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NCSSF
Project A10 DSS Guidebook Abstract Johnson, K.N.; Gordon, S.; Duncan, S.; Lach, D.; McComb, B.; Reynolds, K. 2007. Conserving creatures of the forest: A guide to decision making and decision models for forest biodiversity. Corvallis, OR : Oregon State University, College of Forestry. The complexity
of forest management has increased with the scope of resources of
concern and the level of scrutiny from stakeholders. The design
and use of specialized computer software, often referred to as "decision
support systems" (DSS), is one method for helping managers
deal with this complexity. For this study, we assembled an interdisciplinary
team (forestry, modeling, wildlife, sociology) to investigate the
utility of such DSS in making real-world forest biodiversity decisions.
We used a survey to collect in-depth information on 32 DSS which
had been used in making actual decisions on the ground. Their capabilities
are discussed in relation to the Montreal Process biodiversity indicators
and the common core problems they address. We followed up with fifteen
case studies on how have decision makers in different sectors and
levels have used DSS. Contrary to the analytical view of DSS, the
more social measures of "stakeholder evaluations" and
"contribution to consensus building" were found to be
the most popular measures of success. From the cases, we distilled
six generic benefits and eight drawbacks, which provide a more general
guidance on the larger issue of using scientific and technical information
in social decision making processes. Home | Inventory | References | Contacts |
