Computer-aided decision making

Several major classes of software technologies have been used in decision making for forest management applications over the past few decades. These computer-based technologies include optimization, expert systems, network models, multi-criteria decision making, and integrated systems. Each technology possesses unique advantages and disadvantages, and has been applied differentially to decision making in forestry. Several example DSS highlight the incorporation of these various technologies for vastly different management problems. Likely future development trends for decision support technologies over the next few decades include: Internet implementations, agent-based applications, increased social science components, and participatory decision making. As with most other computer applications, in general, we expect that decision support will transition to ever smaller devices that will take advantage of ubiquitous computing.