Symposia on Systems Analysis in Forest Resources: A 50th Year Anniversary (1975-2024)

Abstract

On the 50th anniversary of SSAFR, we present a brief survey and summary of the previous meetings and how the methods and applications presented have changed. References to previous surveys of SSAFR papers are included.  From the 1st symposium in 1975 through the 20th in 2024, a consistent theme has been participation from a wide range of scientists from university, agency, corporate and non-governmental organizations from around the world. Some of the applications covered include fire management, transportation, multicriteria optimization, forest and land management planning, ecological/environmental analysis, biodiversity and sustainability, decision support systems, stochastic methods and hierarchical planning. While some topics from earlier years have lost currency, new topics have gained in popularity. Climate change has not been emphasized often as a specific topic, but it has been addressed in many areas such as fire management, biodiversity and sustainability, ecological/environmental considerations and stochastic methods. As we look to the future, we are confident that systems analysts will continue to provide solutions and insights into the pressing problems and issues addressed by future generations.