Analyst, Forest Biometrics, J&E McWilliams and Associates
Eleanor graduated from UBC in 1984 and obtained a Master’s degree in Forest Biometrics in 1991 from the University of Minnesota. She has extensive experience in quantitative silviculture, stand modelling, monitoring, regeneration standards, inventory, and financial analysis of silviculture treatments.
Presentation Abstract:
“All models are wrong, but some are useful” – George Box
This well-known quote acknowledges that models are simplifications of reality, but can be useful in decision making, particularly for demonstrating trends and trade-offs.
This presentation will show, through practical examples, how TASS — a biologically based, spatially explicit individual-tree model — can be used to simulate different stand development pathways resulting from a range of silviculture treatments. It will also briefly describe the importance of structuring a set of simulations so that trends and trade-offs can be interpreted from the results.
Additionally, achieving forest-level objectives requires modeling numerous stand development pathways to generate inputs for forest level modelling. The talk will therefore emphasize the critical need for improved accessibility to stand models, along with significantly expanded training and capacity-building to ensure more practitioners can effectively run and interpret them.
Eleanor graduated from UBC in 1984 and worked for Canfor and the Canadian Forest Service before obtaining an MSc in forest biometrics from the University of Minnesota in 1991. She has worked as a consultant for the last 28 years. She has extensive experience in quantitative silviculture, monitoring, regeneration standards, inventory, stand modelling, and financial analysis of silviculture treatments.