CONES
General System description
System name: Computergestützte Optimierung von Nutzungseingriffen im Seilgelände (german for computer support for optimizing silvicultural and harvest operations in steep terrain)
Acronym: CONES
Brief overview
CONES is a computer based multiple criteria decision support tool for optimizing silvicultural and harvest operations in steep terrain with cable yarding system
Contents
Scope of the system
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?
- What is the optimal location of the skyline trails?
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.
CONES is a spatial decision support system based on ArcGIS aimed to assist the forester on site in compromising silvicultural and harvest operations.
System origin
- It was developed during 2001-2004 period by the Institut für Waldbau and the Institut für Forsttechnik of the Universität für Bodenkultur Wien.
- how was it developed
- is it a commercial product
- The DSS CONES v1.0 is currently being tested by the Austrian Federal Forest Service in the planning of the use of cable yarding system, and was recently evaluated as part of a thesis[1].
Support for specific issues
Harvesting systems, harvesting effects, risk analysis, multipurpose forestry.
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
- Intelligence:
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- 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
Stand level.
Forest data input
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
If necessary describe other types of required data (economic, social)
Type of information input from user (via GUI)
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....
Models
Forest models
- For the individual sub-processes (felling, limbing and transporting) from logging on steep slopes productivity models are used.
- 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.
- To estimate the damage risk qualitative response models are used, able to describe the probability for the occurrence of an event.
Decision Support
Definition of management interventions
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.
Typical temporal scale of application
Operational and tactical level.
Types of decisions supported
- Management level
- strategic decisions
- administrative decisions
- operating control decisions
- Management function
- planning decisions
- organizing decisions
- command decisions
- control decisions
- coordination decisions
- decision making situation
- unilateral
- Bargaining / participative decision making
Decision-making processes and models
- Logic modeling
- Operations research modeling
- Direct approaches
- Heuristic manipulation of simulation models
- Business modeling
- Simulation (with and without stochasticity)
- Multiple criteria/ranking
- Other
Output
Types of outputs
Types of outputs produced (tables, maps, 3-D visualizations, pre-programmed summaries, etc)
Spatial analysis capabilities
- integrated capabilities
- facilitates links to GIS (wizards, etc.)
- provides standard data import/export formats
- 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)
Abilities to address interdisciplinary, multi-scaled, and political issues
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
System
System requirements
- Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows OS
- Other software needed: The decision support tool is implemented using available software packages such as ArcView and MS Access.
- Development status: CONES v1.0 is currently available
Architecture and major DSS components
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.
Usage
Government use.
Computational limitations
Describe the system limitations: e.g. number of management units, number of vehicles, time horizon
User interface
Describe the quality of user interface and the Prerequisite knowledge for using the system
Documentation and support
Information about CONES can be found at the CONES website, where e-mail directions of the responsible researchers are given.
Installation
- Prerequisite knowledge: Level of effort to become functional
- Cost: (purchase price, development costs, demonstrated return on investment, cost of use, training costs, licence and maintenance costs)
- Demo: allows the download/utilization of a trial version. If yes, where is it available and what are the trial conditions.
References
Cited references
External resources
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. (Fulltext available) (Oral Communication)
