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The
Decision Support Systems (DSS) for Forest Biodiversity project
is trying to answer four major questions:
- What decision
support systems are available for forest biodiversity analysis?
- What are the
most important forest biodiversity issues and problems?
- How well do
the available DSS address these issues and problems?
- What additional
tools (or capabilities) are required to meet forest biodiversity
management needs?
Original Request
For Proposals
NCSSF Project A.10
Evaluate the Needs and Requirements for Decision Support Systems
a) Need: Management
for sustainable forestry and biodiversity involves working
with complex natural and human systems with multiple interacting
variables. Decision Support Systems (DSS) provide a means
of addressing these complexities incorporating the best understanding
of biological processes and management practices.
The development
and application of Decision Support Systems fulfills a vital
role in fostering the integration of information from diverse
areas into comprehensive frameworks of interrelationships.
Models, analyses
and visualizations can assist practitioners in incorporating
a broad range of considerations into the decision-making process.
These tools enable managers, policymakers and stakeholders
to evaluate alternative forest management approaches.
b) Purpose: To
determine what types of decision support systems exist for
use in sustainable forestry and biodiversity management and
how they are being applied. Based on this assessment define
how existing tools could be adapted and applied elsewhere,
and what additional tools are required to meet forest management
needs.
c) Approach: Review
and evaluate available DSS tools used in forest management
and identify their strength and weaknesses in the context
of evaluating biodiversity concerns. In particular, evaluate
the extent to which these tools utilize current knowledge
of core indicators of biodiversity and ecological function
and guide their practical application in the field. Establish
the needs and potential for DSS to be developed and explore
how they would be applied to actual practitioners' needs.
d) Deliverables:
A report summarizing existing DSS tools and their current
applications and a set of needs, requirements and specifications
for developing better tools for practical applications identified
by potential users of such tools. The report should include
a summary for a broad audience of forest managers, policymakers
and practitioners. The investigators will also produce a Power
point summary presentation and deliver it at the NCSSF Annual
Meeting in May 2003. NCSSF will use the project's results
to help design improved DSS tools for sustainable forestry
and biodiversity management.
e) Budget and Timeframe:
A maximum of $60,000 total over 12 months from award.
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