In situations where it is necessary to consider a variety of options when
making decisions in forestry (and in general), with the choice influenced by
hardly comparable criteria and a number of conflicting interests, a possible
solution is to use multiple criteria methods. One of these methods, which can
be applied in forestry, is mathematical programming (in particular, linear
programming). Linear programming has a long tradition of being used in the
U.S. and European forestry, whereas in the forestry of Serbia it still
represents a theoretically and practically unknown tool. Therefore, in this
paper we analyze the possibility of applying the methods of linear
programming in developing a plan of regeneration cutting in the poplar
plantations of FMU "Topolik" managed by PE "Vojvodinasume." Using the aimed
function (linear programming) and the corresponding software package the
maximum yield that can be achieved by cutting the plantation was obtained.
The planned management period was from 2012 to 2021 and its volume was 155
852 m3. The preset condition that the yield in half-periods remains equal was
fulfilled (half-period I 77,925 m3, half-period II 77,927 m3). The maximum
yield obtained with this methodology was by 4,040 m3 lower than the
theoretically possible yield that would be obtained if all stands were cut
down at the end of the second half-period, i.e. higher by 8,430 m3 than the
yield that would be obtained if cutting of the stands were performed at the
start of the management period. The results obtained and foreign experience
in this area clearly indicate that linear programming can successfully be
used to solve this problem and even more complex problems (than the one
presented in this paper) in our local forest practice (multidimensional
planning with a series of constraints).