Difference between revisions of "CONES"

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|Institutional framework=research prototype (R&D project)
 
|Institutional framework=research prototype (R&D project)
 
|Contact person for the Wiki=Harald Vacik
 
|Contact person for the Wiki=Harald Vacik
−
|Contact e-mail for the Wiki=harald.vacik@boku.ac.at
+
|Contact e-mail for the Wiki=harald.vacik(a)boku.ac.at
 
|Contact person for the DSS=Harald Vacik, Manfred J. Lexer and Karl Stampfer
 
|Contact person for the DSS=Harald Vacik, Manfred J. Lexer and Karl Stampfer
−
|Contact e-mail for the DSS=harald.vacik@boku.ac.at
+
|Contact e-mail for the DSS=harald.vacik(a)boku.ac.at
 
|Additional information=It was developed during 2001-2004 by the Institute of Silviculture and the Institute of Forest Engineering at the University of Natural Sciences and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU)
 
|Additional information=It was developed during 2001-2004 by the Institute of Silviculture and the Institute of Forest Engineering at the University of Natural Sciences and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU)
 
}}
 
}}
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{{DSS description, Concrete application
 
{{DSS description, Concrete application
 
|Typical use case=t allows the user to evaluate different treatment alternatives as a combination of harvest and forest regeneration strategies in order to select the pareto-optimal solution for a given situation.
 
|Typical use case=t allows the user to evaluate different treatment alternatives as a combination of harvest and forest regeneration strategies in order to select the pareto-optimal solution for a given situation.
−
|User profile=public land managers (i.e. state-owned, federal, cantonal, communal forests)
 
 
|Country=Austria
 
|Country=Austria
 
|References about examples of application=VACIK H. (2005): Development and application of Decision Support Systems for silvicultural Planning and Decision making. International Workshop on “Success and Failure of Decision Support Systems for Integrated Water Resource Management”, 06-07. October 2005, Venice, Italy. VACIK H., LEXER M.J., PALMETZHOFER D., STAMPFER K., LIMBECK-LILIENAU B. (2004): Application of the spatial decision support system CONES for the regeneration planning in mountain forests. Cable Yarding Suitable for Sustainable Forest Management, 23. sept. 2004, Idrija, Slovenia
 
|References about examples of application=VACIK H. (2005): Development and application of Decision Support Systems for silvicultural Planning and Decision making. International Workshop on “Success and Failure of Decision Support Systems for Integrated Water Resource Management”, 06-07. October 2005, Venice, Italy. VACIK H., LEXER M.J., PALMETZHOFER D., STAMPFER K., LIMBECK-LILIENAU B. (2004): Application of the spatial decision support system CONES for the regeneration planning in mountain forests. Cable Yarding Suitable for Sustainable Forest Management, 23. sept. 2004, Idrija, Slovenia
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|Deployment cost=<= 1‘000€
 
|Deployment cost=<= 1‘000€
 
|Installation requirements=The decision support tool is implemented using the software package ArcGIS
 
|Installation requirements=The decision support tool is implemented using the software package ArcGIS
−
|Computational limitations=A full simulation run for hundered years with several management prescriptions might take between 2-5 min.  
+
|Computational limitations=A full simulation run for hundered years with several management prescriptions might take between 2-5 min.
 
|User support organization=Institute of Silviculture, at the Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna
 
|User support organization=Institute of Silviculture, at the Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna
 
|Support team size=2
 
|Support team size=2
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|Price=
 
|Price=
 
}}
 
}}
−
{{DSS description, Data, data model and data management}}
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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}}
+
|Input data requirements=Forest inventory data, Forest ownership data
 +
|Format of the input data=spreadsheet, other
 +
|Data validation=missing/wrong data
 +
|Format of the output data=table, graph, map, pre-programmed summaries
 +
|Internal data management=database
 +
|Database=Access
 +
|GIS integration=ESRI
 +
|Data mining=N/A
 +
|Spatial analysis=Several spatial analysis techniques are applied (point measurements are  automatically extrapolated using Thyssen polygon approach, length of sky line systems is calculated, management area and regeneration patches are calculated, provides standard data import/export formats, topology overlays (e.g. multi layering of different maps, selection of objects based on selection criteria, aggregation by attributes (e.g. areas of similar characteristics, Linking by logical means, statistics by area, analysis with digital terrain model))
 +
|Additional information=Productivity models are used to analyse individual subprocesses (felling, processing and extraction) of wood harvesting in steep terrain (Stampfer, 2002). Extraction costs for different silvicultural treatment variants
 +
are calculated by determining the time requirement as a function of site parameters, felling method, cutting volume, and of the spatial dispersion of the harvested timber. Profit is estimated by spreading the cutting volume to possible assortments with varying yield. Time requirement for putting up and putting down the cable yarder system and associated costs are also estimated by empirical models. Based on revenues for timber and harvesting costs, the
 +
economically important contribution margin can be calculated. Risk of damage to stand and advance forest regeneration is estimated by 2-stage responsemodels, which first describe the probability of occurrence of a damage event for the modelled entity. Both for residual trees and for advance regeneration damage probability is assessed by means of logistic regression models. Growth and mortality of trees with DBH larger 5 cm are modelled by PROGNAUS. PROGNAUS is a distance independent stand growth simulator consisting of a basal area model, height increment model, mortality model, and crown proportion model (Hasenauer, 2000). Probabilities of regeneration establishment, density, species composition, growth and mortality of natural regeneration are estimated by a series of equations and algorithms taken
 +
from Ledermann (2002) and Lexer and Hönninger (2001). Within CONES, stand
 +
development together with developing regeneration can be modelled for a 30-years period.
 +
}}
 +
{{DSS description, Models and methods, MBMS, decision support techniques
 +
|Forest models=yield models
 +
|Ecological models=N/A
 +
|Social models=N/A
 +
|MCDM methods=Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT)
 +
|Optimisation package=N/A
 +
|Optimisation algorithm=N/A
 +
|Risk evaluation=user defined
 +
|Uncertainty evaluation=N/A
 +
|Planning scenario=Alternative silvicultural prescriptions can be computed or an already existing scenario modified. Thereby the user is supported by the scenario  manager. For a given scenario, system costs (personnel expenditure, machinery costs) as well  as current wood-selling prices can be modified. The user defines the type (areal  or spatially selective), intensity (amount of timber) and temporal progression (period) of a  silvicultural treatment.
 +
}}
 
{{DSS description, Support of knowledge management process
 
{{DSS description, Support of knowledge management process
 +
|Supported KM processes=N/A
 +
|Additional information=A complex decision problem like
 +
forest regeneration planning in mountain forests can thus be structured as an ideal combination
 +
of silvicultural (i.e. kind of treatment, treatment intensity, stability, and quality of the residual
 +
stand), technical (productivity, calculation of treatment costs) and economical objectives. The
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formalised model concept in a decision support system allows decision maker to apply
 +
sensitivity analysis to the considered problem regarding individual factors of influence. CONES
 +
permits an optimal support to empirical expert knowledge by tables and figures of relevant data
 +
and data based warnings in case of clearly wrong decisions. Besides this, CONES also
 +
contributes to pointing out knowledge gaps and fields of further research.
 
|Integrated KM techniques to identify and structure knowledge=
 
|Integrated KM techniques to identify and structure knowledge=
 
|Integrated KM techniques to analyse and apply knowledge=
 
|Integrated KM techniques to analyse and apply knowledge=
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{DSS description, Support of social participation
 
{{DSS description, Support of social participation
 +
|Participatory planning tasks supported=exploring options, evaluating options
 
|Stakeholder identification support=
 
|Stakeholder identification support=
 
|Planning criteria formation support=
 
|Planning criteria formation support=
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{{DSS description, User interface and outputs
 
{{DSS description, User interface and outputs
 
|User access control=Yes
 
|User access control=Yes
−
|Parameterised GUI=No
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|Parameterised GUI=Yes
 +
|User-friendliness of GUI=user control, error handling and recovery
 +
|Map interface=2D
 +
|GUI technology=Visual C++
 +
|Additional information=Within the GIS environment the user provides basic input data about the current stand and site conditions, designs silvicultural treatment options and selects harvesting systems. The user is supported by various wizards to define the kind of treatment, the number of entries, the planning horizon or individual settings like labor costs or timber prices. Additional information (e.g. location of skyline corridors,  uphill/ downhill extraction) about the harvesting system has to be provided. Expected outcomes of alternative actions are estimated by different models.
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{DSS description, System design and development
 
{{DSS description, System design and development
 +
|Methods applied in the requirement phase=workshops have been conducted with the users
 +
|Development start year=2001
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|Number of development years (100% equivalent)=5
 +
|Development team size=5
 +
|Number of forest specialists in the development team=1
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|Number of users participating in specification=4
 
|Stakeholder identification support=
 
|Stakeholder identification support=
 
|Planning criteria formation support=
 
|Planning criteria formation support=
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{DSS description, Technological architecture, integration with other systems
 
{{DSS description, Technological architecture, integration with other systems
 +
|System type=extension (based on standard software)
 +
|Operating system=Windows
 +
|Programming language=C++
 
|Scalability=No
 
|Scalability=No
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{DSS description, Ongoing development
 
{{DSS description, Ongoing development
 
|Adaptation effort (man years)=N/A
 
|Adaptation effort (man years)=N/A
 +
|Additional information=The DSS CONES v1.0 is being tested by the Austrian Federal Forests Company in the planning of the use of cable yarding system, and was recently evaluated as part of a master thesis (
 +
https://zidapps.boku.ac.at/abstracts/oe_list.php?paID=3&paSID=6276&paSF=-1&paCF=0&paLIST=0&language_id=DE)
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{DSS description, Documentation
 
{{DSS description, Documentation
−
|Manual=No
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|Website=http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/cones.html
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|Technical documentation=No
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|Manual=Yes
 +
|Technical documentation=Yes
 +
|References=https://forschung.boku.ac.at/fis/suchen.projekt_uebersicht?sprache_in=en&menue_id_in=300&id_in=3423
 
}}
 
}}
 
CONES is a computer based multiple criteria decision support tool for optimizing silvicultural and harvest operations in steep terrain with cable yarding system.  
 
CONES is a computer based multiple criteria decision support tool for optimizing silvicultural and harvest operations in steep terrain with cable yarding system.  
−
 
  
 
[[Image:CONES_screenshot.jpg|thumb|400px|A screenshot from CONES v1.0]]
 
[[Image:CONES_screenshot.jpg|thumb|400px|A screenshot from CONES v1.0]]
  
 
__TOC__
 
__TOC__
−
 
−
=== Scope of the system ===
 
−
CONES is a spatial decision support system based on ArcGIS which assists the forester on site in compromising silvicultural and harvest operations. It allows the user to evaluate different treatment alternatives as a combination of harvest and forest regeneration strategies in order to select the pareto-optimal solution for a given situation. 
 
−
 
−
Cable yarding system in steep terrains requires the consideration of three previous questions:
 
−
* What is the best silvicultural strategy? (e.g., type and density of entry)
 
−
* Which is the best suitable harvesting system?
 
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* What is the optimal location of the skyline trails?
 
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Cable yarding system needs to consider high timber volumes in order to cover installation costs. In this system, close to nature forestry involving single tree or group selection systems is sometimes economically unsustainable, leading to strip cuts and clear cuts, which involve lot of ecology, multipurpose forestry, regeneration, natural hazards, and soil erosion problems.
 
−
 
−
=== System origin ===
 
−
* It was developed during 2001-2004 by the [http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/waldbau.html?&L=1 Institute of Silviculture] and the [http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/508.html?&L=1 Institute of Forest Engineering] at the [http://www.boku.ac.at/home.html?&L=1 University of Natural Sciences and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU)].
 
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* The greater part of the forested area of the [http://www.oebf.at Austrian Federal Forests Company (ÖBf-AG)] is located in mountainous regions, which forces forest managers to find optimal solutions between silviculture and forest engineering. Selection of the optimal management strategy is quite a challenge for the people involved in the decision-finding process (forest taxator, forester, forest engineer), given the complexity of the problems that arise when considering the two fields together (spatial relation, time horizon of measures, accomplishing multiple goals, stand and site factors). Possibilities of assessing the consequences of a given extraction strategy in advance are fairly limited. This bears the risk that because of the complexity of the decision-finding process only sub-optimal solutions are chosen. Schematic or intuitive solutions provide no desirable alternatives for the ÖBf AG. Therefore a practicable and easy to use spatial decision support system (SDSS) was developed for the people involved in the decision making process at the ÖBf-AG.
 
−
* is it a non commercial product
 
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* The DSS CONES v1.0 is currently being tested by the Austrian Federal Forests Company in the planning of the use of cable yarding system, and was recently evaluated as part of a thesis <ref>[http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/cones.html CONES website]</ref>.
 
−
 
−
=== Support for specific issues  ===
 
−
 
−
CONES is a spatial decision support system based on ArcGIS aimed to assist the forester on site in compromising silvicultural and harvest operations.
 
−
 
−
Within the GIS environment the user provides basic input data about the current stand and site conditions, designs silvicultural treatment options and selects harvesting systems. The user is supported by various wizards to define the kind of treatment, the number of entries, the planning horizon or individual settings like labor costs or timber prices. Additional information (e.g. location of skyline corridors,  uphill/ downhill extraction) about the harvesting system has to be provided. Expected outcomes of alternative actions are estimated by different models.
 
−
 
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=== Support for specific thematic areas of a problem type  ===
 
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* Silvicultural
 
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* Conservation
 
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* Restoration
 
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* Transportation
 
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* Policy/intervention alternatives
 
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* Sustainability impact assessment (SIA)
 
−
 
−
<div style="color:red">
 
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=== Capability to support decision making phases  ===
 
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* Intelligence:
 
−
 
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(Click [[Simon's decision making model|here]] to see a more detailed explanation)
 
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* Intelligence (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
 
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* Design (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
 
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* Choice (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
 
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* Monitor (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS) </div>
 
−
 
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=== Related systems  ===
 
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* [[DSD]]
 
−
 
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== Data and data models ==
 
−
 
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=== Typical spatial extent of application  ===
 
−
Stand level.
 
−
 
−
<div style="color:red">
 
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=== Forest data input  ===
 
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Describe the basic forest input (forest level, stand level, or individual tree level), and appropriate meta-data, such as data provenance (Areal coverage, Sample of plots, stands, Contiguous forest cover). GIS information is to be considered here, namely include cover tyes and type of information (raster or vectorial, necessity of topological information)  If necessary describe surrogate sources of information
 
−
 
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If necessary describe other types of required data (economic, social)
 
−
 
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=== Type of information input from user (via GUI) ===
 
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Describe what is the information that the user directly inputs in the system if any): expert knowledge, opinion, goals and production objectives, preferences, stand/site information.... </div>
 
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−
 
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== Models ==
 
−
 
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=== Forest models ===
 
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* For the individual sub-processes (felling, limbing and transporting) from logging on steep slopes productivity models are used.
 
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* The stand growth simulator PROGNAUS describes the growth and mortality for the species of the planning unit in the different diameter classes using growth functions.
 
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* To estimate the damage risk qualitative response models are used, able to describe the probability for the occurrence of an event.
 
−
 
−
 
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== Decision Support ==
 
−
 
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=== Definition of management interventions ===
 
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CONES v1.0 allows comparison of silvicultural system analytical procedures before making a decision for the treatment procedure. It makes possible for the forest manager and the forestry technicians to work together in order to find solutions that not only optimize the forestry benefits or forest technology availabe, but take into account both aspects under a spatial and temporal dimension.
 
−
 
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=== Typical temporal scale of application ===
 
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Operational and tactical level.
 
−
 
−
<div style="color:red">
 
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=== Types of decisions supported  ===
 
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*Management level
 
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**strategic decisions
 
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**administrative decisions
 
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**operating control decisions
 
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* Management function
 
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* planning decisions
 
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**organizing decisions
 
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**command decisions
 
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**control decisions
 
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**coordination decisions
 
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*decision making situation
 
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**unilateral
 
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**Bargaining / participative decision making
 
−
 
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=== Decision-making processes and models ===
 
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*Logic modeling
 
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*Operations research modeling
 
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**Direct approaches
 
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**Heuristic manipulation of simulation models
 
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*Business modeling
 
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*Simulation (with and without stochasticity)
 
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*Multiple criteria/ranking
 
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*Other
 
−
 
−
 
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== Output ==
 
−
 
−
=== Types of  outputs ===
 
−
 
−
Types of outputs produced (tables, maps, 3-D visualizations, pre-programmed summaries, etc)
 
−
 
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=== Spatial analysis capabilities  ===
 
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* integrated capabilities
 
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* facilitates links to GIS (wizards, etc.)
 
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* provides standard data import/export formats
 
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* allows spatial analysis (e.g. topology overlays (e.g. multi layering of different maps, selection of objects based on selection criteria, aggregation by attributes (e.g. areas of similar characteristics), Linking by logical means, Statistics by area, analysis with digital terrain model)
 
−
 
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=== Abilities to address interdisciplinary, multi-scaled, and political issues  ===
 
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Evaluate interactions between different basic information types (biophysical, economic, social). Produce coordinated results for decision makers operating at different spatial scales facilitate social negotiation and learning
 
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</div>
 
−
 
−
 
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== System ==
 
−
 
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=== System requirements  ===
 
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* Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows OS
 
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* Other software needed: The decision support tool is implemented using available software packages such as ArcView and MS Access.
 
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* Development status: CONES v1.0 is currently available
 
−
 
−
<div style="color:red">
 
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=== Architecture and major DSS components ===
 
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Describe the basic architecture of the system in software and hardware. Desktop client-server, web based, as well as the  integration with available systems. Basic data flow, focusing on retrieval of required input and propagation and implementations of decisions. Mention its modular and scalability capabilities. </div>
 
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=== Usage ===
 
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Government use.
 
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<div style="color:red">
 
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=== Computational limitations ===
 
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Describe the system limitations: e.g. number of management units, number of vehicles, time horizon
 
−
 
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=== User interface ===
 
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Describe the quality of user interface and the Prerequisite knowledge for using the system </div>
 
−
 
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=== Documentation and support ===
 
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Information about CONES can be found at the [http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/cones.html CONES website], where e-mail directions of the responsible researchers are given.
 
−
 
−
<div style="color:red">
 
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=== Installation ===
 
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* Prerequisite knowledge: Level of effort to become functional
 
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* Cost: (purchase price, development costs, demonstrated return on investment, cost of use, training costs, licence and maintenance costs)
 
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* Demo: allows the download/utilization of a trial version. If yes, where is it available and what are the trial conditions.
 
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</div>
 
−
 
−
 
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==References==
 
−
 
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===Cited references===
 
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<references/>
 
−
 
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===External resources===
 
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* VACIK H. (2005): ''Development and application of Decision Support Systems for silvicultural Planning and Decision making''. International Workshop on “Success and Failure of Decision Support Systems for Integrated Water Resource Management”, 06-07. October 2005, Venice, Italy. ([http://www.feem-web.it/transcat_forum/download.php?id=93 Fulltext available]) (Oral Communication)
 
−
 
−
* VACIK H., LEXER M.J., PALMETZHOFER D., STAMPFER K., LIMBECK-LILIENAU B. (2004): ''Application of the spatial decision support system CONES for the regeneration planning in mountain forests''. Cable Yarding Suitable for Sustainable Forest Management, 23. sept. 2004, Idrija, Slovenia ([http://petelin.gozdis.si/zicnice/fin/pdf_articles/vacik.pdf Fulltext available]) (Oral Communication)
 

Revision as of 21:59, 1 September 2012

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 CONES is a computer based multiple criteria decision support tool for optimizing silvicultural and harvest operations in steep terrain with cable yarding system.

A screenshot from CONES v1.0


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