Multi-attribute decision making and geographic information systems: potential tools for evaluating forest ecosystem services

Due to social and environmental changes over the last decade, managers use multi-attribute decision-making techniques and geographic information systems to support participatory planning. Several studies have indicated that the combined use improves forest planning by applying a set of key criteria to simultaneously evaluate various ecosystem services. Forest landscapes are essential elements for the provision of ecosystem services and they contribute to human well-being. The identification of management options that consider various objectives and stakeholder interests requires strong decision support tools. We review the current state of knowledge on the use of decision-making approaches in combination with geospatial technologies, and the criteria most often used to assess supporting and cultural services in scientific literature. The analysis demonstrated that Analytic Hierarchy Process is the most common method used in combination with spatial knowledge due to its simple principles (decomposition, comparative judgment, priority synthesis) and effective work-flow to evaluate potential decision alternatives and support reproducible results. Key criteria used in the analysis are: distance to road, water bodies, slope, and vegetation cover. Easy to use methods allow a broad and participatory engagement of layman in the decision process. More advanced techniques might be used by experts to produce more robust and reliable results. Future research should provide easy access to the spatial information of the key criteria to utilize synergistic effects.