Decision Support Systems for the Forest Insect and Disease Survey and for pest management

Effective forest pest management involves decision-making supported by useful information. The concept of Decision Support Systems is being actively pursued by the Forest Insect and Disease Survey (FIDS) of the Canadian Forestry Service to meet its information needs for analysis of forest pest conditions. The FIDSINFOBASE system was developed to provide FIDS units nationwide access to survey data. Geographic Information System capabilities are being integrated for capture and analysis of infestation maps. Possibilities exist for the integration of systems, data, and models among agencies for information standardization and exchange. Key words: information systems, forest pest management, insect and disease surveys.