Workplan

Objectives

WG 2 provides the expertise in models and methods to support the work of the cost action. The main objective in the first year 2009-10 is to begin a review of the different methods and approaches that are (or have been) used to provide information or evidence for forest management and forest planning decisions or have been used in other areas of science for planning and decision making. The review will focus on the basic model elements and approaches, commenting on the benefits, constraints, and applicability for forest management and planning.

It is hoped that a draft review will be completed in time for the April 2010 meeting in Lisbon, and the work in progress will be discussed and disseminated at a meeting in Latvia in November 2009.

Activities

These activities support the development of milestone M2 and will help clarify information required for the subsequent milestones and outputs M8 (Functionality of approaches and models) and M12 (Integration of models and approaches) to support the components of the MBMS (M13).

Work Program

• Draft a work plan for year 1 with review topic and submit finalise and agree with the Steering Group (done)
• Send to the working group members for comments – feedback to be received by 17th August 2009
• Disseminate the agreed plan WG2 members and ask members to rank their expertise by topics to form sub-groups - by end August 2009
• Nominate review topic leaders for sub-groups to co-ordinate review work by topic – agree membership by end August 2009
• Register for Riga Conference by end August 2009
• Begin review on 1st September 2009
• Mid October – Working group 2, sub-group topic leaders discussion (no more than 10 people including Prof Jose Borges) by Skype or teleconference. To discuss and review progress, and to finalise the WG2 program for the Riga conference.
• Present, discuss the review and outcomes from STSM at MC/WG Riga conference in November 2009
• Complete review components - by 1st December 2009
• Assemble the components into a single document and edit a 1st draft - by end February 2010.
• Distribute to authors and working group members, and SG for comments – by end February 2010
• Amend document - by end March 2010
• Present 2nd draft to Forsys Lisbon conference in April 2010.

Classification of approaches and models to describe topic groups

The work will be split into 4 main topic areas, each led by an expert with experience in the field.

Each topic area could be further sub-divided to review the topic within the domain areas shown below | No | Forestry Domain | 1. | Spatial planning, species, forest type, classification systems | 2. | Operations planning, timing, method | 3. | Impact of operations on environment and/or biodiversity | 4. | Impact on communities and livelihoods

The review will examine methods and approaches, and where possible comment on the applicability of the approach in relation to a forestry context. However, it is expected that many methods will be from other disciplines, and in these cases opinion based on case studies from other domains will be very valuable. 3. Outputs planned for year

   * Organise approaches and models into groups reflecting different planning and decision making tasks and the appropriate methods
   * Assemble a table/diagram with a rationale and citations defining compatible methods and models used in forest management and planning
   * Draft report of the methods and approaches review.