| The complexity of forest management has increased with the scope of resources of concern and the level of scrutiny from stakeholders. The design and use of specialized computer software, often referred to as "decision support systems" (DSS), is one method for helping managers deal with this complexity. DSS have proven helpful in a wide range of fields, including business planning, medical diagnosis, and transportation. In the forestry sector, they have been used intensively for timber supply modeling, but their application to the more diverse and nebulous goals of ecosystem management and sustainable forestry has not been as straightforward. This study investigates the availability and utility of such DSS in relation to questions about forest biodiversity.; Part one of this research was based on a written survey of the capabilities of existing decision support systems relevant to forest biodiversity issues (FBDSS). The primary objectives of the survey were to (1) help potential FBDSS users find systems which meet their needs and (2) help FBDSS designers and funders identify unmet needs. Thirty systems met the screening criteria from a pool of over 100 tools generated from previous reviews and other sources. These systems were reviewed against three themes: (1) classes of forest biodiversity indicators used, (2) major forest influences addressed, and (3) abilities to tackle complex political decisions.; Part two comprises four in depth case studies on how FBDSS were actually used in different problem solving situations. Participant interviews and available documentation were reviewed using a four-part, qualitative framework.; Part three of the study brought together information from the written survey, four in depth case studies, ten more cursory cases, and the literature to construct a framework help practitioners think about the "why, when, what, how, and who" of adoption and use of FBDSS. Important threads through these considerations include the question(s) of interest, the decision context, and the available capacity and time. The social and political uses of FBDSS should be explicitly considered because, as shown in the Part II case studies, these uses can be as important as the more traditionally recognized analytical benefits. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
