EvaSylv: A user-friendly software to evaluate forestry scenarii including natural risk

TL;DR

EvaSylv is an accessible software tool that simulates forest management scenarios, incorporating natural risk factors to optimize economic and ecological outcomes amid climate change challenges.

Contribution

It introduces a user-friendly software that integrates natural risk modeling into forest management simulation, enabling optimization without advanced programming skills.

Findings

Software successfully models natural risk impacts on forest management.

Case studies demonstrate optimization of economic and ecological objectives.

Flexible scenario analysis enhances silviculture decision-making.

Abstract

Forest management relies on the evaluation of silviculture practices. The increase in natural risk due to climate change makes it necessary to consider evaluation criteria that take natural risk into account. Risk integration in existing software requires advanced programming skills.We propose a user-friendly software to simulate even-aged and monospecific forest at the stand level, in order to evaluate and optimize forest management. The software gives the possibility to run management scenarii with or without considering the impact of natural risk. The control variables are the dates and rates of thinning and the cutting age.The risk model is based on a Poisson processus. The Faustmann approach, including tree damage risk, is used to evaluate future benefits, economic or ecosystem services. It relies on the calculation of expected values, for which a dedicated mathematical development has been done. The optimized criteria used to evaluate the various scenarii are the Faustmann value and the Averaged yield value.We illustrate the approach and the software on two case studies: economic optimization of a beech stand and carbon sequestration optimization of a pine stand.Software interface makes it easy for users to write their own (growth-tree damage-economic) models without advanced programming skills. The possibility to run management scenarii with/without considering the impact of natural risk may contribute improving silviculture guidelines and adapting them to climate change. We propose future lines of research and improvement.