SIMO
General System description
System name: SIMulation and Optimization
Acronym: SIMO
Brief overview
SIMO is an open-source program for forest management planning. It has been designed with adaptability in mind. You can decide what your data, growth and operation models are like, and how they are applied in the planning process. In fact, SIMO has such a flexible basic structure, that simulations and optimization aren't even limited to forest management planning
Contents
Scope of the system
SIMO is a general simulation and optimization framework, which means that SIMO supports various forest simulators and optimization methods. Currently, a tree-level growth simulator and stand-level growth simulator for Finland, along with a number of tropical plantation simulators have been implemented in SIMO.
For solving different forest planning problems, SIMO includes alternative heuristic optimization methods as well as an interface to JLP linear programming library.
One of the basic ideas in the development of SIMO has been modifiability. Among many other thing, for example simulation logic, growth and yield models, the data model are all user modifiable in SIMO.
Currently SIMO is mainly an expert's tool as it does not include any graphical user interface. However, a project for developing a GUI for SIMO is under way.
System origin
- Originally developed at the Department of Forest Resource Management, University of Helsinki, during 2004-2007. The development project was funded UPM-Kymmene Ltd., Tornator Oy, Metsämannut Oy, Metsähallitus, Forestry Development Centre Tapio and the Forestry Centres, and The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (Tekes).
- Currently, the lead developer of SIMO is Simosol Oy. Development of SIMO is done also in the Universities of Helsinki and Joensuu
- The main aims in the development of SIMO was to produce modular software that was adaptable, extendable and flexible. User modifiable parts of the system are XML documents and the generic program code is written in Python and C. SIMO is a cross platform framework, so it runs on Windows, OS X, and LINUX.
- SIMO is released under the open source GPL 2.0 license
- At the moment, SIMO is used as a research tool, in teaching, as well as for practical forest planning purposes.
Support for specific issues
The support for specific issues depends on the given simulator/model implementation. The extendability of SIMO makes it easy add new models to the system when new issues need to be addressed.
Currently, the tree-level and stand-level simulators for Finland include models for estimating biomass and carbon sequestration, various economical indices and detailed harvest models for assessing the effects of different timber harvests.
Analyzing various random processes and effects, such as forest inventory errors, growth projection errors and stochastic timber assortment prices, is fairly easy with SIMO as it includes a built-in Monte Carlo simulator.
Support for specific thematic areas of a problem type
- Silvicultural
- Certification
- Conservation
- Restoration
- Transportation
- Development choices / land use zoning
- Policy/intervention alternatives
- Sustainability impact assessment (SIA)
Capability to support decision making phases
SIMO does not yet include any GUI, making if purely an expert's tool. However, the modular structure of SIMO makes it straightforward to integrate into existing DSSs.
(Click here to see a more detailed explanation)
- Intelligence (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
- Design (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
- Choice (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
- Monitor (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
Related systems
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Data and data models
Typical spatial extent of application
SIMO has been designed so that it could be adapted to various scales. The flexible data model allows the computing units to be basically anything; a tree, a stand, a raster cell etc.
Forest data input
Forest data input depends on the data model. Typically, forest planning input data is at stand- or tree species stratum-level, and sample plot data at tree-level.
Models
Forest models
All forest models, or sub models, in SIMO are implemented in so-called model libraries, which makes the re-use of models easy. SIMO model libraries currently include over 400 different published models for forest growth, diameter distributions, biomass, carbon sequestration, and economic indices. Most of the models are for the commercially managed tree species in Finland (Scots pine, Norway spruce, birches), but a number of models for various tropical plantation species (i.e. Eucalyptus cloeziana, Pinus kesiya) have been also added to SIMO model libraries.
SIMO model libraries contain also a number of different forest operation models, that can be used with different forest simulators. Reuse of existing model implementations is possible as the model libraries are dynamically linked libraries, that can be written in Python, C/C++, and Fortran.
Decision Support
Definition of management interventions
The possible management interventions depend on the simulator implementation. Typically, different types of harvests and silvicultural treatments are scheduled and incomes by timber assortments and costs are addressed.
Typical temporal scale of application
The models can be used for various temporal scales, from short-term to long term planning problems. The time step of the simulations can be freely modified to suit the chosen temporal scale.
Decision-making processes and models
Forest planning problems can be solved using some of the SIMO's built-in heuristic optimization methods, or by linear programming using an interface to the JLP package.
Output
Types of outputs
Simulation and optimization results, such as the various forest attributes and operation incomes and costs among other things, are stored in SQL databases, from which different types of outputs can be produced using SIMO's reporting tools.
References
Cited references
Kangas, A., & Rasinmäki, J. 2008. SIMO – Adaptable Simulation and Optimization for Forest Management Planning. University of Helsinki Department of Forest Resource Management Publications 41.
Rasinmäki, J., Kalliovirta, J. & Mäkinen, A. 2009. SIMO: An adaptable simulation framework for multiscale forest resource data. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 66: 76–84.
Tokola, T., Kangas, A., Kalliovirta, J., Mäkinen, A. & Rasinmäki, J. 2006. SIMO – Simulointi ja Optimointi uuteen metsäsuunnitteluun. Metsätieteen aikakauskirja 1/2006: 66-71. (in finnish)
