Edit DSS: ETÇAP

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Brief overview ETÇAP is an ecosystem based multiple use forest management planning software that allows to evaluate the current state of a forest ecosystem (forest inventory compilation, develop management strategies with a number of management objectives and constraints, projects future forest development with various Operation Research Techniques and prepares and lays out a management plan based on management guidelines System origin • Developed by Emin Zeki BAŞKENT, Sedat KELEŞ and Aliihsan KADIOĞULLARI • ETÇAP is in this moment ready to be used in some forest management planning units (Kızılcasu-Cide; Gürgendağ-Edremit; Honaz-Denizli and Akseki-İbradı) in Turkey and will be soon adapted to other Turkish regions after evaluation by the Forest Management Department in Turkish Forest Service Support for specific issues Inventory compilation, harvest scheduling, timber-water-carbon production or prediction, soil protection, yield prediction, biodiversity conservation, spatial planning Support for specific thematic areas of a problem type • Timber cruising • Silvicultural • Certification • Conservation • Development choices / land use zoning • Policy/intervention alternatives • Spatial layout of interventions Capability to support decision making phases • Intelligence: The current conditions of the forest can be analysed with various management strategies to achieve targets and a spatially configured harvest schedules be prepared. • Design: The simulation tool runs the different management possibilities among the restrictions imposed by the input data to understand forest dynamics. The optimization tool projects the current state of a forest into a target forest under various management prescriptions with objectives and constraints. • Choice: Heuristic tools are used in order to ensure the spatial layout of the best management option chosen by the manager. • Monitor: Not implemented. Related systems and Modules • AROBEM (empirical growth and yield model inherent in ETÇAP) • ETÇAPKlasik • ETÇAPSimulation • ETÇAPOptimization • ETÇAPKombineOptimizaiton Data and data models Typical spatial extent of application The normal spatial application level of ETÇAP is the forest level with various stands. Yet the spatial resolution of the model is the stand, the smallest identifiable unit of forest area. Forest data input ETÇAP input information are inventory data that can be imported from files with .xls or .mdb extensions with a specific format. The input data required depends on the characteristics of the stand. Three groups of data are needed for the model; the current area of the stands generated by a GIS software, current status of each stand measured with inventory sheets for per area growth and yield characteristics (in each plot: the plot size, diameters of all stems, ages of some stems, age and dominant height for a number of stems, and ten-last-years growth for some trees) and the other support tables (volume table, empirical yield table, site index table, product assortment table and financial value table) characteristics In order to allow spatial layout of a harvest schedule for visualization and generation of maps, compartments, forest stratifications and analysis areas have to be set and related to each polygon (a sub-compartment =stand) with geographic files Type of information input from user (via GUI) ETÇAP screenshot showing the input data forms Forest management strategies with specific objectives and constraints have to be developed as shown in the user interface. More than one goal may be selected to address multi-objective management of forests. The indicated targets as management objectives are both yield-economic goals and conservation targets. Models Forest models Models implemented in ETÇAP simulate silvicultural treatment schedules according to the stand variables previously given based on both optimization and simulation techniques. Currently ETÇAP has implemented models for the management of either even-aged, uneven-aged, pures or mixed forest stands of any species that have the growth and yield data Social models -Not available yet Decision Support Definition of management interventions The user lays out the alternative management prescriptions as sequences of silvicultural treatments; how, when (time of harvest, regeneration methods, thinnings, etc.) and where (a stand or a contiguous group of stands) the treatments could be conducted in order to achieve the previously chosen management targets. development of a treatment schedule within the ETÇAP software ETÇAP graphical user interface tool, managing the results of a model solution using performance indicators Typical temporal scale of application Strategic and tactical planning. Types of decisions supported • Management level o strategic decisions o operating control decisions • Management function Decision-making processes and models • Traditional simulation • Simulated annealing • Random ascent • Linear programming Output The temporal performance of a stand or a forest landscape produced with ETÇAP Types of outputs • Stand level table and graphical outputs showing the temporal changes of its parameters • Forest level outputs showing the performance of forest dynamics based on selected performance indicators in various display formats (bar chart, line chart, table format) • Forest level map display depicting the long term harvest schedules (regeneration, thinning, and aforestation) Spatial analysis capabilities Map visualization is implemented within the ETÇAP framework, driving to spatial development and landscape analyses. References External resources • Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Forestry Forest Management Department website (inactive) • Baskent EZ, Terzioglu S, Baskaya S 2008. Developing and implementing multiple-use forest management planning in Turkey , ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Volume: 42 Issue: 1 Pages: 37-48 • Başkent, E.Z., Başkaya, Ş., and Terzioğlu, S. 2008. Developing and implementing participatory and ecosystem based multiple use forest management planning approach (ETÇAP): Yalnızçam case study, Forest Ecology and Management 256: 798–807 Scope of the system A decision making tool that; • enables decision makers to understand cause-effect relationships of forest dynamics • helps decision makers to recognize upcoming problems for which solutions have been developed previously • allows decision makers to develop a forest management plan under various conditions • allows decision maker to capture information and knowledge about forest ecosystems, making it available to decision makers who are seeking solutions from previously solved problems System origin • initially developed in 2008 • developed as part of a research project supported by TUBİTAK • It is not a commercial product • ETÇAPKlasik module is first used to generate a management plan in Turkey • Other modules are under development Support for specific issues The system is designed to take into account both classical forest management planning guidelines. Additionally, the model allows to characterize forest resources and biodiversity, to a limited extend, economic-biodiversity conservation tradeoff analysis methods, spatial analysis of landscape structure, timber harvest effects, economic valuation of forest values such as soil erosion, water production and carbon sequestration and silvicultural treatment effects. Support for specific thematic areas of a problem type • Silvicultural • Certification • Conservation • Rehabilitation • Development choices / land use zoning • Policy/intervention alternatives • Sustainability impact assessment (SIA) Capability to support decision making phases (Click here to see a more detailed explanation) • Intelligence: Real life forest management problem is the focus of the model. Both product and services could be accommodated into a problem as far as they are quantitatively described and related to stand structure. • Design: ETÇAP model is designed to create a forest management plan with management objectives and constraints. The objectives could either be achieved by simulating the forest conditions into future (planning horizon) or achieved by finding the best combination of prescriptions through mathematical optimization approach. As well, spatial lay out of management choices is determined with combinatorial optimization techniques to generate a management plan implementable on the ground. • Choice : The model has a scenario analysis capability to compare and contrast the results of selected management options (planning alternatives) • Monitor: The implementation of ETÇAP model is monitored by both university research staff and forest management department in GDF (General Directorate of Forestry) to insure the proper execution of choice. Related systems GIS: Geographic Information Systems Data and data models Typical spatial extent of application Basically, the model runs on a management unit basis, typically around 8000 ha and nearly 1000 polygons as stands. However, the model is not limited to problem size, depending on the capability of computer it may run on a larger area such as watershed, a region Forest data input The basic input data: • Inventory sheets as part of sample plot data to compile current status of stands (volume/ha, increment/ha/year, basal area/ha etc.) • Forest cover type map with forest stratification and certain attribute data in. Forest stands must be identified with species mix, development stages and crown closure as polygons in area coverage as vector data generated by GIS • Topographical data generated by GIS (optional) • Volume table, empirical yield table, forest product assortment table, financial values Type of information input from user (via GUI) Planning strategies: Management objectives, periodical targets, harvest control method, stand information used to determine analysis areas, silvicultural treatment options (clear cut, pre-commercial thin, commercial thinning and aforestation) Planning parameters: Planning horizon, rotation period, period length, guiding rate, Models Forest models Allometric growth –yield model Social models Ecologic, economic and socio-cultural values of the areas Decision Support Definition of management interventions Available actions for a manager to intervene in a forest are, management objectives, periodical targets, harvest control method, stand information used to determine analysis areas, silvicultural treatment options (clear cut, pre-commercial thin, commercial thinning and aforestation), scenario simulation Typical temporal scale of application Strategic (long term) and tactical planning (short term) Types of decisions supported • Management level o strategic decisions o administrative decisions • Management function • planning decisions o organizing decisions o command decisions o control decisions o coordination decisions • decision making situation o unilateral o collegial o Bargaining / participative decision making Decision-making processes and models • Classical approach o Direct approaches • Simulation (with and without stochasticity) • Optimization o Mathematical optimization o Heuristic manipulation of simulation models • Combinatorial optimization o Simulated annealing Output Types of outputs Tables, maps, graphics Spatial analysis capabilities • integrated capabilities • facilitates links to GIS • provides standard data import/export formats • allows spatial query • statistics by area Abilities to address interdisciplinary, multi-scaled, and political issues Evaluate interactions between different basic information types (biophysical, economic, social). System System requirements • Operating Systems: (Windows) • Other software needed (GIS, LINDO, Access and other free software development kits) Architecture and major DSS components Desktop client-server system of architecture is in place Usage Research level use, government use Computational limitations No limitation on the number of stands as long as hardware components (RAM and disk space) are not limiting. Time horizon for optimization is about twice the rotation period. User interface In-hose developed GUI is available Documentation and support No manual is ready now Installation • Level of effort to become functional • No costs for the current version • Allows the download/utilization of a trial version.

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