Metla Project 3419

Protection of forest biodiversity in multi-objective forest planning

Duration: 2005-2009 Keywords: adaptivity, forest biodiversity, multi-objective forest planning, spatiality, uncertainty
Research Programme: Safeguarding forest biodiversity - policy instruments and socio-economic impacts

Objectives

Including protection of forest biodiversity into forest planning calls for, among others,

producing comprehensive knowledge concerning habitat requirements of different species and operationalizing this knowledge for forest planning purposes,
developing technical models and methods for including biodiversity protection into planning calculations in different planning processes and
developing methods and tools of multi-objective planning so that they can be better applied in practical planning situations.

This reasearch project adopts three main points of view to these needs of development. These points of view are adaptivity, uncertainty and spatiality.

In this project, adaptivity means that the planning processes and methods are adapted so that they meet the requirements of the planning problem, the forest management goals of the planning participant(s) and characteristics of effective learning environments. Adaptivity makes it easier to succesfully carry out real planning cases with real participants, and thus, it increases useability of the plans. The uncertainty part of the project studies effects of uncertainty in planning calculations, and developes methods for taking uncertainty into account in the calculations. Forest inventory data, computing models, preference information, estimation models of ecological and social effects as well as timber price assumptions typically include more or less uncertainty. These sources of uncertainty typically result to uncertainty also in the results of planning calculations on the level of goal variables (e.g. holding level goals) and the computing units (e.g. an individual forest compartment). The spatiality part of the project applies geographic information systems and spatial optimization for including spatial aspects of biodiveristy protection into forest planning. In the project, these methods are utilized for producing and illustrating biodiversity information and including this information into the planning calculations.

Project leader: Kurttila, Mikko
The Finnish Forest Research Institute, Joensuu Office, PO Box 68 (Yliopistokatu 6), FI-80101 JOENSUU, FINLAND
Phone: +358 29 532 3262
E-mail: mikko.kurttila@metla.fi

Other researchers: Alenius, Virpi, RO (2006,2009), Haara, Arto (2006-07), Hamberg, Leena (2006-07), Hujala, Teppo, JO (2008), Kainulainen, Tuomo (2005-07), Kilpeläinen, Harri, JO (2008-09), Leskinen, Pekka, JO (2005-08), Löfström, Irja, VA (2005-09), Miina, Jari, JO (2005), Nikula, Ari, RO (2005-09), Pasanen, Karri, JO (2005), Pykäläinen, Jouni (2005-06), Store, Ron, KA (2005-09), Tikkanen, Jukka (2007), Väätäinen, Kari, JO (2005)

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Updated 31.12.2012
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