Optimizing Timber Harvest Value: A Dynamic Programming Investigation

Operations research models have been and continue to be integral to the implementation of forest management strategies. Fundamental operations research models such as linear and dynamic programming have respective advantages and disadvantages when applied to any forest system. An overview of five fundamental operations research models are provided in terms of a timber harvesting system. Timber production management is a branch of forest management that seeks to optimize the economic benefits of harvesting timber. The time-stage nature of timber harvesting systems makes dynamic programming a particularly useful model for timber production management. Thus, dynamic programming is the primary model discussed in this thesis. Through several constructed examples, the structure and solving process of a dynamic programming model is demonstrated and analyzed. Both discrete and continuous dynamic programming models are discussed as well as varying forest management considerations