Timber Harvest Scheduling

Timber harvest scheduling is an optimization method that determines which forest stands should be harvested and when, to achieve management objectives (economic return, sustained yield, biodiversity, wildlife habitat) while respecting constraints (minimum harvest age, ending inventory level, adjacent-stand restrictions). It integrates growth models, economic data, and spatial forest inventory to generate long-term management plans spanning decades. Harvest scheduling is essential for operational forest management and landscape-level planning.