SG0279, Planning and analysis with the Heureka system - a forest decision support system, 15.0 Hp
Print syllabus

Syllabus

Level

First cycle (G1F)

Main field of study

Forest Science

Grading Scale

The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.

Course language

Swedish

Entry Requirements

Objectives

Students will learn the theoretical foundations of forest planning and how an advanced forest decision support system can be used in forest management planning and other analyses related to the future development of the forest ecosystem.

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to

• present the basics of forest planning and the analysis and planning methods upon which the Heureka System is based
• present the underlying principles of the processes used in a decision support system
• use all four Heureka programs to process various problems in forest planning and analysis
• describe the possibilities and limitations with the four Heureka applications
• interpret and explain analysis results generated with help from the Heureka system.

Content

The course is a distance learning course equating to ten weeks of full-time study. The course uses an independent study package accessible via a virtual learning environment (VLE). The independent study package is divided into 6 modules:

• Module 1: a general introduction to forest planning and the Heureka system.
• Module 2: StandWise and its interactive simulator.
• Module 3: RegWise and its user-defined regulatory system for silviculture and harvesting measures.
• Module 4: PlanWise and its optimisation tool for finding the most suitable action.
• Module 5: PlanEval and its methods for balancing various objectives in cases involving one or more decision makers and stakeholders.
• Module 6: involves a synthesis block in which students will answer a planning problem using one of Heureka’s applications.

Modules 1–5 include exercises with detailed instructions layered with tasks requiring knowledge of both basic planning theory and system structure. The exercises use the system’s various applications to analyse data from both the entire landscape and individual forest properties. Each module is supplemented with recorded lectures that address how Heureka can be used in various sustainability analyses, the type of input required, how the user can control/steer the system’s various components, basic mathematical optimisation and basic theories on multi-criteria decision analysis.

These are the examining components of the modules: Modules 1–5: i) submission of a Heureka-related report, ii) submission of a written literature summary, iii) written examination through the learning platform. Module 6: i) submission of a written final report, ii) oral presentation of the report using a video conferencing service (such as Zoom).

Examination Formats and Requirements for Passing the Course

In order to pass the course, students must successfully pass the following assessments from modules 1–5: - Heureka-related report - written literature summary - written examination through the learning platform To pass module 6 examination - final report, and - oral presentation of the final report.

Responsible Department/Equivalent

Department of Forest Resource Management

Supplementary information

Module set

Title	Credits	Code
Introduction	1.5	0401
StandWise	1.5	0402
RegWise	1.5	0403
PlanWise	4.5	0407
PlanEval	1.5	0405
Own Case	4.5	0408

The Course Replaces

SG0273

Other Information

Students on this distance learning course should be familiar with basic forestry concepts. Students will need access to a computer, headset, webcam and an internet connection to be able to access the high-resolution streamed teaching materials. The course will be cancelled if there are not enough applicants.