AN IMPLICIT/EXPLICIT APPROACH TO MULTIOBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION WITH AN APPLICATION TO FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANNING

Implicit utility/value maximization and explicit utility/value maximization are identified as two major classes of multiobjective optimization methods. Explicit methods have the advantage of being able to fully exploit the power of existing mathematical programming algorithms. A disadvantage is the high information burden they place on the decision maker. Implicit (i.e., interactive) methods have complementary strengths and weaknesses: they require less extensive information but do not lend themselves as easily to use with optimizing algorithms. We develop a hybrid implicit/explicit approach that attempts to combine the advantages of both by embedding within the implicit method a procedure that periodically formulates an approximate explicit representation of the multiobjective problem and then solves it optimally without user interaction. Operationally, this requires the frequent solution of two nonlinear programs. We also report on the implementation of this method in a forest management decision support system. This is a completely microcomputer‐based implementation currently undergoing field testing for use in planning the timing and intensity of timber harvests on non‐industrial forests in the southeastern United States. The system has been selected as a replacement for an earlier multiobjective program (Harrison and Rosenthal [28]) used by over 1,800 landowners.