MODELLING FOREST GROWTH AND OPTIMIZE TIMBER HARVEST UTILIZING MICROCOMPUTER BASED GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMSTECHNOLOGY.

THE FOREST PRODUCTS INDUSTRY HAS MADE USE OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS), FOREST GROWTH AND YIELD MODELS (FGYM), AND TIMBER HARVEST OPTIMIZATION ROUTINES (THOR) FOR MANY YEARS. HOWEVER THE PRIMARY DEVELOPMENT OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES HAS BEEN PROPRIETARY, LIMITED TO CERTAIN GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY, AND/OR RESTRICTED TO USE ON MAINFRAME COMPUTERS. LIMITED PUBLISHED RESEARCH IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTEGRATION OF THESE VALUABLE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES. THE PROPOSED PROJECT INTENDS TO DEVELOP A HIGHLY INTEGRAGED PACKAGE THAT WILL ALLOW THE FOREST MANAGERTO USE FOREST STAND INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN A GIS AS INPUT INTO A FGYM. SPATIALLY ORIENTED PROJECTIONS OF FUTURESTAND VOLUME WILL BE CREATED FOR INCORPORATION INTO THE GIS. THE PROJECTIONS WILL ALSO BE USED AS INPUT INTO A THOR. THE OPTIMIZATION ROUTINE WILL GIVE THE FOREST MANAGERTHE ECONOMICALLY OPTIMUM AND SCHEDULING SOLUTION THAT MEETS MILL, HARVESTING EQUIPMENT, AND PERSONNEL CONSTRAINTS. THISPACKAGE WILL BE MICROCOMPUTER BASED AND RELY ON THE ERDAS "GISMO" GIS MODELLING LANGUAGE. INITIAL PROGRAM DEVELOPMENTWILL FOCUS ON THE GREAT LAKES REGION. THE PROGRAM ARCHITECTURE WILL BE ROBUST, THUS PERMITTING EXPORT TO OTHERFOREST REGIONS AND TO AGRICULTURE.