Optimum stand prescriptions for ponderosa pine

Two examples for a northern Arizona ponderosa pine stand illustrate the usefulness of dynamic programming in making silvicultural decisions. The first example analyzes the optimal planting density for bare land, while the second examines the optimal precommercial thinning intensity for a 43-year-old stand. Bot hexamples assume that the manager's primary objective is maximization of the soul expectation value, a number of near-optimal solutions are also provided by the program, and may be preferable when the manager takes account of noneconomic considerations. The optimal solution then provides a standard for cost comparison of these noneconomic considerations.