Method and system for simulating forest management

A computer executable method for simulating forest resources and management of the forest resources over a pre-determined period of time, the method comprising the following steps:

• opening an accounting on a plurality of simulated stands;
• simulating a growing of a plurality of simulated trees on a plurality of simulated stands;
• applying a plurality of forest management actions to the plurality of simulated trees on the plurality of simulated stands;
• and
• closing the accounting on the plurality of simulated stands.

A computer readable medium having stored therein a plurality of object-oriented data structures for forest simulation including an object-oriented library the forest simulation including a plurality of simulated trees in a plurality of simulated stands, the computer readable medium comprising:

• Accountant object-oriented object, for tracking cash flow during a forest simulation;
• Action object-oriented object, for specifying a forest management action to perform;
• Actions object-oriented object, for maintaining a list of Action object-oriented objects;
• BDQ object-oriented object, for providing a trees per acre versus diameter at breast height for trees in a stand;
• Biologist object-oriented object, for calculating habitat quality indices for stands;
• CavityNestingBirdHabitatIndex object-oriented object, for storing a habitat index for birds that prefer habitat in stands with older growth trees;
• ClearCuttingRule object-oriented object, for defining how a clear cut action will be carried out;
• ClearCuttingRules object-oriented object, for maintaining a list of ClearCuttingRule object-oriented objects;
• ConeTreeClass object-oriented object, for representing a plurality of individual trees of a same species and diameter at breast height classes whose shape is described by a cone with base diameter equal to diameter at breast height and height equal to total height;
• Cruiser object-oriented object, for calculating a volume of standing trees in a stand;
• ForestControl object-oriented object, for accessing top other object-oriented objects in the object-oriented library;
• ForestManager object-oriented object, for coordinating forest management activities;
• Grade object-oriented object, for maintaining grade specifications used to implement log grading;
• Grader object-oriented object, for grading and valuing timber volume;
• Grades object-oriented object, for maintaining a list of Grade object-oriented objects;
• HabitatIndices object-oriented object, for maintaining a list habitat indexes;
• Harvester object-oriented object, for harvesting timber in a stand;
• HarvestList object-oriented object, for maintaining a list of stands that were harvested;
• HarvestedTreeClasses object-oriented object, for maintaining a list of harvested trees;
• LogVolume object-oriented object, for maintaining a volume of timber tallied into log classes;
• LogVolumes object-oriented object, for maintaining a list of LogVolume object-oriented objects;
• Organization object-oriented object, for maintaining an organization that manages forested land;
• Ownership object-oriented object, for maintaining a list of stands owned by an Organization object-oriented object;
• Planter object-oriented object, for planting trees according to a list of saplings;
• PlantingRule object-oriented object, for defining how a planting action will be carried out;
• PlantingRules object-oriented object, for maintaining a list of PlantingRule object-oriented objects;
• Scaler object-oriented object, for calculating volumes of trees;
• SelectiveCuttingRule object-oriented object, for defining how a selective cutting action will be carried out;
• SelectiveCuttingRules object-oriented object, for maintaining a list of SelectiveCuttingRule object-oriented objects;
• Simulation Control object-oriented object, for starting, stopping and stepping through forest simulations;
• Stand object-oriented object, for containing a list of trees on a stand;
• Stands object-oriented object, for maintaining a list of Stand object-oriented objects;
• StandVolume object-oriented object, for maintaining a volume of timber tallied by stand;
• StandVolumes object-oriented object, for maintaining a list of StandVolume object-oriented objects;
• TaperTreeClass object-oriented object, for representing a number of individual trees of a same species and diameter at breast height classes whose shape is described by a table of taper values;
• ThinningRule object-oriented object, for defining how a thinning action will be carried out;
• ThinningRules object-oriented object, for a maintaining list of ThinningRule object-oriented objects;
• TreeClass object-oriented object, for defining a base set of object-oriented properties, methods and events for trees that other more specialized classes of trees implement;
• TreeClasses object-oriented object, for maintaining a list of TreeClass object-oriented objects;
• TreeVolume object-oriented object, for maintaining a volume of timber tallied by tree;
• TreeVolumes object-oriented object, for maintaining a list of TreeVolume object-oriented objects;
• and
• VolumeCalculator object-oriented object, for calculating a timber volume of trees.

A computer readable medium having stored therein a Stand object-oriented data structure for simulating a forest stand with a plurality of simulated trees, the Stand object-oriented data structure including a plurality of object-oriented data structure members, the computer readable medium comprising:

• object-oriented data structure member for an area of a stand;
• object-oriented data structure member for a name of a stand;
• object-oriented data structure member for tree classes present in a stand;
• and
• object-oriented data structure member for a site index.

A computer readable medium having stored therein an object-oriented data structure for calculating a volume of simulated trees in a simulated forest stand, the object-oriented data structure including a plurality of object-oriented data structure members, the computer readable medium comprising:

• object-oriented data structure member for calculating timber volume;
• object-oriented data structure member for tallying timber volume into log classes;
• object-oriented data structure member for tallying timber volume into tree classes;
• and
• object-oriented data structure member for tallying timber volume by stand.