SIMO: An adaptable simulation framework for multiscale forest resource data

Forest management planning is facing new objectives and diversified data sources. To succeed in the new context, a forest management planning framework should support integration of the new goals, knowledge, and technology as well as embrace multiple scales. The aim of the SIMO framework is to develop a hierarchical, extendable simulation and optimization framework for forest management planning. Current implementation includes a forest growth and yield simulator which is adaptable with respect to the components of a simulation; data, growth and operation models that modify the data, and the control structures between the data and the models. The simulation framework components implemented in XML include the hierarchical structures for data and simulation descriptions, and an extendable model base. To achieve flexibility and reusability, the components are connected through a common ontology, again defined in XML The article includes two use cases demonstrating the adaptability of the simulation framework, which is available as open source software. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.