Scientists have developed a decision support system for selecting harvesting systems.
Logging system selection is often based on intuition due to a lack of information, or because there is no decision framework. The risk involved in this is that the consequences of the decisions might not be as intended. Kuhmaier and Stampfer, in an article in the Croation Journal of Forest Engineering (31 (2010)2) titled “Development of a Multi-Attribute Spatial Decision Support System in Selecting Timber Harvesting Systems”, used a GIS-based evaluation model to assist the decision making process.
The model compared different logging systems and selected the best one considering stakeholder interests and environmental aspects. The model consisted of four stages:
- Definition of the area of interest.
- Determining compatibility of the logging systems with the location, using a technological evaluation. For example, the terrain handling characteristics of systems were included.
- Accepted systems from the second stage are included in a utility analysis. Evaluation criteria are used to change the systems into comparable values. These values are then ranked. Evaluation criteria included ecological criteria (soil, global warming, and stand damage), economic criteria (contribution margin, relocation time) and social criteria (employment and working safety).
- A metric estimates the consequences of different treatment scenarios.
The main processes were automated in GIS and tested on steep terrain areas in Austria. The results showed that the model could help to determine the most suitable system.
For a more complete account of the research, please read the full article, which can be found at:
http://crojfe.sumfak.hr/download.html