Ļć½¶Ö±²„researchers enhance original forestry decision-making software
Contact: Carson McFatridge
STARKVILLE, Miss.āMississippi State researchers have developed an updated version of a widely used forestry decision-making tool, improving accessibility and usability while maintaining its analytical strength.
Originally created in 1999 by a team of scientists in the universityās Forest and Wildlife Research Center, the Forest Valuation and Investment Analysis software program, known as FORVAL, helps foresters and other land managers quantify and evaluate complex management decisions.
Steve Bullard, CFR associate dean and FWRC associate director, who helped create the program, led the development of FORVAL-XL, the new version built specifically for Microsoft Excel.
āThis is the most user-friendly version yet,ā Bullard said. āWe maintain the ability to make complex calculations, including varied costs and revenues over time, but new features include discounted cash-flow results, sensitivity analyses and easy-to-read tables and graphs to support informed forest management decisions. The final product can also be easily exported as a PDF for sharing.ā
Jagadish Dosapati, a masterās student in data science from India, helped develop the code for the updated version. Thomas Straka, professor emeritus at Clemson University, and Robert Grala, MSUās George L. Switzer Professor of Forestry, also played key roles in the project. Grala incorporated forestry students from his forest resource economics course as beta testers, providing real-world feedback during development. He said the approach served two purposes.
āOur students and natural resource students throughout the country are users of this product,ā he said. āWe were able to identify issues and troubleshoot in real time, tailoring the program to the needs and abilities of future consultants, land managers and real estate investors.ā
Together, the teamās work ensures FORVAL remains a practical, classroom-tested tool capable of supporting real-world forestry investment decisions, from small private landholdings to large timber operations. By combining rigorous economic analysis with an intuitive interface, the updated program is designed for both experienced professionals and those new to forest management.
FORVAL-XL and an accompanying userās manual are free to download at .
Learn more about MSUās College of Forest Resources and Forest and Wildlife Research Center at and .
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