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The Environmental Systems Modelling Platform (Ensym) To Assess Effects Of Land Use Changes On Groundwater Recharge, J. Ha, M. Eigenraam, G. Forbes, W. Lewis, J. Chua Jul 2010

The Environmental Systems Modelling Platform (Ensym) To Assess Effects Of Land Use Changes On Groundwater Recharge, J. Ha, M. Eigenraam, G. Forbes, W. Lewis, J. Chua

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

This paper describes an application of EnSym (Environmental Systems Modelling Platform)to assess the impacts of climate change on the groundwater levels in Victoria. EnSym isa modular and user-friendly software platform to facilitate the use of environmental modellingtools. It enables easy and rapid evaluation of environmental outcomes due to changes in landmanagement and climatic conditions. It contains a number of toolboxes that deal with differentaspects of the environment including land based biophysical process, groundwater dynamics,spatial and contextual connectivity, and finally, a set of tools for systematic spatial and temporalreporting. In this paper, we apply the biophysical modelling (BioSym) toolbox of EnSym …

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A Dynamic Model Of Primary Production And Plant Coverage In An Oligotrophic Tropical River, Barbara J. Robson Jul 2010

A Dynamic Model Of Primary Production And Plant Coverage In An Oligotrophic Tropical River, Barbara J. Robson

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Many of Australia's tropical rivers are amongst the most ecologically intact inthe world, but have been relatively little studied. Now, however, there is pressure forfurther development of these tropical land and water resources. To avoid repeatingmanagement mistakes that have been made elsewhere, it is essential to improve ourunderstanding of how these rivers function. As part of the Tropical Rivers and CoastalKnowledge Research hub, we studied flow, nutrients, and primary production in the DalyRiver (N.T.), a perennial tropical river maintained in the dry season by ground-water anddeveloped a dynamic simulation model to predict the coverage and biomass of each of fivekey …

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Extended Exergy-Based Ecological Accounting Of China During 2000-2007, Jing Dai, Bin Chen, H. Lin Jul 2010

Extended Exergy-Based Ecological Accounting Of China During 2000-2007, Jing Dai, Bin Chen, H. Lin

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Since the resources from environment are in short supply, it is necessary to alleviate the conflict between high-speed economic construction and limited resources in the Chinese society. This paper aims to analysis the variation of natural resources input into China during 2000-2007 based on extended exergy as an eco-centric metric. With the materials, labor, capital and environmental renovation quantified by exergy numeraire grounding on the second-law metric in view of ecological accounting, the composition and proportion of extended exergy clearly revealed the whole condition of available energy input into society in China. Moreover, two indexes, i.e., extended exergy consumption intensity …

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Ecological And Economic Analysis Of Planting Greenhouse Cucumbers With Anaerobic Fermentation Residues, N. Duan, C. Lin, R. Y. Gao, Y. Wang, J. H. Wang, J. Hou Jul 2010

Ecological And Economic Analysis Of Planting Greenhouse Cucumbers With Anaerobic Fermentation Residues, N. Duan, C. Lin, R. Y. Gao, Y. Wang, J. H. Wang, J. Hou

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

In this study, the effect of different fertilizers on the nutritional quality, sanitaryquality and the yield of greenhouse cucumbers were analyzed by comparative experimentswith chemical fertilizer and anaerobic fermentation residues (biogas fertilizer). Particularlythe properties of bio-fertilizer and diseases and pests inhibition of biogas fertilizer weredemonstrated and its comprehensive benefits were evaluated. The results show that comparedwith chemical fertilizer, biogas fertilizer increased the dry matter, solids, reductive sugar, Vc,soluble protein of cucumbers by 4.62%, 4.08%, 29.05%, 20.83%, 10.85% respectively; thechlorophyll of leaf was 9.18% higher and the incidence of aphids and mildew 20% and 25%lower respectively. After calculation, the yield was …

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What Can We Learn From Systems Based Approaches: From Systems Biology To Earth Systems Science?, C. J. A. Macleod Jul 2010

What Can We Learn From Systems Based Approaches: From Systems Biology To Earth Systems Science?, C. J. A. Macleod

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Systems based approaches have been developed and applied in a broad range ofdisciplines. These cover a wide range of processes, structures and scales. Ludwig vonBertalanffy is often credited with establishing and developing ‘general systems theory’.The ecosystem based approach to ecology developed by the Odum brothers (EugenePleasants and Howard Thomas) instigated approaches to understanding ecological systemsthat are still advancing within the frameworks of ecosystem services and ecologicalthermodynamics. West Churchman and Russel Ackoff were early pioneers in the field ofoperations research following on from techniques developed during the Second WorldWar. Jay Forrester was also influenced by his work on feedback systems during …

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The Comparision Among Four Carbon Footprint Estimation Boundaries Of The Sectors Using Chongqing As A Case, Liping Ju, Bin Chen Jul 2010

The Comparision Among Four Carbon Footprint Estimation Boundaries Of The Sectors Using Chongqing As A Case, Liping Ju, Bin Chen

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

International negotiations of reducing CO2 emissions address the question of how to meet commitments with more explicit engagment with subnational action and how to account annual CO2 emissions of each sector of one city. This study is to establish the CO2 inventories focused on four tiers of CO2 emissions form each sector, e.g. agriculture, industry, transportation and tertiary industry. Carbon footprint is chosen to evaluate 28 sectors of Chongqing, from four tiers, including direct emissions, emissions from purchased energy, the total supply chain, supply chain plus industrial process. Results showed that the first two tiers, only cover a small fraction …

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An Agent Based Model Of Climate Change And Conflict Among Pastoralists In East Africa, Atesmachew B. Hailegiorgis, William G. Kennedy, Mark Rouleau, Jeffrey K. Bassett, Mark Coletti, Gabriel C. Balan, Tim Gulden Jul 2010

An Agent Based Model Of Climate Change And Conflict Among Pastoralists In East Africa, Atesmachew B. Hailegiorgis, William G. Kennedy, Mark Rouleau, Jeffrey K. Bassett, Mark Coletti, Gabriel C. Balan, Tim Gulden

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

We present an agent-based model of human-environment interaction and conflict in East Africa using the MASON agent-based simulation environment. Our model focuses on the complex interaction of pastoral groups with their environment and other emerging external actors. Our model supports the observation that increased seasonal rainfall variability and droughts create tremendous stress on pastoralists groups and challenges their long-term resilience and adaptive response mechanisms.

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Evaluating Ecosystem Services Of Afforestation On Erosion-Prone Land: A Case Study In The Manawatu Catchment, New Zealand, Anne-Gaelle Ausseil, John Dymond Jul 2010

Evaluating Ecosystem Services Of Afforestation On Erosion-Prone Land: A Case Study In The Manawatu Catchment, New Zealand, Anne-Gaelle Ausseil, John Dymond

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Land-use change from pasture to forestry can have multiple effects on the environment. In this project, we assessed the impacts of afforestation on erosion-prone land on several ecosystem services in the Manawatu catchment, New Zealand. For 500 high priority farms requiring soil conservation, the land mapped as highly erodible was assumed to be afforested, with two distinct scenarios: conversion of pasture into pine forest or indigenous shrubland. Several models were used to quantify indicators of different ecosystem services including carbon sequestration, non-CO2 gas emission, sediment yield, nitrate export, natural habitat provision, and water yield. The results showed that the pine …

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A Framework For Integrated Modeling Using A Knowledge-Driven Approach, Jean-Pierre Müller Jul 2010

A Framework For Integrated Modeling Using A Knowledge-Driven Approach, Jean-Pierre Müller

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

In this paper, we argue that integrated modeling is about integrating disciplinary discourses reflecting various points of view on a given system rather than only setting up a very complex model from the start, or putting together independently designed models . In our approach, we propose an integrated modeling environment, based on ontologies, to represent and articulate the various points of view. Accordingly the proposed framework, called MIMOSA, is based on two components: 1) a declarative component based on ontologies to describe the concepts, the modeled system using the described concepts, and its dynamics using an extensible set of formalisms, …

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Carma: Scalability With Approximate-Model-Based Adaptation, John D. Hastings, Alexandre V. Latchininsky, Scott P. Schell Jul 2010

Carma: Scalability With Approximate-Model-Based Adaptation, John D. Hastings, Alexandre V. Latchininsky, Scott P. Schell

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Many complex physical systems such as biological systems are characterized both by incomplete models and limited empirical data. Accurate prediction of the behavior of such systems requires exploitation of multiple, individually incomplete, knowledge sources. Our approach, called approximate-model-based adaptation, utilizes case-based reasoning to provide an approximate solution and model-based reasoning to adapt this approximation into a more precise solution. This approach is implemented in CARMA, a decision-support system for grasshopper infestation advising which models experts and has been successfully used since 1996. Initially focused on rangeland grasshoppers within the state of Wyoming, CARMA’s capabilities have been extended to support the …

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Carma: Scalability With Approximate-Model-Based Adaptation, John D. Hastings, Alexandre V. Latchininsky, Scott P. Schell Jul 2010

Carma: Scalability With Approximate-Model-Based Adaptation, John D. Hastings, Alexandre V. Latchininsky, Scott P. Schell

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Many complex physical systems such as biological systems are characterized both by incomplete models and limited empirical data. Accurate prediction of the behavior of such systems requires exploitation of multiple, individually incomplete, knowledge sources. Our approach, called approximate-model-based adaptation, utilizes case-based reasoning to provide an approximate solution and model-based reasoning to adapt this approximation into a more precise solution. This approach is implemented in CARMA, a decision-support system for grasshopper infestation advising which models experts and has been successfully used since 1996. Initially focused on rangeland grasshoppers within the state of Wyoming, CARMA’s capabilities have been extended to support the …

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Aquisys – A Computer System To Support Good Practices Of Management For Brazilian Tilapiculture, Maria Conceição Peres Young Pessoa, Ana Flávia Rodrigues Seixas, Marcos Eliseu Losekann, Julio Ferraz De Queiroz, Mariana Silveira Guerra Moura|E Silva, Carlos Pazzianotto Jul 2010

Aquisys – A Computer System To Support Good Practices Of Management For Brazilian Tilapiculture, Maria Conceição Peres Young Pessoa, Ana Flávia Rodrigues Seixas, Marcos Eliseu Losekann, Julio Ferraz De Queiroz, Mariana Silveira Guerra Moura|E Silva, Carlos Pazzianotto

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Brazilian psiculture has been increasing about 30% per year, having as main factors its profitability and source of quality protein. Its strong interaction with water resources and its interference on the biodiversity turns it both potentially exposed to, as well as, source of negative environmental impacts, requiring the adoption of less impactant management practices. The producer needs information on these practices and computer tools that allow access to them in a single repository could motivate the fast incorporation of these activities to the property. Despite of African origin, the tilapiculture is nowadays present at a large part of Brazilian territory, …

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Development Of An Agent Based Coupled Economic And Hydrological Model Of The Deep Creek Watershed In British Columbia, Canada., John Janmaat, Markandu Anputhas Jul 2010

Development Of An Agent Based Coupled Economic And Hydrological Model Of The Deep Creek Watershed In British Columbia, Canada., John Janmaat, Markandu Anputhas

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Deep Creek is an important tributary of the Okanagan River system in Southern British Columbia. The creek drains a watershed with sediments deposited by multiple glacial events, resulting in a complex pattern of surface and groundwater connections throughout the basin. Further, the basin is experiencing changes in agricultural enterprises as well as population growth, and may be heavily impacted by climate change. The MIKE SHE integrated hydrological modeling system is being used to develop a model of the basin hydrology. The watershed is relatively small – with only a couple of hundred agricultural water users – lending itself to a …

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A Geosimulation Tool To Assess Intervention Scenarios In Relation To The Spread Of Infectious Disease And Environmental Factors, Mondher Bouden, Bernard Moulin, Pierre Gosselin Jul 2010

A Geosimulation Tool To Assess Intervention Scenarios In Relation To The Spread Of Infectious Disease And Environmental Factors, Mondher Bouden, Bernard Moulin, Pierre Gosselin

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Several approaches have been proposed to model and simulate the spread ofinfectious diseases such as the West Nile virus (WNV). However, these approaches such asmathematical modeling and cellular automata have some weaknesses when trying to modeland simulate the influence of geographic and climatic features on the disease spread and thespatio-temporal interactions of various kinds of actors (e.g. mosquitoes, birds, mammalsand humans in the WNV case). In this context, we propose to apply a geosimulationapproach to remedy some shortcomings of current methods. Using such an approach wedeveloped WNV-MAGS, a tool allowing public health decision policy makers to assessseveral intervention scenarios in …

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Integrated Modeling For Source Characterization Of Pathogenic Contamination In Watersheds, Michael E. Tryby, S. Thomas Purucker, Gene Whelan Jul 2010

Integrated Modeling For Source Characterization Of Pathogenic Contamination In Watersheds, Michael E. Tryby, S. Thomas Purucker, Gene Whelan

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The US EPA’s regulatory framework for recreational waters has protected public health for decades. Pathogenic contamination of these waters, however, remains a frequent cause of impairment. Integrated modeling is being leveraged to advance the agency’s understanding of pathogen fate and transport processes in watersheds and improve its ability to predict the consequences of exposure. This paper describes integrated modeling research focusing on source characterization techniques for pathogen transport scenarios in watersheds. Source characterization is a hidden requirement of Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment, a method for estimating infection risks being evaluated across several programs within the EPA. A hybrid source characterization …

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Linking Wildfire Behaviour And Land-Use Modelling In Northern Mongolia, Christian Schweitzer, Joerg A. Priess Jul 2010

Linking Wildfire Behaviour And Land-Use Modelling In Northern Mongolia, Christian Schweitzer, Joerg A. Priess

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Numerous approaches of modelling wildfires have been published covering the regime itself, ignition probabilities, spreading patterns, risks and impacts. However, there is less research linking these validated mature approaches to dynamics of the terrestrial environment. We contribute to filling this gap via integrating a newly developed wildfire module into a land-use model, enabling us to include wildfire-impacts in dynamic simulations of socio-environmental systems. In the forest steppe region of Northern Mongolia, wildfires are a major concern, threatening grassland and forest areas, which are already under pressure of droughts, heavy grazing, (illegal) logging and increasing firewood demand. We employ the generic …

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Evaluation Of The Changed Properties Of Aquatic Animals After Dam Construction Using Ecological Network Analysis, Chen Shaoqing, Liao Xueqin, Yang Jin, Chen Bin Jul 2010

Evaluation Of The Changed Properties Of Aquatic Animals After Dam Construction Using Ecological Network Analysis, Chen Shaoqing, Liao Xueqin, Yang Jin, Chen Bin

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Dam construction results in variations of hydrology, river morphology and habitat and thebiota associated with the reservoir change significantly compared to the assemblage before damconstruction in order to match these changed environmental conditions. Some attempts so far havebeen made to ascertain the changed properties of aquatilia due to dam construction. Most of them,however, were focused on perturbances to single factors, such as rearing habitats, reproduction andmigration routes, etc. Few have been done on the performance of aquatilia from the whole-ecosystemperspective. Herein, we evaluate the structural properties of aquatic animals and their complexecological relationships within the ecosystem before and after dam …

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Qualitative Reasoning In Participatory Spatial Planning: The Use Of Osiris In The Yellow River Delta, P. J. F. M. Verweij, M. Van Eupen, J. Roos-Klein Lankhorst, W. Nieuwenhuizen Jul 2010

Qualitative Reasoning In Participatory Spatial Planning: The Use Of Osiris In The Yellow River Delta, P. J. F. M. Verweij, M. Van Eupen, J. Roos-Klein Lankhorst, W. Nieuwenhuizen

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Societies see the emergence of new governance concepts, based on the assumption that processes of planning and decision taking are no longer hierarchical but the product of complex interactions between governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and the general public (the model of ‘co-production of knowledge’; Callon, 1999). All involved are seeking to influence the collectively binding decisions that have consequences for their interests. To account for this changing governance and the increased number of stakeholders involved, decisions need to be assessed in an integrated context. This paper discusses the OSIRIS modeling environment for knowledge rule based reasoning on spatial information. The …

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Choosing The Right Data Mining Technique: Classification Of Methods And Intelligent Recommendation, Karina Gibert, Miquel Sànchez-Marrè, Víctor Codina Jul 2010

Choosing The Right Data Mining Technique: Classification Of Methods And Intelligent Recommendation, Karina Gibert, Miquel Sànchez-Marrè, Víctor Codina

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

One of the most difficult tasks in the whole KDD process is to choose the right data mining technique, as the commercial software tools provide more and more possibilities together and the decision requires more and more expertise on the methodological point of view. Indeed, there are a lot of data mining techniques available for an environmental scientist wishing to discover some model from her/his data. This diversity can cause some troubles to the scientists who often have not a clear idea of what are the available methods, and moreover, frequently have doubts about the most suitable method to be …

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Modelling The Complexity Of The Cropping Plan Decision-Making, J. Dury, F. Garcia, Arnaud Reynaud, O. Thérond, Jacques-Eric Bergez Jul 2010

Modelling The Complexity Of The Cropping Plan Decision-Making, J. Dury, F. Garcia, Arnaud Reynaud, O. Thérond, Jacques-Eric Bergez

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Every year farmers have to allocate their fields to different crops and crop management. These choices depend on multiple spatial and temporal factors, farmers’ strategy and risk behaviour. To support farmers in these complex decisions and efficiently allocate scarce resources, we studied cropping plan decisions in arable farms with the aim of simulating contextual changes. A deeper understanding of these processes at farm level is then a start to model and design flexible and environmental-friendly cropping systems. We propose a stepwise approach to study and formalize the complexity of the decision-making processes based on farmer’s interviews and on modelling approach …

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Bio-Economic Effects Of Water Shortages On Shellfish Farming. An Integrated Dynamic Modelling Approach, J. A. Pérez Agúndez, Johanna Ballé-Béganton, Rémi Mongruel, Cédric Bacher, O. Le Moine, P. Soletchnik, S. Robert, S. Guesdon Jul 2010

Bio-Economic Effects Of Water Shortages On Shellfish Farming. An Integrated Dynamic Modelling Approach, J. A. Pérez Agúndez, Johanna Ballé-Béganton, Rémi Mongruel, Cédric Bacher, O. Le Moine, P. Soletchnik, S. Robert, S. Guesdon

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The land-sea interfaces are geographical areas rich in ecosystemic services. However, the increase of anthropogenic pressures is frequently the factor explaining environmental damages phenomena and generating many use conflicts. The integrated coastal zones management has been acknowledged by the different environment international conferences as a sustainability framework. Integration is the key concept on which must be based the reformulation of scientific knowledge required for supporting sustainable governance. That directly questions on the pertinent methods and tools to build for contributing to those decision making processes. This paper explores these topics by focusing on the example of the fresh water share …

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A Modelling Platform For Complex Socioecosystems: An Application To Freshwater Management In Coastal Zones, Johanna Ballé-Béganton, M. Lample, Cédric Bacher, A. Fiandrino, V. Guillard, T. Laugier, Rémi Mongruel, J. A. Pérez Agúndez Jul 2010

A Modelling Platform For Complex Socioecosystems: An Application To Freshwater Management In Coastal Zones, Johanna Ballé-Béganton, M. Lample, Cédric Bacher, A. Fiandrino, V. Guillard, T. Laugier, Rémi Mongruel, J. A. Pérez Agúndez

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Providing deliberation support tools for freshwater management in coastal zones requires complex socio-ecosystem modelling in a joint effort from research scientists, software engineers and stakeholders. The SPICOSA System Approach Framework provides guidelines for the building of dynamic models for a better comprehension of the variety of processes and issues regarding coastal management. A modular platform was developed using the ExtendSim® software. We explore how the SPICOSA/Extend platform supports participatory modelling by offering the necessary tools for the integration of multidisciplinary knowledge and how the use of a common platform facilitates dialog between research scientists of varied backgrounds. Graphical tools developed …

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Interacting Environmental Interfaces: Synchronization In Substance Exchange Between Environmental Interfaces Regarded As Biophysical Complex Systems, Dragutin T. Mihailović, M. Budincevic, D. Perisic, Igor Balaž, A. Firanj Jul 2010

Interacting Environmental Interfaces: Synchronization In Substance Exchange Between Environmental Interfaces Regarded As Biophysical Complex Systems, Dragutin T. Mihailović, M. Budincevic, D. Perisic, Igor Balaž, A. Firanj

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

In modeling environmental interfaces regarded as biophysical complex systems, one of the main tasks is to create an operative interface with the external environment. The interface should provide a robust and prompt translation of the vast diversity of external physical and/or chemical changes into a set of signals that are understandable for a biophysical entity. Although the organization of any system is of crucial importance for its functioning, it should not be forgotten that in biophysical systems we deal with real-life problems where a number of other conditions must be satisfied in order to put the system to work. One …

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Unexpected Side-Effects Of Winter Feeding: Learning From Mahalanobis Distances Factor Analysis In The Case Of Red-Crowned Cranes In Hokkaido, Japan, Yi-Liang Kuo Jul 2010

Unexpected Side-Effects Of Winter Feeding: Learning From Mahalanobis Distances Factor Analysis In The Case Of Red-Crowned Cranes In Hokkaido, Japan, Yi-Liang Kuo

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Winter feeding has become a critical approach to sustain animals in high latitude,but little literature has investigated possible side-effects in terms of ecological niches. Toexplore whether winter feeding might affect species distributions at regional scale, weemployed a novel spatial model, Mahalanobis Distances Factor Analysis, in the case ofRed-crowned Cranes (Grus japonensis) in Hokkaido, Japan. This model features betterprediction ability with more explicit ecological significance compared to conventionalmethods. Furthermore, particularly innovative is that axes are used to define ecologicalniches, with a minimal set of habitual variables to calculate habitat suitability in thealgorithm. In results, winter feeding seemed to considerably impact the …

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Mapping, Modelling And Managing Ecosystems Services In New Zealand, Daniel T. Rutledge, John Dymond, Suzie Greenhalgh, Anne-Gaelle Ausseil, Robyn Sinclair, Alexander Herzig, Fraser Morgan, Robbie Andrew, Alison Collins Jul 2010

Mapping, Modelling And Managing Ecosystems Services In New Zealand, Daniel T. Rutledge, John Dymond, Suzie Greenhalgh, Anne-Gaelle Ausseil, Robyn Sinclair, Alexander Herzig, Fraser Morgan, Robbie Andrew, Alison Collins

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Central and local government agencies in New Zealand are calling for a paradigm shift in natural resource management. A unified approach is required to deliver a wide range of services and outcomes in a sustainable manner. Our new, 4-year research project aims to provide the scientific basis for such an approach. We are taking a threephase approach. First, we will characterize, classify and quantitatively map past and current state of a comprehensive suite of ecosystem services nationally. We will use a tiered approach that reflects the level of knowledge available about various services. Second, we will explore how future changes …

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Scenarios To Investigate The Effect Of Wetland Position In A Watershed On Nutrient Loadings, S. J. Melles, G. Benoy, B. Booty, Luis F. León, J. Vanrobaeys, I. Wong Jul 2010

Scenarios To Investigate The Effect Of Wetland Position In A Watershed On Nutrient Loadings, S. J. Melles, G. Benoy, B. Booty, Luis F. León, J. Vanrobaeys, I. Wong

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Lake Winnipeg is Canada’s 6th largest freshwater lake and is subject to an increasing rate of eutrophication as a result of nonpoint source pollution from numerous sources including farms and municipal wastewaters. We examine scenarios designed to compare the relative effects of wetland restoration and position on modelled nutrient loadings to Lake Winnipeg from a pilot watershed in the Lake’s Basin, the La Salle River watershed. Scenarios were examined using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). SWAT is a well-known watershed scale hydrologic model designed to assess non-point source pollution loadings to contributing streams across a wide range of …

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Modelling Human Health By Levels Of Biological Organization, Wilfred R. Cuff, Clifford Clark, Paulette Richard, Venkata R S K Duvvuri Jul 2010

Modelling Human Health By Levels Of Biological Organization, Wilfred R. Cuff, Clifford Clark, Paulette Richard, Venkata R S K Duvvuri

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The hierarchy of levels in the organization of matter, or the “hierarchy of life”, is a fundamentalconcept in biology, and biologists are used to thinking about their work asbeing at a particular level. Yet medicine, in both research and application, operatessomewhat independently of this concept, working almost exclusively at levels at or belowthe individual. Through the relatively-recent expansion of epidemiology, medicinedoes reach up to the level of the population - but medicine at higher levels of biologicalorganization remains under-developed. In this paper we review the biological idea ofhierarchy of life and explore what medical research and practice might look like …

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Effective Microorganisms (Em) Technology For Water Quality Restoration And Potential For Sustainable Water Resources And Management, Zuraini Zakaria, Sanjay Gairola, Noresah Mohd Shariff Jul 2010

Effective Microorganisms (Em) Technology For Water Quality Restoration And Potential For Sustainable Water Resources And Management, Zuraini Zakaria, Sanjay Gairola, Noresah Mohd Shariff

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Water quality has received considerable attention in allocation processes formaximizing the satisfaction of various sectors. However, pollutant impurities that impedeadequate supply of water have a detrimental effect on the quality and harmful for livingorganisms including aquatic life. For the reduction of water pollution level, variouschemical and biological treatments are available but the emergence of an amazingtechnology of a multiculture of anaerobic and aerobic beneficial microorganisms ispresently gaining popularity due to its environmentally friendly nature. This effectivemicroorganism (EM) technology uses naturally occurring microorganisms which are ableto purify and revive nature. Applications of EM using the formula known as effectivemicroorganism activated solution …

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What Can We Learn From Systems Based Approaches: From Systems Biology To Earth Systems Science?, C. J. A. Macleod Jul 2010

What Can We Learn From Systems Based Approaches: From Systems Biology To Earth Systems Science?, C. J. A. Macleod

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Systems based approaches have been developed and applied in a broad range ofdisciplines. These cover a wide range of processes, structures and scales. Ludwig vonBertalanffy is often credited with establishing and developing ‘general systems theory’.The ecosystem based approach to ecology developed by the Odum brothers (EugenePleasants and Howard Thomas) instigated approaches to understanding ecological systemsthat are still advancing within the frameworks of ecosystem services and ecologicalthermodynamics. West Churchman and Russel Ackoff were early pioneers in the field ofoperations research following on from techniques developed during the Second WorldWar. Jay Forrester was also influenced by his work on feedback systems during …

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Calibrating Environmental Models Using Paramesh, Daniel Princz, L. Shawn Matott Jul 2010

Calibrating Environmental Models Using Paramesh, Daniel Princz, L. Shawn Matott

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

ParaMESH (Parameter management for Models of Environmental Systems andHydrology) is a graphical interface for advanced parameter management. Originally developedto be compatible with selected hydrologic and climatologic models, recent enhancementssupport any environmental model or evaluation tool that uses text-based input-output files.ParaMESH provides an intuitive graphical environment in which to configure arbitrary models.Additional features include parameter verification and execution management. To demonstrateParaMESH as a flexible tool-independent graphical interface, a new extension was developedwhich links ParaMESH with OSTRICH (Optimization Software Tool for Research InComputational Heuristics), a model-independent optimization toolkit. The linkage provides aconvenient user interface for configuring and executing a model calibration exercise. …

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