Skip to main content
Log in

Heuristic solution approaches to operational forest planning problems

  • Published:
Operations-Research-Spektrum Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Operational forest planning problems are typically very difficult problems to solve due to problem size and constraint structure. This paper presents three heuristic solution approaches to operational forest planning problems. We develop solution procedures based on Interchange, Simulated Annealing and Tabu search. These approaches represent new and unique solution strategies to this problem. Results are provided for applications to two actual forest planning problems and indicate that these approaches provide near optimal solutions in relatively short amounts of computer time.

Zusammenfassung

Operationale Forstplanungsprobleme sind typischerweise sehr schwierige Probleme, was durch die Problemgröße und durch die Struktur der „constraints“ gegeben ist. Dieser Artikelzeigt drei heuristische Lösungsansätze für operationale Forstplanungsprobleme auf. Wir haben Lösungsprozeduren entwickelt, die auf interchange, simulated annealing und Tabu-Suche basieren. Diese Ansätze stellen neue und andersartige Lösungsstrategien für dieses Problem dar. Ergebnisse bei Anwendung auf zwei tatsächliche Forstplanungsprobleme werden vorgestellt. Sie zeigen, daß diese Ansätze nahezu optimale Lösungen bei relativ kurzer Berechnungszeit liefern.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barahona F, Weintraub A, Epstein R (1992) Habitat dispersion in forest planning and stable set problem. Oper Res 40 [Suppl] (1) S14-S21

    Google Scholar 

  • Bullard S, Sherali H, Klemperer WD (1985) Estimating optimal thinning and rotation for mixed-species timber stands using a random search algorithm. Forest Sci 31:303–315

    Google Scholar 

  • Church R, Barber K (1992) Disaggregating forest management plans to treatment areas. In proceedings of Stand Inventory Technologies 92, Portland, Oregon, September 13–17, 287–295

  • Church R, Lanter D, Loban S (1992) VIP: a spatial decision support system for the US Forest Service. Working paper, Department of Geography, UCSB

  • Clements SE, Dallain PL, Jamnick MS (1990) An operational, spatially constrained harvest scheduling model. Can J For Res 20:1438–1447

    Google Scholar 

  • Conover W (1980) Practical nonparametric statistics. 2nd ed Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Covington WW, Wood DB, Young DL, Dykstra DP, Garrett LD (1988) TEAMS: a decision support system for multiresource management. Forestry 86(8):25–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahlin B, Sallnas O (1993) Harvest scheduling under adjacency constraints — a case study from the Swedish sub-alpine region. Forest Res 8:281–290

    Google Scholar 

  • Densham P, Rushton G (1992) A more efficient heuristic for solving large p-median problems. Pap Reg Sci 71:307–329

    Google Scholar 

  • de Werra D, Hertz A (1989) Tabu search techniques: A tutorial and an application to neural networks. OR Spektrum 11:131–141

    Google Scholar 

  • Glover F (1989) Tabu search — Part I. ORSA J Comp 1:190–206

    Google Scholar 

  • Glover F (1990) Tabu search: A tutorial. Interfaces 20:74–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg J, Paz L (1991) Locating emergency vehicle bases when service time depends on call location. Transp Sci 25:264–280

    Google Scholar 

  • Hertz A, de Werra D (1990) The Tabu search metaheuristic: How we used it. Ann Math Artificial Intellig 1:111–121

    Google Scholar 

  • Hof J, Joyce L (1992) Spatial optimization for wildlife and timber in managed forest ecosystems. Forest Sci 38:489–508

    Google Scholar 

  • Hokans RH (1983) Evaluating spatial feasibility of harvest schedules with simulated stand-selection decisions. J Forestry 81:601–603, 613

    Google Scholar 

  • Jamnick MS, Walters K (1991) Harvest blocking, adjacency constraints and timber harvest volumes. Syst Anal Forest Resourc Sympos 3–7:255–261

    Google Scholar 

  • Jamnick MS, Davis LS, Gilles JK (1990) Influence of land classification systems on timber harvest scheduling models. Can J Forest Res 20:172–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson KN, Stuart T (1987) FORPLAN version 2: mathematical programmer's guide. Land Manag Plan Syst Sect Rep U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones JG, Weintraub A, Meacham M, Magendzo A (1991 a) A heuristic process for solving mixed-integer land management and transportation planning models. Intermountain Research Station Technical Report INT-477, U.S.D.A. Forest Service

  • Jones JG, Meneghin BJ, Kirby MW (1991 b) Formulating adjacency constraints in linear optimization models for scheduling projects in tactical planning. Forest Sci 37:1283–1297

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirby M, Hager W, Wong P (1986) Simultaneous planning of wildland management and transportation alternatives. TIMS Stud Manag Sci 21:371–387

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirkpatrick S, Gelatt C, Vecchi M (1983) Optimization by simulated annealing. Science 220:671–680

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin S, Kernighan B (1973) An effective heuristic algorithm for the traveling salesman problem. Oper Res 21:498–516

    Google Scholar 

  • Lockwood C, Moore T (1993) Harvest scheduling with spatial constraints: a simulated annealing approach. Can J Forest Res 23:468–478

    Google Scholar 

  • Mealey SP, Lipscomb JF, Johnson KN (1982) Solving the habitat dispersion problem in forest planning. Trans N Am Wildl Natur Resourc Conf 47:142–153

    Google Scholar 

  • Meneghin BJ, Kirby MW, Jones JG (1988) An algorithm for writing adjacency constraints efficiently in linear programming models. In The 1988 Symposium on systems analysis in forest resources. U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station General Technical Report RM-161, pp 46–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Metropolis N, Rosenbluth A, Rosenbluth M, Teller A, Teller E (1953) Equation of state calculations by fast computing machines. J Chem Phys 21:1087–1092

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray AT, Church RL (1993 a) Constructing and selecting adjacency constraints. (Submitted for review)

  • Murray AT, Church RL (1993 b) Applying simulated annealing to location planning models. Working paper, Department of Geography, UCSB

  • Murray AT, Church RL (1994) Measuring the efficacy of adjacency constraint structure in forest planning. (Submitted for review)

  • Nelson J, Brodie JD (1990) Comparison of random search algorithm and mixed integer programming for solving area-based forest plans. Can J Forest Res 20:934–942

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson J, Finn S (1991) The influence of cut-block size and adjacency rules on harvest levels and road networks. Can J Forest Res 21:595–600

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson J, Howard A (1991) A three-stage heuristic procedure for allocating spatially and temporally feasible cutting rights on public lands. Can J Forest Res 21:726–768

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson J, Brodie JD, Sessions J (1991) Integrating short-term, area-based logging plans with long-term harvest schedules. Forest Sci 37:101–122

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Hara A, Faaland B, Bare B (1989) Spatially constrained timber harvest scheduling. Can J Forest Res 19:715–724

    Google Scholar 

  • Roise JP (1986) A nonlinear programming approach to stand optimization. Forest Sci 32:735–748

    Google Scholar 

  • Roise JP (1990) Multicriteria nonlinear programming for optimal spatial allocation of stands. Forest Sci36: 487–501

    Google Scholar 

  • Schrage L (1989) Linear, integer and quadratic programming with LINDO, user's manual, fourth edition. The Scientific Press, San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  • Sessions J, Sessions JB (1991) Scheduling and network analysis program. User's guide, Department of Forest Management. Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

    Google Scholar 

  • Teitz M, Bart P (1968) Heuristic methods for estimating the generalized vertex median of a weighted graph. Oper Res 16:955–961

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson EF, Halterman BG, Lyon TJ, Miller RL (1973) Integrating timber and wildlife management planning. Forestry Chronicle 49:247–250

    Google Scholar 

  • Torres RJM, Brodie JD (1990) Adjacency constraints in harvest scheduling: an aggregation heuristic. Can J Forest Res 20:978–986

    Google Scholar 

  • Torres RJM, Brodie JD, Sessions J (1991) The use of relaxation to solve the habitat dispersion problem. (Working paper)

  • van Laarhoven P, Aarts E (1987) Simulated annealing: Theory and application. D. Reidel, Dordrecht

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker HD, Preiss S (1988) Operational planning using mixed integer programming. Forestry Chronicle 64:485–488

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoshimoto A, Brodie JD (1992) Comparative efficiency of algorithms to generate adjacency constraints. Can J Forest Res (in press)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alan T. Murray.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Murray, A.T., Church, R.L. Heuristic solution approaches to operational forest planning problems. OR Spektrum 17, 193–203 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01719265

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01719265

Key words

Schlüsselwörter

Navigation