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An Overview of Forest Management Planning and Information Management

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The Management of Industrial Forest Plantations

Part of the book series: Managing Forest Ecosystems ((MAFE,volume 33))

Abstract

Managing any complex operation requires planning. While this seems obvious enough, it is valuable to consider specifically why planning is important, especially in the context of the management of industrial forest plantations. Most importantly, plans specify what will be done, when, by whom, and for what purpose. The plan ensures that everyone within the organization knows what needs to be done, and it provides a basis for holding both the organization and the individuals within the organization accountable for what is accomplished. Plans should also be the basis for the allocation of scarce resources within an organization, so nearly everyone in the organization has a stake in the planning process. Furthermore, a plan communicates to external stakeholders, such as stockholders and the public, what the organization is doing, what it expects to do in the future, and why. Having a good plan and demonstrating that the plan can and will be implemented gives an organization credibility. Conversely, failing to plan, or having a plan but not following it, increases the likelihood of inefficiency, frustration, and a lack of credibility.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The author wishes to thank Dr. Laura Lietes, Penn State University, for her assistance in the research for this section.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Marc E. McDill

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  1. Marc E. McDill
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Correspondence to Marc E. McDill .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

    José G. Borges

  2. Dept de Economía y Gestión Forestal, Technical University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Luis Diaz-Balteiro

  3. Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Marc E. McDill

  4. Department of Forest Sciences, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil

    Luiz C.E. Rodriguez

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McDill, M.E. (2014). An Overview of Forest Management Planning and Information Management. In: Borges, J., Diaz-Balteiro, L., McDill, M., Rodriguez, L. (eds) The Management of Industrial Forest Plantations. Managing Forest Ecosystems, vol 33. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8899-1_2

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