Smartelo – Decision Support System for Forest Management Education & Training
Decision Support Systems (DSS) comprise software and other modelling tools which, as the name suggests, are designed to support sound decision-making in forest management. Depending on the objective, they may consider biogeoclimatic conditions, economic objectives, administrative or social constraints, or any other factors which influence the management of a forest stand and outcomes resulting from the management decisions. There are numerous licensed or open-source DSS options available, including FVS, BWINPro, SIMANFOR, FORMIND, i-TREE, and more.
Through the BioEcoN project, a DSS named Smartelo was developed specially for application with tree and site data acquired from the project marteloscopes. This includes the parameterization of tree biometric data and growth models specific to those found in the temperate, temperate-Mediterranean and tropical forests represented in the project. Free learning materials from the BioEcoN curriculum include theoretical explanation and practical training on the use of the Smartelo DSS. Tutuorials were also produced for use of Smartelo on both PC and portable devices.