A multi-criteria decisionmaking approach to management indicator species selection for the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia.

The management indicator species concept is useful for land managers charged with monitoring and conserving complex biological diversity over large landscapes with limited available resources. We used the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to determine the best management indicator species (MIS) for three management objectives of the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) in West Virginia. We compiled a set of alternative MIS, including current MNF MIS, for each objective based on a literature review of species-habitat relations in the Appalachian Mountain region. We believe the AHP is an effective tool for MIS selection, particularly within complex Appalachian ecosystems, because it provides a formal structured decision procedure, has a strong theoretical foundation, accommodates incomplete ecological data, and offers transparency to the MIS decisionmaking process.