Combining tree growth, fish and wildlife habitat, mass wasting, sedimentation, and hydrologic models in decision analysis and long-term forest land planning

This paper describes the ecosystem management planning approach that has be en successfully implemented for landscape-scale sustained yield plans (SYPs ) and is currently being used for multispecies habitat conservation plans ( HCPs). A key aspect of this approach is its emphasis on preventative manage ment, which involves matching land use activities to the capabilities of th e landscape such that forest management can occur in an ecologically sustai nable manner. The planning process targets a desired future condition using a geographic information system (GIS) to store and analyze site-specific r esource data. Monitoring and adaptive management will be needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the selected plan, and to continue to improve the lan d management plan through time. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r eserved.