CALL FOR PAPERS: IUFRO conference Vienna, 2003

Universitaet fuer Bodenkultur Wien, 22 August 2002 -- On April 23-25, 2003 the University of Agricultural Sciences, Vienna will organise a transdisciplinary international conference on DECISION SUPPORT FOR MULTIPLE PURPOSE FORESTRY.

The conference will be jointly organised by the Institute of Silviculture at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Vienna, the US Forest Service and IUFRO (International Union of Forest Research Organizations) working groups 4.11.03. and 1.05.06. The venue will be Vienna, Austria.

Background and Motivation

The goal of the conference is to demonstrate how scientific knowledge is applied to improve decision-making processes about multiple-purpose (synonymous to multiple-use) forest management, to discuss methodological and technical requirements for developing decision support tools, to assess applications of decision support systems in multiple-purpose forestry, and to encourage the exchange of new ideas about decision support processes and their application tools in sustainable forest management.

This conference will cover the issue of decision support for multiple purpose forest management by:

  • Reviewing the "state of the art" in the field of decision support in forest management
  • Discussing strategic and operational planning approaches
  • Assessing the impacts of alternatives: the application, evaluation and validation of simulation models at stand and landscape level
  • Comparing decision alternatives including multiple-criteria techniques (MCA)
  • Presenting knowledge management approaches
  • Investigating decision models and DSS-generators
  • Enhancing and encouraging international collaboration

Several key note speakers will be invited to cover the various aspects of providing decision support in forest ecosystem management. Additionally the Organising Committee invites abstracts for papers and posters to be presented as part of the scientific conference.

Abstracts should be submitted to the Institute of Silviculture, at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Vienna by October 15, 2002, at the latest.

For detailed information about call for papers, publications and registration please visit the conference web site:

http://waldbau.boku.ac.at/iufro/

The organisers appreciate very much the further distribution of this announcement to any collegues you think might be interested in that topic.

With best regards,
the organising committee
Manfred J. Lexer
H. Michael Rauscher
Keith M. Reynolds
Harald Vacik
Robert T. Brooks