A multiobjective model for forest planning with adjacency constraints

• Published in: Annals of operations research Vol. 190; no. 1; pp. 75 - 92
• Main Authors: Gómez, T., Hernández, M., Molina, J., León, M. A., Aldana, E., Caballero, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.10.2011; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Age; Analysis; Business and Management; Clearcutting; Combinatorics; Decision making; Economics; Forest management; Forests; Goal programming; Mathematical models; Net present value; Operations research; Operations Research/Decision Theory; Optimization; Planning; Plantations; Searching; Studies; Theory of Computation; Timber; Variables; Cuba; Nonlinear binary models; Metaheuristic methods; Forest planning; Adjacency constraints; Goal programming
• ISSN: 0254-5330; 1572-9338
• DOI: 10.1007/s10479-009-0525-4

This work presents a nonlinear goal programming model with binary variables used to plan the management of a tree plantation, taking economic and environmental objectives into account. The aims are to stay within the limits of a given harvesting volume, limit the age of basic units targeted for clearcutting, obtain a forest with a balanced age distribution, and surpass the minimum net present value set at each planning period. This has to be achieved bearing in mind technical restrictions regarding treatments, and spatial adjacency constraints that limit the maximum adjacent surface area to which clearcutting can be applied. The outcome is a highly complex problem that is solved by applying a metaheuristic method based on Scatter Search. The proposed model has been validated by applying it to a Cuban plantation located in the region of Pinar del Río.