Problem Solver
Gregory Paradis
I am am innovative problem solver, with significant expertise applying operations research techniques to solve difficult forestry problems.
Areas Gregory Paradis is Knowledgeable in:
Forest management, wildlife habitat planning, spatially explicit forest resource analysis, tranportation network planning, operations research, geographic information systems, economic analysis of forest products industry problems.
Techniques Gregory Paradis Uses:
Many problems solved using combination of operations research. computer programming, objective-based optimisation or simulation, followed by analysis and synthesis and systhesis of results, usually presented in the form of a written report containing policy or strategic recommendations.
Gregory Paradis's Problem Solving Skills:
- Economic analysis
- Forest resource planning
- Operations research
- Computer programming
- Project management
- Scenario analysis
- Policy analysis
Gregory Paradis's Problem Solving Experience:
- I investigated mathematical modeling to achieve a desired forest landscape configuration through optimal harvest scheduling. This management problem is cast as a multi-objective optimisation problem with three goals: minimise deviation from desired landscape-level patch size distribution, minimise discounted capital cost of road construction, and maximise long-term fibre yield by harvesting at optimal harvest unit age. We developed a new tabu search method with adaptive feedback mechanisms that balance intensification and diversification phases. Performance of the method is demonstrated on small and large stylised forest examples. We found enhancement of tabu search method with adaptive feedback mechanisms reduced time to finding equivalent solutions by a significant factor.
- An important part of strategic forest planning is wood supply analysis. Forest planners need to balance wood harvest and mill demands, often for multiple tree species groups and product types. Wood supply analysis sometimes takes the form of annual allowable cut (AAC) level calculation, where a maximum sustainable harvest level is determined for a given forested area. The official method used to determine AAC in Quebec has serious limitations when applied to forests with unbalanced age class structure (describe limitations). I have developped a new method for determining maximum species-wise sustainable yield levels that overcomes many of this limitations. Sustainable yield is determined by simulating harvest treatments throughout the planning horizon. Species-wise timber volume yield is simulated for each harvest treatment, and summed into forest-wide species-wise harvested volume accounts for each planning period. Harvested volume can be sorted into any number of species groups.