**Acknowledgements**

The authors would like to thank the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) (Fund to support forest and timber research), who supported the project.

#### **Nomenclatures**

**Assortment:** The breakdown of a stand of timber/trees into different products.

**Basal area:** The total area of the stem cross‐sections of all living trees.

**Biomass:** All organic matter in an ecosystem. It includes both living and dead material.

**Continuous cover forestry:** Continuous cover is defined as the use of silvicultural systems whereby the forest canopy is maintained at one or more levels without clear felling.

**Crown:** Branches and upper part of the stem of tree. Tree crown can be measured by crown base (stem height where the branches begin), crown height (from crown base to the top of the tree) and crown per cent (ratio of crown length and tree height).

**Diameter at breast height (dbh):** Diameter of a tree stem 1.3 m above ground (convention on standardised measurement of stem thickness).

**Ecosystem Service:** Function of an ecosystem that contributes to human well‐being, for example, timber production or carbon storage.

**Final Harvest:** Harvest (clearance) of a forest stand that has reached the planned harvesting age.

**Forest enterprise:** Organisational unit, which, as a public or private legal entity or natural person, manages forests strategically and operatively.

**Crop tree (Future tree):** Trees which will be selected in an early stage of stand development and which are expected to become a component of a future commercial harvest. Through periodical thinnings competing trees are removed.

**Growing stock:** This is the volume of stem wood with bark of all living trees and shrubs in a stand of area. The growing stock is usually given in cubic metres of wood per hectare forest.

**High forest:** A high forest is a type of forest originated from seed or from planted seedlings. It usually consists of large, tall mature trees with a closed canopy.

**Ingrowth:** The volume, basal area or number of those trees in a stand that were smaller than a prescribed minimum diameter or height limit at the beginning of any growth‐determining period and, during that period, attained the prescribed size.

**Increment:** Increase in diameter, height, circumference, basal area, volume or value of a stand or individual tree within a defined time interval.

**NFI:** Sampling inventory for a whole country. It periodically records the condition of the forests and any changes that have taken place. On the basis of these data, statistically reliable conclusions can be drawn for a whole country. The primary source of data are aerial images, data collected in forests and surveys of the forest service.

**Planting:** Planting of young trees in a forest to regenerate it.

The AHP model presented here found BWINPro to be a suitable simulator for the defined objectives. The main reasons for this choice were BWINPro's free availability as open‐source software and its modular structure in the Java programming language. On the one hand, this enables the parametrisation of sub‐models for Swiss conditions or the replacement of indi‐ vidual components with components developed in‐house. In addition, the transparent model structure provides the basis for further development into a climate‐sensitive version. The model also offers a broad range of treatment variants commonly found in forestry practice,

Using AHP, a simulator was evaluated which will go on to be parametrised for Swiss condi‐ tions with data from long‐term forest experimental plots and the National Forest Inventory. Furthermore, the detailed analysis of the different functionalities of the four simulators found that the simulator in question lends itself particularly well to implementation in a DSS. This

The authors would like to thank the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) (Fund

including those aimed at nature conservation and promoting biodiversity.

234 Applications and Theory of Analytic Hierarchy Process - Decision Making for Strategic Decisions

DSS could support forest planning and management processes in the future.

**Assortment:** The breakdown of a stand of timber/trees into different products.

**Biomass:** All organic matter in an ecosystem. It includes both living and dead material.

whereby the forest canopy is maintained at one or more levels without clear felling.

**Continuous cover forestry:** Continuous cover is defined as the use of silvicultural systems

**Crown:** Branches and upper part of the stem of tree. Tree crown can be measured by crown base (stem height where the branches begin), crown height (from crown base to the top of the

**Diameter at breast height (dbh):** Diameter of a tree stem 1.3 m above ground (convention on

**Ecosystem Service:** Function of an ecosystem that contributes to human well‐being, for

**Final Harvest:** Harvest (clearance) of a forest stand that has reached the planned harvesting

**Forest enterprise:** Organisational unit, which, as a public or private legal entity or natural

to support forest and timber research), who supported the project.

**Basal area:** The total area of the stem cross‐sections of all living trees.

tree) and crown per cent (ratio of crown length and tree height).

standardised measurement of stem thickness).

example, timber production or carbon storage.

person, manages forests strategically and operatively.

**Acknowledgements**

**Nomenclatures**

age.

**Regeneration:** Establishment and growth of young trees. Regeneration that takes place without human involvement is called natural regeneration (opposite planting)

**Silviculture:** Silviculture is the practice of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health and quality of forests to meet diverse needs and values.

**Site:** Entirety of all the environmental factors that affect plant communities.

**Site factors:** Environmental factors influencing plants, either > biotic (e.g. vegetation compe‐ tition and harmful organisms) or abiotic (e.g. geology and weathering).

**Site index (based on top height):** A species‐specific measure of actual or potential forest productivity (site quality), expressed in terms of the average height of trees included in a specified stand component at a specified base age.

**Stand:** Tree collective with homogeneous structure and tree species composition. It represents the smallest spatial unit for silvicultural activities.

**Stocking:** Collective of trees or shrubs in a forest.

**Target diameter:** Diameter at breast height at which trees will be harvested.

**Thinning:** A silvicultural treatment made to reduce stand density of trees primarily to improve growth, enhance forest health, or recover potential mortality.

**Timber‐harvesting expenses:** Cost and effort involved in preparing the wood (timber harvest)

**Timber‐harvesting revenues:** Through the sale of wood earned money.

**Top height:** The average height of the 100 trees/ha of the largest diameter.

**Tree volume (or stemwood):** Aboveground wood of the tree stem (without branches, but with bark), unit of measure is solid cubic meter standing wood.

#### **Appendix**

**Tables 4**–**7** describe the sub‐models and functionalities for each of the four simulators.


Evaluation of Growth Simulators for Forest Management in Terms of Functionality and Software Structure Using AHP http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/63925 237


**Table 4.** Characteristics of BWINPro.

**Top height:** The average height of the 100 trees/ha of the largest diameter.

236 Applications and Theory of Analytic Hierarchy Process - Decision Making for Strategic Decisions

bark), unit of measure is solid cubic meter standing wood.

1.2 Age dependency Age dependent

2.3 Suitable for research/education/

3.1 Specification with regard to region

3.2 Type of mixtures and stand

management

and site

structure

4.3 Processing of missing information

1.1 Spatial resolution Semi‐distance‐dependent individual‐tree model

Yes

**Appendix**

**Tree volume (or stemwood):** Aboveground wood of the tree stem (without branches, but with

**Tables 4**–**7** describe the sub‐models and functionalities for each of the four simulators.

2.1 Silvicultural scenario studies *ForestSimulator:* simulation and analysis of individual stands; *WaldPlaner:*

2.2 Updating of forest stands In 5‐year steps, a simulation of more than 30–40 years is not recommended

Even‐aged as well as uneven‐aged and mixed stands

cutting, clear cutting, thinning from below, planting

3.3 Silvicultural treatment variants Final crop tree selection (interactive and automatic), protection of trees above a

3.4 Available tree species A total of 19 tree species; the following are fully parametrised: oak, beech, spruce,

age, crown bases, crown widths, tree positions

*Age‐related mortality:* activated above a specified maximum age

automatic routine: sub‐model determines whether and how much of which species is set as regeneration and how much is attributed to ingrowth (dbh > 7

5.1 Height increment Potential‐dependent estimate using yield tables, distance‐independent; model

5.2 Diameter increment Potential‐independent, distance‐independent; model and coefficients: [25]

5.5 Regeneration/ingrowth model Ingrowth is regulated via regeneration layers (manually or automatically);

Douglas fir, pine 4.1 Area shape and size Model stands based on a square or circular sample plot 4.2 Input data requirements Sample plots from forest inventory can be analysed

and coefficients: [25]

5.3 Crown model Crown base, crown width; model and coefficients: [25] 5.4 Mortality model *Density‐related mortality:* model and coefficients: [25];

cm)

simulation, analysis and optimisation of multiple stands in a forest enterprise

Parametrised for northwest Germany, southern Germany [40, 41], Saxony [42]

specified dbh (for nature conservation), protection of minority species

(biodiversity), selection of habitat trees, target diameter harvesting, shelterwood

Data addition routine for diameter distributions, missing height values, estimated



**Table 5.** Characteristics of SILVA.



**Table 6.** Characteristics of MOSES.

4.3 Processing of missing information

5.5 Regeneration/ingrowth model Not available

6.1 Tree lists Yes 6.2 Stand characteristics Yes

7.1 Consideration of disturbances No

8.3 Documentation Good

1.2 Age dependency Age dependent

2.1 Silvicultural scenario studies Possible

2.3 Suitable for research/education/

3.1 Specification with regard to region and site

management

8.1 Availability of programming

**Table 5.** Characteristics of SILVA.

code

Spatial stand structure is added via SILVA‐STRUGEN structure generator [43],

which describe the effect of the site on the potential height increment [45]

Evans index, Pielou index, species profile index, species mixing and diameter

missing tree and stand indicators via tariff and model functions

5.1 Height increment Chapman‐Richards function, potential derived from site factors, distance dependent; model: [4], coefficients: [19]

5.2 Diameter increment Potential dependent, distance dependent; model: [4], coefficients: [19]

5.4 Mortality model LOGIT function, mortality is determined by a random number (if Pm > random

5.6 Site properties Species‐specific unimodal dose‐response functions: aggregate nine site factors

6.3 Economic measures Assortment [46], timber‐harvesting expenses, timber‐harvesting revenues 6.4 Structural characteristics Characteristic values of stand structure, stand stability and diversity (Clark–

7.2 Consideration of climate change Simulation of reactions to changed environmental conditions is possible within

Not freely available, not open source

2.2 Updating of forest stands In 5‐year steps, the maximum simulation length is 40 growth periods

the scope specified by the empirical database (see site model)

Parametrised with data from long‐term experimental plots in Austria and

number --> mortality); model: [44], coefficients: [19]

5.3 Crown model crown base, crown width; model: [4], coefficients: [19]

238 Applications and Theory of Analytic Hierarchy Process - Decision Making for Strategic Decisions

differentiation)

6.5 Biomass components Derived by estimators from tree dimensions

8.2 Modular structure Structured into various sub‐modules

1.1 Spatial resolution Distance‐dependent individual‐tree model

Yes

Switzerland



**Table 7.** Characteristics of PrognAus.
