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Table 1: Model Comparison Table
(Steve Stearns-Smith, 1999)

Link to Abbreviations

	Prognosis BC	Mixedwood Growth Model	Stand Density Mgmt Diagrams	Variable Density Yield Prediction	Stand and Tree Integrated Model	Tree and Stand Simulator	Table Interpolation Program for Stand Yields	Silviculture Yields, Lumber Value and Economic Return
	Progosis BC	MGM	SDMDs	VDYP	STIM	TASS	TIPSY	SYLVER
Developer	USFS Intermtn variant adapted to BC by BCFS	Steve Titus, U of Alberta	Multiple authors	BCFS	CFS	Ken Mitchell, BCFS	BCFS	BCFS
Distributor and Cost	BC MOF (free)	U of Alberta free (web)	BC MOF (free, web), OMNR (free), others see literature	BC MOF (free, web)	BC MOF (free, web)	not distrib. BC MOF does free runs	BC MOF (free, web)	not distrib. BC MOF does free runs
Model Type	Individual tree, distance independent	Individual tree, distance independent	whole stand	whole stand	whole stand and diameter class	Individual tree, distance dependent	see TASS	TASS BUCK, SAWSIM, GRADE, FAN$Y
Tree Input Data	Tree list	Tree list or stand description	see outputs	Species composition, crown closure	Tree list or stand description	Establishment density & spatial dist.	Establishment density	see TASS
Site Productivity Input	Not SI, uses BC BEC and physiography	Site Index (SI)	SI for Top Ht	SI	SI	SI	SI	see TASS
Species	Pw, Lw, Fd, Bg, Hw, Cw, Pl, Se, Py, Hm	Sw, At, Pl, (Sb)	BC (all TIPSY); OMNR Pj, Pr, Pw, Sb	32 commercial BC species	Hwc, At	Fdc, Fdi, Hwc, Hwi, Ss, Bg, Cw, Pl, Sw	Fdc, Fdi, Hwc, Hwi, Ss, Bg, Cw, Pl, Sw	see TASS
Stand Types	single and mixed-spp, even and uneven aged	mixedwood, even and uneven aged	single-spp, even aged	single and mixed-spp, even aged	single-spp, even aged	single-spp, even aged	single-spp, even aged (multi-spp area prorated)	see TASS
Post-estab. activities supported	PCT, partial cutting	PCT, partial cutting	exploration tool		PCT, partial cutting	PCT, partial cutting, fertilization, pruning	PCT	see TASS
Other growth modifiers	root disease			Decay, waste and breakage and VAF’s		OAF’s, some pests and diseases	OAFs, lodgepole repression	see TASS
Output besides yield tables	projected tree lists, diameter distributions	projected tree lists, crop plans	no yield tables, only variables are: Trees/ha, ave tree vol, ave diameter, top ht	ave diameter and culmination MAI	diameter distributions	stand and tree visualization, wood characteristics, projected tree lists, etc	diameter distribution, lumber and logs, mortality and snags, economic analysis	see TASS, plus economic analysis
Development Data Sources	USFS CFI and EP plus PSP from BC S. Interior	Alberta PSP	TIPSY in BC, PSP & TSP elsewhere	TSP	PSP & EP. Hwc BC, WA, OR; At Canada	PSP & EP. BC, AB, WA, OR	see TASS	see TASS
Unique Features & Applications	partial cutting in complex stands; pest and habitat models available	boreal mixedwood Requires EXCEL 97	simplified one page exploration tool, OMNR software	natural stands CFI updating and timber supply analysis	unique dual model architecture	spatially explicit; crown based, timber supply analysis, custom runs on request	yields from TASS, timber supply analysis and economic analysis	economic analysis based on lumber value

Abbreviations

• BC MOF - BC Min of Forest
• BEC - biogeoclimatic classification
• CFI - continuous forest inventory
• CFS - Canadian Forest Service
• EP - experimental plots
• MAI - mean annual increment
• OAF’s - operational adjustment factors
• OMNR - Ontario Min of Nat Res
• PCT - pre-commercial thinning
• PSP - permanent sample plots
• TSP - temporary sample plots
• USFS - US Forest Service
• VAF’s - volume adjustment factors