A management planning system for even-aged and uneven-aged forests in northeast China

The most common scientific approach to numerical landscape-level forest management planning is combinatorial optimization aimed at finding the optimal combination of the treatment alternatives of stands. The selected combination of treatments depends on the conditions of the forest, and the objectives of the forest landowners. A two-step procedure is commonly used to derive the plan. First, treatment alternatives are generated for the stands using an automated simulation tool. Second, the optimal combination of the simulated treatment schedules is found by using mathematical programming or various heuristics. Simulation of treatment schedules requires models for stand dynamics and volume for all important tree species and stand types present in the forest. A forest planning system was described for Northeast China. The necessary models for stand dynamics and tree volume were presented for the main tree species of the region. The developed models were integrated into the simulation tool of the planning system. The simulation and the optimization tools of the planning system were described. The optimization tool was used with heuristic methods, making it possible to easily solve also spatial forest planning problems, for instance aggregate cuttings. Finally, the use of the system is illustrated with a case study, in which nonspatial and spatial management plans are developed for the Mengjiagang Forest District.