Flexibility in forest management: Managing uncertainty in Douglas-fir forests of the Pacific Northwest

Abstract

Long planning horizons generate substantial uncertainty in forest management, making management flexibility, the ability to choose between multiple options or opportunities, a desirable attribute of managed forests. Flexibility in forest management reflects both the relative rigidity of intervention requirements and the potential range of development pathways for a stand. The wind stability of Pacific Northwest Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb.] Franco) plantations is used to demonstrate the concept of management flexibility. Dense Douglazs-fir plantations develop high height to diameter ratios (H/D same units) in the dominant trees making them unstable and prone to wind damage. The ..