SiTree - A framework to implement single-tree simulators and its potential as a decision support system for ecosystem services

Integrated decision support systems are fundamental for addressing complex issues related to forest ecosystems and the land use sector, such as climate, biodiversity or disturbances, and their impact on industry and society. Therefore, it is important to develop and use tools that can better incorporate potential challenges to forest ecosystems, socio-economic trends and political choices, and show their consequences for multiple natural resources. SiTree is a flexible, cross-platform and open-source individual-tree simulator framework written in R. Simulations produced using SiTree are currently and actively being used to inform policy decisions and in research, from carbon uptake under different management options to the provision of different forest ecosystem services, such as timber production and biodiversity. An overview of the current state with practical examples where SiTree simulation tool is being used will be presented. Future possibilities and capabilities for the development of SiTree will be discussed, with a focus, among others, on better linking land use to social trends and policy-making, predicting large-scale disturbances in forests and estimating the provision of forest ecosystem services.