Forest management has evolved from a mercantilist view to a multi-functional one that integrates economic, social, and ecological aspects. However, the issue of sustainability is not yet resolved. Quantitative Techniques in Participatory Forest Management brings together global research in three areas of application: inventory of the forest variables that determine the main environmental indices, description and design of new environmental indices, and the application of sustainability indices for regional implementations.

The book outlines a public participatory process to assess sustainability in forest management. It explores a new approach that links human and natural systems, reconsiders our interdependence with the diversity of life, and recognizes our role in a unique and complex system. The book also identifies quantitative indices that provide a vast amount of information on soil, landscape, and ecological functioning. It highlights the importance of these indices for public information programs on participatory processes and provides an operating procedure to identify the degree of convergence in the utility of multiple evaluators.

The last chapter describes a downloadable computer application that integrates the techniques explained in the book. Users accessing the application are offered a map representing their preferred forest management plan in the study zone. They are also given a map with the results of their corresponding community of evaluators, including the numerical and qualitative data for both. The system stores a record of the visit, including the visitor's profile and responses, to progress towards the joint forest management plan.

The quantitative techniques highlighted in this book create the basis for the development of scientific methodologies of participatory sustainable forest management. It details the methodology for the design of a forest management plan that best suits a specific preference system.

Eugenio Martínez-Falero, PhD, is a full professor at the UPM (Technical University of Madrid), chairman of the Accreditation Board of the Universities of the Madrid Region, and managing director of “Madrid: Fundación para el Conocimiento.” In his academic life, Dr. Martínez-Falero is a professor of applied statistics and operational research. He has been director of the Department of Forestry Management at the UPM and a fellow of the College of Environmental Science and Forestry at the State University of New York (SUNY). He has been consultant for the FAO and an external examiner for the University of Wales. His research focuses on developing quantitative techniques for analysis, simulation, and management of natural systems and on methodologies for analyzing systems of preferences in decision making. He has been director of the Department of Industry, Energy and Mining of the Madrid Regional Government and has also served on the governing boards of various institutions such as the Madrid Institute for Development (IMADE), the Madrid Center for Technology, Gestión y Desarrollo del Medio Ambientede Madrid (GEDESMA), and the Madrid Institute of Food and Agricultural Research. His other positions include being chairman of the Steering Committee of Scientific- Technological Parks in Madrid and a member of the Interdepartmental Commission on Science and Technology. Susana Martín-Fernández, PhD, has led a multifaceted career in which she has worked as a consultant for leading ICT companies, conducted research into a more effective application of heuristic and combinatorial methods in forest management, and taught statistics and operational research at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Montes at the Technical University of Madrid. Her research over the past 13 years has centered on improving the decision-making process in forest management and territory planning, specifically in forestry activities and optimal land use assignments. The results of her research have been relayed to forest companies and institutions. Dr. Martín-Fernández currently serves as associate professor in the Department of Economy and Forest Management and as deputy director of academic planning and faculty at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Montes. She has previously served as director of the Research Laboratory for Remote Sensing Applied to Natural Resources and Landscape Management. Antonio D. García-Abril, PhD, currently serves as head of the research group Methods and Techniques for Sustainable Management (Technical University of Madrid). He has been associate professor of landscape planning, landscape ecology, and project engineering at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Montes in Madrid (Forestry School, UPM) since 1991. He has worked in collaboration with the European Commission and also has professional experience as a consultant. Antonio García-Abril has been responsible for many research projects and has worked on a number of projects for companies and government bodies. His research interests include areas such as landscape planning, biodiversity conservation, remote sensing applied to forest structure and forest management, environmental impact studies, and close-to-nature management. He has 68 publications, 27 of which are in international publications.