the event of a fire. We also present improvement measures based on analyzing major fire accidents. Traditional markets must designate the type of firefighting equipment installed at a store according to the number of stores, and apply this measure retroactively when the installation regulations are revised. If the market is designated as traditional, the equipment must be designated as a fire-safety management object, and the appointment of a fire safety manager, firefighting education and training, and self-inspection must be made mandatory. Fire-alarm equipment must be inspected regularly by a fire-safety manager, and fire-proof walls must be installed with self-supporting fire-resistant structures at certain sections. When designing a new traditional market, it must be designated after facility supplementation following safety inspection. In addition, traditional markets are required to have fire-detection equipment and automatic notification systems, and building-type traditional markets must retroactively install automatic sprinkler equipment.

БЕРЕЖЛИВЫЕ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ В СИСТЕМЕ УПРАВЛЕНИЯ КАК ИНСТРУМЕНТ ПОВЫШЕНИЯ ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ ХОЗЯЙСТВЕННОЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ МЕДИЦИНСКИХ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЙ

The solution of efficiency improvement issues is relevant for all types of organizations. The article reveals the features of the category "efficiency" in relation to the essence of the activi-ties of medical organizations, which includes the concepts of not only economic, but also so-cial effect, which significantly expands the boundaries of the economic benefits received. The article discusses the main reasons for the importance of solving the problems of improving the efficiency of organizations in the medical field, namely, regulatory and market. It is proved that the main tool to improve the efficiency of the economic activities of medical insti-tutions are management systems involving the use of lean manufacturing technologies. These technologies make it possible to identify resource losses, at the same time, positively solve the problems of improving the quality of medical services. The author focuses on the fact that in the case of the use of lean technologies, the management system should be formed taking into account the complexity of the nature of medical institutions as an object of management.

CAUSALITY OF DEFINITIONS "COMPETITIVE COMPETITIVENESS" AND "COMPETITIVENESS OF INNOVATIONS": EPISTEMOLOGICAL ANALYSIS FROM THE POSITION OF MANAGEMENT GOALS

The purpose of the article is to prove the causality of the definitions of "enterprise competitiveness" and "innovation competitiveness" from the point of view of management goals and justify the feasibility of using the definition "innovation competitiveness" and its modifications in the terminological dictionary of the theory of innovation. When studying the epistemology of the term "enterprise competitiveness", we took into account a common feature in the set of definitions chosen for analysis - the relative nature of competitiveness as an object of management, and therefore, the relative nature of the methods of evaluating comparative criteria, which can affect the perception by target consumers of the degree of usefulness embedded in the innovation. Taking into account the high variability of the business environment and the structure of consumer needs, the expediency of using a value-oriented approach to managing the competitiveness of innovations is argued. In line with this approach, the author's position is expressed regarding the need to introduce the definition of "competitiveness of innovation", considering it in the context of comparing the alternatives of the final version of the implemented changes, which have undergone the entire set of works to create value and act as a means of satisfying a certain consumer need. Taking this into account, the features distinguishing internal and external innovations are highlighted. The internal "competitiveness of innovations" is proposed to be considered as the best option for innovative changes in the internal environment of the enterprise according to the established parameters, aimed at solving the problem that worsened/deteriorated its competitiveness in the strategic area of ​​management. External - as a better way to meet consumer needs, which tends to increase in demand by target audiences. It is emphasized that in both cases it makes it possible to determine the potential of utility (value) embedded in the innovation and to form a criterion base for comparative evaluation of consumer value compared to competitors.

Quantifying wildland fire resources deployed during the compound threat of COVID-19

Fire agencies across the United States must make complex resource allocation decisions to manage wildfires using a national network of shared firefighting resources. Firefighters play a critical role in suppressing fires and protecting vulnerable communities. However, they are exposed to health and safety risks associated with fire, smoke inhalation, and infectious disease transmission. The COVID-19 pandemic further complicated these risks, prompting fire agencies to propose resource management adaptations to minimize COVID-19 exposure and transmission. It is unclear if and how the pandemic may have operationally influenced wildland firefighting personnel resource use given compounding wildfire and COVID-19 risks. Therefore, we developed generalized linear mixed models that were fit using multiple integrated datasets to detect changes in personnel resource use for years prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, while controlling for historical fire and landscape conditions, societal risks, and management objectives. Analyses of observed and predicted firefighting resource use revealed reductions in the mean personnel resources used per wildfire per day during the pandemic for models developed across the western U.S. and for various western U.S. fire regions. Notably, the Northern California and the Great Basin Coordination Centers showed statistically significant reductions in ground personnel use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learning from wildland fire management strategies and resource use trends that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, fire agencies can better anticipate resource constraints that may arise during the compounding threats of severe wildland fire activity and infectious disease outbreaks to proactively prepare and adapt suppression management strategies.

A priory allocation of ecosystem services to forest stands in a forest management context considering scientific suitability, stakeholder engagement and sustainability concept with multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) technique: A case study in Turkey

Various research endeavours are designed to identify ecosystem services, assess their spatial distribution, and prioritize them in a given forest landscape. The Turkish State Forest Organization has introduced an ecosystem-based multiple-use forest management philosophy since 2008, which emphasizes the need for identifying and allocating ecosystem services to each forest planning unit. This paper aims to investigate the use of Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) techniques and explores their effectiveness and suitability in identifying and allocating ecosystem services to forest units, considering scientific suitability, stakeholder engagement and the sustainability concept in the context of ecosystem-based forest management decision-making processes in a case study area of Turkey. We propose a framework that entails an iterative process comprising various stages, starting from identifying ecosystem services (ES) to allocating them to forest stands with a participatory approach. We employed the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Delphi method to determine stakeholder preferences and allocate ecosystem services to forest stands. This was achieved through an equation newly developed using scientific suitability, stakeholder preferences, and the sustainability concept. The landscape percentage allocated primarily to ES was as follows: water regulation (55.44%), soil protection (16.47%), biodiversity conservation (14.03%), wood production (13.08%), and aesthetic-recreation (0.84%). Notably, no allocations were made for national defence and climate regulation services. In conclusion, the stratification of Posof forests into zones was efficiently achieved a priori, considering both scientific-technical and socio-cultural criteria through MCDA techniques based on stakeholder preferences. This study streamlines the decision-making process involved in spatially allocating ecosystem services and provides crucial information instrumental in determining management objectives and optimal forest activities.