Forest Harvest Scheduling : From Linear Programming to Heuristic Search

This book provides a synthesis of methods that have been used in both practice and research to develop forest harvest schedules (plans of action) and to assess alternative policy scenarios.

This book provides a synthesis of methods that have been used in both practice and research to develop forest harvest schedules (plans of action) and to assess alternative policy scenarios. Beginning with exact mathematical methods (linear, mixed integer, and goal programming), the book provides a brief history of their conception, followed by an approachable description of the processes commonly employed to search a solution space for the optimal solution to a problem. Hill-climbing, random search, and binary search processes are then described as relatively simple alternatives to the exact methods. Heuristic search processes (threshold accepting, simulated annealing, tabu search, and genetic algorithms) are then described as semi-rational, biased alternatives to solving forest harvest scheduling problems. The closing remarks of the book provide context for the use of forest harvest scheduling in addressing today's contemporary forest management issues. In addition to a set of common-sense principles that are introduced throughout the book, provided in the book is a fifty-question exam associated with the content introduced.