Timber sale and logging planning : using a geographical information system based methodology

• Main Author: Nuutinen, Tuula
• Published: University of Edinburgh 1996
• Subjects: 634.9
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.660126

There is increasing pressure to integrate the economics of timber sale and logging planning with environmental considerations and strategic sustainability. Some forestry organisations are hoping to replace pre-harvesting inventory with a database designed for periodical inventory and long-term timber production planning to facilitate continuous (rolling) planning. The aim of this study is to analyse the possibilities of integrating different forest planning levels with each other and a Geographical Information System (GIS), and replacing the pre-harvesting inventory with a GIS. An integrated GIS and planning system is implemented. Firstly, the production system is analysed to define the system requirements in detail. Then the data model and processes together with system architecture are designed. A new concept of treatment stand is adopted for modelling site-specific restrictions into the calculation units of a Finnish forest simulator, MELA. Thereafter corresponding databases are defined and implemented. System interfaces are developed to provide data flow between subsystems. Additional modules for economic analyses are developed to sit on top of the linear programming (LP) package. A case study is undertaken to test the functionality of the integrated planning system. In the case study, forest inventory data and GIS-analyses are used for modelling both site-specific restrictions and harvesting conditions. New LP-formulations are defined and implemented using a Finnish LP-package, JLP. The 'production possibility frontiers' (extremes of possible production) are used to estimate the value of GIS in taking into account the effects of site-specific constraints. The results from a combinatorial model are compared with the results of a standard model to measure the benefits of GIS in timber sale and logging planning.