Interdisciplinary research can provide information for the harvesting challenges of the 1990's

Management of our complex forest ecosystems in the economic and political climate of the 1990's is a challenge for planners, managers, and loggers. A multifunctional approach --using the research results of other disciplines and considering all forest uses and values-- can improve the effectiveness of forest operations research. Since harvesting cost and revenue are closely related to changing stand attributes, harvest models must be linked with dynamic growth and yield models to accurately assess the impact of site and stand attributes on logging cost and stand manage- ment. Future harvesting plans must incorporate all forest values and uses as well as environmental impacts on so&, wildlife, and water quality. Future logging plans must bring together the volumes of research results from other dis- ciplines in a decisionmaldng model. The application of a model called MANAGE to integrate harvesting with the many uses of the forest is described.