Forest Planning Desk Reference: Terminology and Examples

Forest planning practices involve economic, biometric, and operations research methods and processes. For the past fifty years, forest planning has involved sophisticated quantitative methods. For the past thirty years, advances in computer technology have allowed intricate and complex functional relationships between forests and planning goals to be recognized. Presented in this text are a large number of terms often used in conjunction with forest planning processes. The concepts range from basic terms, such as costs or objectives, to advanced terms that relate to stand-level and forest-level analyses. These include classical volume control methods, linear programming, and the more commonly used heuristic techniques. Both graphical and quantitative examples are periodically provided to help one understand the concepts presented. This book should be useful to natural resource managers and other professionals who develop forest management plans or are involved in forest management planning.