Modeling soil conservation and timber production values using linear programming (in Karanlıkdere Planning Unit)

Modeling Soil Conservation and Timber Production Values Using Linear Programming Forest management is the control of the evolving temporal and spatial pattern of forest landscape so that the desired quantities of economic, ecological and social values are available. Forest management plans, prepared according to conventional approach couldn't take into consideration forest ecosystem dynamics and offer alternatives or optimal solutions. Soil conservation and wood production values were digitized for Gümüşhane Karanhkdere planning unit to find solutions to problems that are stated. Soil protection integrated forest management model was developed, modeled with linear programming and solved by LINDO. The planning horizon determined as 100 years. 12 alternative planning strategies are developed to maximize wood production, Net Present Value (NPV) obtained from wood production, minimize soil loss and NPV obtained from soil loss. Planning unit considered as a whole and strategies were developed on the basis of stands thus, spatial features of stands partly integrated into planning process. Changes different characteristics in forest landscape that is formed by many stands which are in different development class and sites, tried to comprehend by the help of model outputs according to time for understanding the forest ecosystem dynamics. The multiple objective planning approach and operations research techniques should seriously be considered during the preparation of forest management plans. Key Words: Forest Management Planning, Multiple Objective Planning, Harvest Scheduling, Forest Values, Soil Conservation Value, Linear Programming VI