Difference between revisions of "SIMO"

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== General System description ==
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{{DSS description, Wiki quality control
 
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System name: SIMulation and Optimization
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Acronym: SIMO
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=== Brief overview ===
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SIMO is an open-source program for forest management planning. It has been designed with adaptability in mind. You can decide what your data, growth and operation models are like, and how they are applied in the planning process. In fact, SIMO has such a flexible basic structure, that simulations and optimization aren't even limited to forest management planning
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[[Category:Not finished articles]]
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[[Category:Decision support system]]
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[[Category:Open Source]]
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[[Category:Help documents]]
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__TOC__
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{{DSS description, Identification
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{{DSS description, FORSYS problem types classification
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{{DSS description, Name, responsible organisation and contact person
|Temporal scale=
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|Name=SIMO
|Spatial context=
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|Acronym=SIMO
|Spatial scale=
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|Responsible organisation=Simosol Oy
|Decision making dimension=
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|Type of the owner organization=IT company
|Objectives dimension=
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|Institutional framework=commercial product
|Goods and services dimension=
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|Contact person for the Wiki=Jussi Rasinmäki
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|Contact e-mail for the Wiki=jussi.rasinmaki at simosol.fi
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|Contact person for the DSS=Jussi Rasinmäki
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|Contact e-mail for the DSS=jussi.rasinmaki at simosol.fi
 
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{{DSS description, Utilisation scope
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{{DSS description, Scope of the tool
|Status=
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|Description=SIMO has been designed so that it could be adapted to various planning proglems and scales. The flexible data model allows the computing units to be basically anything; a tree, a stand, a raster cell
|User profile=
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|Modelling dimension=Economical indicators, Forest indicators, user defined
|Initial deployment effort=
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|Temporal scale=long term (strategic), medium term (tactical)
|Adaptation effort=
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|Spatial context=spatial with neighbourhood interrelations, spatial with no neighbourhood interrelations, non spatial
|Maintenance organization=
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|Spatial scale=regional/national level, forest level
|User support organization=
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|Objectives dimension=multiple objectives
|Support team size=
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|Goods and services dimension=market wood products
|Number of real-life applications=
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|Forest management goal=biomass estimation, carbon sequestration, economic evaluation, forest fuel harvesting, silvicultural regime, yield prediction, wood supply planning, user defined
|Last utilisation year by users=
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|Supported tree species=any
|Typical use case=
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|Supported silvicultural regime=even-aged, uneven-aged/natural regeneration, uneven-aged/plantation, coppice system, agroforestry, user defined
|Number of users=
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|Decision making dimension=single decision maker
|Utilisation in education=
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|Participatory planning tasks supported=N/A
|Manual=
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|Country=
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{{DSS description, Functional description
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{{DSS description, Concrete application
|Species=
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|Number of users=N/A
|Silvicultural regime=
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|Number of real-life applications=N/A
|Forest management goal=
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|Utilisation in education: kind of utilisation (demo, use)=N/A
|Risk evaluation=
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|Input data requirements=
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|Modelling dimension=
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{{DSS description, Models and techniques to support decision making
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{{DSS description, Installation and support
|Optimisation algorithm=
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|Status=under development
|MCDM methods=
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|Accessibility=N/A
|Knowlegde management methods=
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|Can be used commercially=No
|Forest models=
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|Deployment cost=N/A
|Ecological models=
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|Price=
|Social models=
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|Data mining=
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|Uncertainty evaluation=
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|2D map interface=
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|3D map interface=
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{{DSS description, Support for knowledge management processes
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{{DSS description, Data, data model and data management}}
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{{DSS description, Models and methods, MBMS, decision support techniques}}
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|Integrated KM techniques to identify and structure knowledge=
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|Integrated KM techniques to analyse and apply knowledge=
 
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{{DSS description, Support for participatory planning
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{{DSS description, Support of social participation
|Participatory planning tasks supported=
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|Stakeholder identification support=
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|Planning criteria formation support=
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|Planning process monitoring and evaluation=
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|Planning outcome monitoring and evaluation=
 
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{{DSS description, Development process
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{{DSS description, User interface and outputs
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{{DSS description, System design and development
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|Planning criteria formation support=
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|Database=
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|GIS integration=
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|Optimisation package=
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|Format of the input data=
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{{DSS description, Commercial information
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|Scalability=No
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{{DSS description, Ongoing development
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|Adaptation effort (man years)=N/A
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{{DSS description, Documentation
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|Manual=No
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|Technical documentation=No
 
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=== Scope of the system ===
 
SIMO is a general simulation and optimization framework, which means that SIMO supports various forest simulators and optimization methods. Currently, a tree-level growth simulator and stand-level growth simulator for Finland, along with a number of tropical plantation simulators have been implemented in SIMO.
 
 
For solving different forest planning problems, SIMO includes alternative heuristic optimization methods as well as an interface to JLP linear programming library.
 
 
One of the basic ideas in the development of SIMO has been modifiability. Among many other thing, for example simulation logic, growth and yield models, the data model are all user modifiable in SIMO.
 
 
Currently SIMO is mainly an expert's tool as it does not include any graphical user interface. However, a project for developing a GUI for SIMO is under way.
 
 
=== System origin ===
 
* Originally developed at the Department of Forest Resource Management, University of Helsinki, during 2004-2007. The development project was funded UPM-Kymmene Ltd., Tornator Oy, Metsämannut Oy, Metsähallitus, Forestry Development Centre Tapio and the Forestry Centres, and The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (Tekes).
 
* Currently, the lead developer of SIMO is Simosol Oy. Development of SIMO is done also in the Universities of Helsinki and Joensuu
 
* The main aims in the development of SIMO was to produce modular software that was adaptable, extendable and flexible. User modifiable parts of the system are XML documents and the generic program code is written in Python and C. SIMO is a cross platform framework, so it runs on Windows, OS X, and LINUX.
 
* SIMO is released under the open source GPL 2.0 license
 
* At the moment, SIMO is used as a research tool, in teaching, as well as for practical forest planning purposes.
 
 
=== Support for specific issues  ===
 
The support for specific issues depends on the given simulator/model implementation. The extendability of SIMO makes it easy add new models to the system when new issues need to be addressed.
 
 
Currently, the tree-level and stand-level simulators for Finland include models for estimating biomass and carbon sequestration, various economical indices and detailed harvest models for assessing the effects of different timber harvests.
 
 
Analyzing various random processes and effects, such as forest inventory errors, growth projection errors and stochastic timber assortment prices, is fairly easy with SIMO as it includes a built-in Monte Carlo simulator.
 
 
=== Support for specific thematic areas of a problem type  ===
 
* Silvicultural
 
* Certification
 
* Conservation
 
* Restoration
 
* Transportation
 
* Development choices / land use zoning
 
* Policy/intervention alternatives
 
* Sustainability impact assessment (SIA)
 
 
=== Capability to support decision making phases ===
 
SIMO does not yet include any GUI, making if purely an expert's tool. However, the modular structure of SIMO makes it straightforward to integrate into existing DSSs.
 
 
(Click [[Simo's decision making model|here]] to see a more detailed explanation)
 
* Intelligence (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
 
* Design (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
 
* Choice (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
 
* Monitor (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
 
 
=== Related systems  ===
 
...
 
 
 
== Data and data models ==
 
 
=== Typical spatial extent of application ===
 
SIMO has been designed so that it could be adapted to various scales. The flexible data model allows the computing units to be basically anything; a tree, a stand, a raster cell etc.
 
 
=== Forest data input ===
 
Forest data input depends on the data model. Typically, forest planning input data is at stand- or tree species stratum-level, and sample plot data at tree-level.
 
 
== Models ==
 
 
=== Forest models ===
 
All forest models, or sub models, in SIMO are implemented in so-called model libraries, which makes the re-use of models easy. SIMO model libraries currently include over 400 different published models for forest growth, diameter distributions, biomass, carbon sequestration, and economic indices. Most of the models are for the commercially managed tree species in Finland (Scots pine, Norway spruce, birches), but a number of models for various tropical plantation species (i.e. Eucalyptus cloeziana, Pinus kesiya) have been also added to SIMO model libraries.
 
 
SIMO model libraries contain also a number of different forest operation models, that can be used with different forest simulators. Reuse of existing model implementations is possible as the model libraries are dynamically linked libraries, that can be written in Python, C/C++, and Fortran.
 
 
== Decision Support ==
 
 
=== Definition of management interventions ===
 
The possible management interventions depend on the simulator implementation. Typically, different types of harvests and silvicultural treatments are scheduled and incomes by timber assortments and costs are addressed.
 
 
=== Typical temporal scale of application ===
 
The models can be used for various temporal scales, from short-term to long term planning problems. The time step of the simulations can be freely modified to suit the chosen temporal scale.
 
 
=== Decision-making processes and models ===
 
Forest planning problems can be solved using some of the SIMO's built-in heuristic optimization methods, or by linear programming using an interface to the JLP package.
 
 
== Output ==
 
 
=== Types of outputs ===
 
Simulation and optimization results, such as the various forest attributes and operation incomes and costs among other things, are stored in SQL databases, from which different types of outputs can be produced using SIMO's reporting tools.
 
 
 
== References ==
 
 
=== Cited references ===
 
Kangas, A., & Rasinmäki, J. 2008. SIMO – Adaptable Simulation and Optimization for Forest Management Planning. University of Helsinki
 
Department of Forest Resource Management Publications 41.
 
 
Rasinmäki, J., Kalliovirta, J. & Mäkinen, A.  2009. SIMO: An adaptable simulation framework for multiscale forest resource data.  Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 66: 76–84.
 
 
Tokola, T., Kangas, A., Kalliovirta, J., Mäkinen, A. & Rasinmäki, J.  2006.  SIMO – Simulointi ja Optimointi uuteen metsäsuunnitteluun.  Metsätieteen aikakauskirja 1/2006: 66-71. (in finnish)
 
 
 
=== External resources ===
 
http://www.simo-project.org
 

Revision as of 16:02, 27 June 2012

Template:DSS description, Wiki quality control Template:DSS description, Name, responsible organisation and contact person Template:DSS description, Scope of the tool Template:DSS description, Concrete application Template:DSS description, Installation and support Template:DSS description, Data, data model and data management Template:DSS description, Models and methods, MBMS, decision support techniques Template:DSS description, Support of knowledge management process Template:DSS description, Support of social participation Template:DSS description, User interface and outputs Template:DSS description, System design and development Template:DSS description, Technological architecture, integration with other systems Template:DSS description, Ongoing development Template:DSS description, Documentation