Northeastern Research Station Southern Research Station The University of Georgia Artificial Intelligence Center An Agent Architecture for an Integrated Forest Ecosystem Management Decision Support System

Northeastern Research Station Southern Research Station The University of Georgia Artificial Intelligence Center Credits University of Georgia D. Nute W. D. Potter M. Dass A. Glende H. Uchiyama F. Maier J. Wang USDA Forest Service H. M. Rauscher M. J. Twery, S. Thomasma, P. Knopp

Northeastern Research Station Southern Research Station The University of Georgia Artificial Intelligence Center Presentation Overview Introduction NED-2 Architecture NED-2 Ontology and Internal Data Model NED-2 Blackboard/Database Integration NED-2 Agents Future Plans

Northeastern Research Station Southern Research Station The University of Georgia Artificial Intelligence Center NED-2 is an Intelligent Information System for Decision Support for Forest Ecosystems Introduction

Northeastern Research Station Southern Research Station The University of Georgia Artificial Intelligence Center NED-2: An Intelligent Information System for Decision Support Key design principles: A single, simple interface Conversion between data formats without user intervention Open architecture Components need no knowledge about other components of the system

Northeastern Research Station Southern Research Station The University of Georgia Artificial Intelligence Center NED-2: An Intelligent Information System for Decision Support Features: Robust ontology Semi-autonomous agents Blackboard architecture

External Models Blackboard Prolog Clauses: - Facts - Requests - Plans Access Databases: - User Preferences - Site Data - Inventory Data - Financial Data - Treatment Plans Agents Inference Engines Knowledge Bases Meta-knowledge Bases Growth & Yield Financial GIS Visualization User Interface NED-2 Architecture

Northeastern Research Station Southern Research Station The University of Georgia Artificial Intelligence Center NED-2’s design was influenced with practicality as a motive: –Persistent data is stored in data- and knowledge bases –Temporary information is stored as a set of Prolog clauses –Information is stored as snapshots representing the stand at a point in time under a particular treatment regime NED-2 Ontology and Internal Data Model

Northeastern Research Station Southern Research Station The University of Georgia Artificial Intelligence Center Blackboard NED-2 Blackboard/Database Integration Metaknowledge: Data Structure Blackboard Handler Prolog Clauses Data cached in Prolog Access Database Prolog Query Agents Prolog Query SQL Example Query to retrieve information from the blackboard: known(ba([stand(17),plan(`Maximize Timber`),year(2023)], BA)).

Northeastern Research Station Southern Research Station The University of Georgia Artificial Intelligence Center NED-2 Interface Agent NED-2 Treatment Development Agent NED-2 Simulation Agent NED-2 Agents Overview

Northeastern Research Station Southern Research Station The University of Georgia Artificial Intelligence Center Blackboard Access Database Inventory Data Treatment Plans Simulated Data Metaknowledge: Semantics for Simulators Simulation Agent Knowledge Base: Treatment Definitions Temporary Input Files Simulator Temporary Output Files NED-2 Simulation Agent

Northeastern Research Station Southern Research Station The University of Georgia Artificial Intelligence Center NED-2 Interface Agent NED-2 Treatment Development Agent NED-2 Simulation Agent NED-2 Goal Analysis Agent NED-2 GIS Agent NED-2 Agents Overview

Northeastern Research Station Southern Research Station The University of Georgia Artificial Intelligence Center Blackboard Access Database Inventory Data Goal Selections Simulated Data GIS Agent Temporary Input Files GIS Shape File NED-2 GIS Agent

Northeastern Research Station Southern Research Station The University of Georgia Artificial Intelligence Center NED-2 Interface Agent NED-2 Treatment Development Agent NED-2 Simulation Agent NED-2 Goal Analysis Agent NED-2 GIS Agent NED-2 Report Writer Agent NED-2 Agents Overview

Northeastern Research Station Southern Research Station The University of Georgia Artificial Intelligence Center Blackboard Access Database Inventory Data: - Goal Selections - Report Selections - Treatment Plans - Simulated Data Report Planning Agent Reports - HTML Files Plan – Series of Request: - Analysis - Report Writing Report Writer Goal Analysis NED-2 Report Writer Agent

Northeastern Research Station Southern Research Station The University of Georgia Artificial Intelligence Center NED-2 Interface Agent NED-2 Treatment Development Agent NED-2 Simulation Agent NED-2 Goal Analysis Agent NED-2 GIS Agent NED-2 Report Writer Agent NED-2 Planning Agent NED-2 Agents Overview

Northeastern Research Station Southern Research Station The University of Georgia Artificial Intelligence Center Alpha version of NED-2 including functionality described has been completed Expansions –Improve and extend the goal analysis rules in NED-2 –Understory and ground level simulation models are in development –Development of further regeneration models –Additional overstory growth and yield models –Integration of visualization tools –Integration of a financial analysis model Future Plans