Since its introduction in 1979, CHEAPO, a computer based economic analysis program, has allowed users of the Stand Prognosis Model to evaluate silvicultural alternatives from an economic point of view. Subsequent modifications to the Prognosis Model have rendered CHEAP0 obsolete. This users guide covers a new computer model, CHEAP0 II, which is compatible with version 5.1 of the Prognosis Model and expands its economic analysis capabilities.
The Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) is a suite of computer modeling tools for predicting the long-term effects of alternative forest management actions. FVS was developed in the early 1980s and is used throughout the United Sates and British Columbia. The Third FVS conference, held February 13-15, 2007, in Fort Collins Colorado, contains 20 papers. They describe the use of FVS on the stand and landscape scale, and to analyze fuels management in the presence of insects and fire. Several papers compare FVS predictions of the effects of insects and disease to field measurements. FVS is continually evolving and improving in technology and capability to meet the needs of its ever increasing user community. Papers describe new methods for data acquisition and preparation for input to FVS, new economic analysis capabilities within FVS, new methods for simulating forest regeneration, new developments in calculating growth and mortality, and future plans for incorporating the effects of climate change in model simulations.
