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Decision Support For Stakeholders, William Silvert Jul 2010

Decision Support For Stakeholders, William Silvert

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Decision Support Systems (DSS) offer more transparency than traditionalmodelling approaches but are designed for use by government agents to use in theregulatory process. Stakeholders are in the position of looking over the shoulder of theperson in charge, and while this is better than just waiting for answers it still separates themfrom the modelling process. If stakeholders were actually able to operate a DSS bythemselves it could increase transparency, build confidence, and create possibilities for newapproaches to environmentally significant developments which could benefit all partiesconcerned. This talk describes three simple DSS programs for aquaculture siting, two forfinfish and one for shellfish, …

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Empathy: A Unifying Approach To Address The Dilemma Of 'Environment Versus Economy', A. Guergachi, O. Ngenyama, V. Magness, J. Hakim Jul 2010

Empathy: A Unifying Approach To Address The Dilemma Of 'Environment Versus Economy', A. Guergachi, O. Ngenyama, V. Magness, J. Hakim

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

When environmentalists warned, back in the 1970s, against pesticides andfertilizers, the then United States Secretary of Agriculture retorted that “before we go backto organic agriculture, somebody is going to have to decide what 50 million people we aregoing to let starve”. This exchange is nothing but an illustration of the dilemmatic choicethat societies in general have been asked to make: “develop the economy” or “protect theenvironment”. This paper proposes an integrated framework to resolve the dilemma of'environment versus economy'. This framework unfolds the essential characteristics ofsustainable societies and outlines the mechanics that underlie sustainable development.Referred to as ‘General Theory of …

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Modelling Needs Assessment For Social Adaptation To Climate Change In Siberia, G. A. Alexandrov, G. Inoue, T. Matsunaga Jul 2010

Modelling Needs Assessment For Social Adaptation To Climate Change In Siberia, G. A. Alexandrov, G. Inoue, T. Matsunaga

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Despite the common expectation that climate change may make Siberia a warm heaven, this would not be good for local people. Surprisingly the people of Siberia do rely on the winter cold. Warming may be a serious challenge here. Climate change threatens Siberian forests, lakes and permafrost. In the region where landscapes are unstable this implies the risks of losing the traditional means of subsistence, at least for a while. Social adaptation to climate change is becoming an urgent issue, as the first signs of warming are becoming noticeable to local people. This article reports an attempt to explore the …

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The Northern-Global Climate Change Adaptation Dialogue, J. I. Maclellan Jul 2010

The Northern-Global Climate Change Adaptation Dialogue, J. I. Maclellan

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Although climate change adaptation can occur over various political, social, and institutionalscales, the majority of adaptation decisions take place at the local level where an intimate understanding ofthe particularities of local circumstances (i.e. successful responses to past extremes events) exist alongsidea lack of formalised expertise in projecting and analyzing future possibilities. The relationship between theexperts who produce counterfactual knowledge, and the individuals who apply it, is thus central to thechallenge of responding to climate change successfully. I present a deliberately polarized caricature of thisrelationship in an attempt to facilitate knowledge exchange (i.e. to identify barriers to knowledgeexchange). Through bibliometric analysis …

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Development Of Data-Driven Models For The Assessment Of Macroinvertebrates In Rivers In Flanders, Gert Everaert, Ine S. Pauwels, Peter L. M. Goethals Jul 2010

Development Of Data-Driven Models For The Assessment Of Macroinvertebrates In Rivers In Flanders, Gert Everaert, Ine S. Pauwels, Peter L. M. Goethals

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The Flemish Environment Agency (VMM) has been gathering water quality andbiological data in more than 1000 sites per year since 1989. These data have been used todevelop predictive models for macroinvertebrates based on data-driven methods (regressiontrees). These models relate the river status to the Multimetric Macroinvertebrate Index Flanders(MMIF), which is a score system developed to report in the context of the European WaterFramework Directive. The trees have been developed in the R software, and severaloptimisations have been made by altering the dataset (variable and record selections). Modelswere evaluated based on mathematical criteria, ecological insight and user convenience (clarity,simplicity and coupling-potential …

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Fuzzy Logic Based Iedsss For Environmental Risk Assessment And Management, A. Zabeo, Elena Semenzin, S. Torresan, Stefania Gottardo, L. Pizzol, J. Rizzi, S. Giove, A. Critto, Antonio Marcomini Jul 2010

Fuzzy Logic Based Iedsss For Environmental Risk Assessment And Management, A. Zabeo, Elena Semenzin, S. Torresan, Stefania Gottardo, L. Pizzol, J. Rizzi, S. Giove, A. Critto, Antonio Marcomini

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Environmental problems and the related adaptation strategies have grown in importance and complexity during the last years. The large amount of data and information that needs to be handled and integrated requires specific methodologies and tools. Several research and application activities are undergoing worldwide for the development of Decision Support Systems (DSSs) that allow management of multiple and different data in order to aid decision-making. In this paper the following DSSs using fuzzy models based Artificial Intelligence to address environmental problems will be presented. SYRIADE is a Spatial DSS for Regional Risk Assessment of degraded land supporting the inventory and …

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Advances In The Integration Of Watershed And Lake Modeling In The Lake Winnipeg Basin, Luis F. León, William Booty, I. Wong, Craig Mccrimmon, S. J. Melles, G. Benoy, J. Vanrobaeys Jul 2010

Advances In The Integration Of Watershed And Lake Modeling In The Lake Winnipeg Basin, Luis F. León, William Booty, I. Wong, Craig Mccrimmon, S. J. Melles, G. Benoy, J. Vanrobaeys

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Estimating non-point source pollution from watersheds and the effects of mitigation measures (e.g. beneficial management practices or BMPs) is an important step in managing and protecting water quality, not only at the basin level where it originates, but also at the receiving waters such as reservoirs, lakes or oceans. Lake Winnipeg is a prime example of such land-lake interactions, where eutrophication and increased algal blooms in the lake are fueled, as evidence suggests, from agricultural sources of nutrients in the region. Over the years, simulation models at the watershed level have been applied to aid in the understanding and management …

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Habitat Models As A Research Gap In Biodiversity Conservation In Tropical Rain Forest Of Southeast Asia, Mona Nazeri, Jusoff Kamaruzzaman, Nima Madani Jul 2010

Habitat Models As A Research Gap In Biodiversity Conservation In Tropical Rain Forest Of Southeast Asia, Mona Nazeri, Jusoff Kamaruzzaman, Nima Madani

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Tropical rain forests, the richest terrestrial ecosystem on earth are disappearing due to land use changes mainly agricultural activities and timber logging. Habitat alteration and as a result fragmentation have direct effect on species survival trough lose of connectivity between suitable habitats. Without a doubt the traditional strategies for protecting different wildlife species in this region was not successful enough to guarantee the survival of remaining biodiversity. Distribution modelling which, very little has been studied in the region, is significantly important for biodiversity conservation programs. Distribution data can determine all the areas that can have high potential of occupancy by …

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Spatio-Temporal Modelling Of The Spread Of Common Reed On The Finnish Coast, Anas Altartouri, Ari Jolma, Päivi Korpinen Jul 2010

Spatio-Temporal Modelling Of The Spread Of Common Reed On The Finnish Coast, Anas Altartouri, Ari Jolma, Päivi Korpinen

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The common reed (Phragmites Australis) has overtaken the Finnish coast of theGulf of Finland in many places influencing the coastal ecology and reducing therecreational value of the coast. Our research aims at developing a spatio-temporalsimulation model of the spread of reed. In order to account for the dynamic nature of thespread, a cellular automata model is employed. We investigate in depth the explanatoryvariables and their relevance to the phenomenon. It was found that water depth, proximityto river mouths, and sea openness are significant explanatory variables of the phenomenon.A predictive logistic regression model is suggested to aggregate the explanatory variablesand provide …

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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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Deceiving Feedbacks: The Challenge Of Policy- Design For Inshore Fishery Activities In Complex Ecosystems. The Case Of The Ciénaga Grande De Santa Marta, V. Otero, C. Olaya, C. Castro Sanguino Jul 2010

Deceiving Feedbacks: The Challenge Of Policy- Design For Inshore Fishery Activities In Complex Ecosystems. The Case Of The Ciénaga Grande De Santa Marta, V. Otero, C. Olaya, C. Castro Sanguino

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta is an estuarine lagoon located on theColombian coast. Given the lagoons variability, its connections to adjacent ecosystems, andits biodiversity and anthropogenic activity, it has long been a challenge to managers andpolicy makers to maintain the lagoon for sustainable use. A one-year joint project with theInstituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (INVEMAR) research institute and theUniversidad de los Andes resulted in the development of a system dynamics model to aid inthe design of sustainable policies for fishing control. The study presented here underlinesthe deceiving characteristics of feedback processes like fishing and biological dynamics,which generate unexpected …

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The Cumulative Effects Of Dam Project On River Ecosystem Based On Multi-Scale Ecological Network Analysis, Chen Shaoqing, Yang Jin, Chen Bin Jul 2010

The Cumulative Effects Of Dam Project On River Ecosystem Based On Multi-Scale Ecological Network Analysis, Chen Shaoqing, Yang Jin, Chen Bin

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The importance of addressing cumulative environmental impact of large developmentprojects on rivers has been increasingly concerned. Consideration to potential impact pathways may bedifficult, however, without appropriate analytical methods. By introducing ecological network model,this paper is focused on the quantification of the cause-effect relationships inherent the cumulativeeffects of dam construction in holistic perspective. With Lancang river of Longitudinal Range-GorgeRegion (LRGR) as example, the risk-based interaction instead of the conventional energy or materialflow of ecological network model was created to conceptualize the cumulative effects network model.Grounding on which the network structural and functional analysis were adjusted for the assessment ofpotential eco-environmental impact …

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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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Modelling The Ecological Impact Of Discharged Urban Waters Upon Receiving Aquatic Ecosystems. A Tropical Lowland River Case Study: City Cali And The Cauca River In Colombia, Gonzalez J. Holguin, Peter L. M. Goethals Jul 2010

Modelling The Ecological Impact Of Discharged Urban Waters Upon Receiving Aquatic Ecosystems. A Tropical Lowland River Case Study: City Cali And The Cauca River In Colombia, Gonzalez J. Holguin, Peter L. M. Goethals

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The Cauca river is one of most severe cases of pollution for domestic and industrial wastewater discharges in Colombia, principally when it crosses the industrial cities of Cali and Yumbo. The rapid urbanization and major economic development in the Cauca river´s geographical valley has led to dramatic degradation of the environment and increased health risks due to inefficient processing of the increased pollutant load effluents and solid wastes. The city of Cali which is the main urbanization center, with more than two million inhabitants and limitations of the treatment of its wastewaters, discharged in the year 2005, 75 tons of …

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Using Statistical Bias Description For Multiobjective Calibration Of A Lake Water Quality Model, Anne Dietzel, Peter Reichert Jul 2010

Using Statistical Bias Description For Multiobjective Calibration Of A Lake Water Quality Model, Anne Dietzel, Peter Reichert

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Models of environmental systems are simplified representations of reality. For this reason, their results are affected by systematic errors. This bias makes it difficult to get reliable uncertainty estimates of model parameters and predictions. We were faced with that difficulty when applying the lake model BELAMO to data from three Swiss lakes. This model combines the description of biogeochemical and ecological processes in lakes. Considering bias in the model output, lead to a description of system observations as the sum of the output of the deterministic model, bias and observation error. The identifiability problem between model output and bias was …

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Environmental Flow Requirements (Efrs) Related To Preference Of Phytoplankton In The Yellow River Estuary (Yre) Based On An Ecohydrodynamic Model, R. Zhao, Z. F. Yang, T. Sun Jul 2010

Environmental Flow Requirements (Efrs) Related To Preference Of Phytoplankton In The Yellow River Estuary (Yre) Based On An Ecohydrodynamic Model, R. Zhao, Z. F. Yang, T. Sun

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The response of ecological processes to hydrological processes is a critical issue in the assessment of environmental flow requirements in estuaries. Considering its representative function of the primary productivity in estuaries, the phytoplankton community was selected as the bioindicator to indicate the variation of ecosystems influenced by hydrological processes in estuaries. Based on the regression analysis, a response relation model was established for describing the relationship between characteristics of phytoplankton communities (chlorophyll a, Fucoxanthin, chlorophyll b, and pyridinin) and indicating factors including salinity, COD, ammonia nitrogen, and dissolved oxygen. The biomass objective of high nutritional level organisms, the biomass of …

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Development Of A Land-Use Component For An Integrated Model Of The German Biogas System, A. Schaldach, D. Lapola, U. Jessen, M. Thees, Ruediger Schaldach Jul 2010

Development Of A Land-Use Component For An Integrated Model Of The German Biogas System, A. Schaldach, D. Lapola, U. Jessen, M. Thees, Ruediger Schaldach

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Germany is one of the biggest producers of biogas in Europe. Biogas can either be combusted in highly efficient combined heat and power units to produce electricity and heat, or upgraded to biomethane for injection into the natural gas grid. As political conditions encourage the installation of new biogas plants, their number and capacity is expected to grow significantly in the next few years. In Germany, energy crops play an important role for biogas production. Due to their relatively low energy content transport distances from the field to the plants are a crucial issue for the efficiency of the biogas …

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A Model-Based Quantitative Assessment Of Ecosystem Services In The Scenarios Of Environmental Management, Peter A. Khaiter, Marina G. Erechtchoukova Jul 2010

A Model-Based Quantitative Assessment Of Ecosystem Services In The Scenarios Of Environmental Management, Peter A. Khaiter, Marina G. Erechtchoukova

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

It is well recognized that ecological systems generate a spectrum of diverse benefits that are vital to humankind. Sustainable environmental management requires an adequate consideration of ecosystem goods and services. The problem, however, is that many of the ecological and social amenities are not currently incorporated into the decision-making process. A fundamental issue is getting at the quantitative characteristics of the ecosystem services. Publications on this matter note that simulation models of the phenomena in question have to be used for this purpose. In fact, a whole family of simulation models is required. Such models should represent the main components …

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Modeling Thermal Structure Variations In A Stratified Reservoir, C. Lindim, E. J. Hayter, J. L. S. Pinho, J. M. P. Vieira Jul 2010

Modeling Thermal Structure Variations In A Stratified Reservoir, C. Lindim, E. J. Hayter, J. L. S. Pinho, J. M. P. Vieira

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

In this work the effects of hydrologic and atmospheric conditions changes in the thermalstructure of the Alqueva reservoir are investigated. Reservoir water temperatures andthermal stratification have a strong influence on ecological processes; therefore a goodunderstanding of their dynamics is of major importance when studying eutrophicatedreservoirs. A finite element model (RMA10) was used to simulate flow and temperature inthe Alqueva reservoir, the largest western European lake. Survey and monitoring data fordifferent years were used to calibrate and validate the model. Simulated temperaturescompared well with observations at different monitoring stations. Model results showedthat the reservoir has a stable thermal stratification during summer. …

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Evolving Gesconda To An Intelligent Decision Support Tool, Miquel Sànchez-Marrè, Karina Gibert, Beatriz Sevilla Jul 2010

Evolving Gesconda To An Intelligent Decision Support Tool, Miquel Sànchez-Marrè, Karina Gibert, Beatriz Sevilla

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

In this work, the GESCONDA system is presented. Initially it was conceived as a system for knowledge discovery and Data Mining, but currently, the system supports two new functionalities. A case-based reasoning engine and a rule-based reasoning shell are provided. These new skills of GESCONDA makes it a suitable prototype tool for the deployment of Intelligent Decision Support Systems, including all main steps like data preparation and filtering, data mining, model validation, reasoning abilities to generate solutions, and predictive models to support final users. The purpose of the paper is to present its architecture as well as its functionalities.

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Set-Membership Approach For Identification Of The Uncertainty In Power-Law Relationships: The Case Of Sediment Yield, Karel J. Keesman, Lachlan T. H. Newham, Tony Jakeman Jul 2010

Set-Membership Approach For Identification Of The Uncertainty In Power-Law Relationships: The Case Of Sediment Yield, Karel J. Keesman, Lachlan T. H. Newham, Tony Jakeman

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Power laws are used to describe a large variety of natural and man-made phenomena. Consequently, they are used in a wide range of scientific research and management applications. In this paper, we focus on the identification of uncertainty bounds on a power law relationship from experimental data, using a bounded-error characterization. These bounds can subsequently be used as constraints in e.g. optimization and scenario studies. The basic so-called set-membership approach involves outlier identification and removal, feasible parameter set estimation, evaluation of the feasible model output set and tuning of the error bounds. As an example we examine scattered sediment yield …

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Modeling Dynamical Temperature Influence On Tick Ixodes Scapularis Population, Xiaotian Wu, Venkata R S K Duvvuri, Jianhong Wu Jul 2010

Modeling Dynamical Temperature Influence On Tick Ixodes Scapularis Population, Xiaotian Wu, Venkata R S K Duvvuri, Jianhong Wu

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Lyme disease has been recognised as one of the emerging vector borne diseases in Canada. Ticks, Ixodes scapularis SAY, play a major role as vectors of Lyme disease causative agent Borrelia burgdorferi. Ticks become infected with Borrelia while feeding on the primary hosts (mice, squirrels, shrews, and other small vertebrates). Deers are primary source of nourishment for each gravid female I. scapularis and are fundamental to the tick establishment without infection. The life cycle of tick, I. scapularis, is very complex and takes nearly two years to reach adult stage from egg. Studies have shown that tick life cycle is …

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Efficiency Criteria For Water Quality Monitoring, Marina G. Erechtchoukova, Peter A. Khaiter Jul 2010

Efficiency Criteria For Water Quality Monitoring, Marina G. Erechtchoukova, Peter A. Khaiter

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The issues of possible improvements, increased efficiency and/or optimizationof a monitoring system in general, and a monitoring design in particular, are urgent. Sincemonitoring activities are always limited by financial and logistics constraints, algorithms ofconstrained optimization are deemed more suitable for this purpose. Monitoring designs aredeveloped as solutions of an operation research model. In order to formulate such modelthe effectiveness function has been introduced. The effectiveness reflects the extent towhich a monitoring design meets the objectives of the monitoring program and can be usedfor comparison of different monitoring designs. The effectiveness function depends on theinvestigated water quality parameters, selected indicators of …

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Efficiency Criteria For Water Quality Monitoring, Marina G. Erechtchoukova, Peter A. Khaiter Jul 2010

Efficiency Criteria For Water Quality Monitoring, Marina G. Erechtchoukova, Peter A. Khaiter

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The issues of possible improvements, increased efficiency and/or optimizationof a monitoring system in general, and a monitoring design in particular, are urgent. Sincemonitoring activities are always limited by financial and logistics constraints, algorithms ofconstrained optimization are deemed more suitable for this purpose. Monitoring designs aredeveloped as solutions of an operation research model. In order to formulate such modelthe effectiveness function has been introduced. The effectiveness reflects the extent towhich a monitoring design meets the objectives of the monitoring program and can be usedfor comparison of different monitoring designs. The effectiveness function depends on theinvestigated water quality parameters, selected indicators of …

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Soil Total Organic Carbon, Δ13c Values And Their Responses To The Soil Core Transferring Experiment From High- To Low-Elevation Forest Along Natural Altitudinal Transect Of Old Temperate Volcanic Forest Soils, Zhang Xin-Yu, Meng Xian-Jing, Fan Jin-Juan, Gao Lu-Peng, Sun Xiao-Min Jul 2010

Soil Total Organic Carbon, Δ13c Values And Their Responses To The Soil Core Transferring Experiment From High- To Low-Elevation Forest Along Natural Altitudinal Transect Of Old Temperate Volcanic Forest Soils, Zhang Xin-Yu, Meng Xian-Jing, Fan Jin-Juan, Gao Lu-Peng, Sun Xiao-Min

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

In this study, the responses of soil organic carbon and δ13C values to soil warming were conducted by relocating intact soil cores from high- to low-elevation forests for one year along a natural altitudinal transect in the northern slope of Changbai Mountain. As expected, the soil-core relocation caused significant increase in soil temperature but made no significant effect on soil moisture. The results showed that after one year incubation, soil relocation significantly decreased TOC contents, and δ13C decreased. Pearson correlation analysis demonstrates that TOC content was negatively related to soil temperature but positively related to soil moisture. After one-year simulated …

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Using Statistical Bias Description For Multiobjective Calibration Of A Lake Water Quality Model, Anne Dietzel, Peter Reichert Jul 2010

Using Statistical Bias Description For Multiobjective Calibration Of A Lake Water Quality Model, Anne Dietzel, Peter Reichert

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Models of environmental systems are simplified representations of reality. For this reason, their results are affected by systematic errors. This bias makes it difficult to get reliable uncertainty estimates of model parameters and predictions. We were faced with that difficulty when applying the lake model BELAMO to data from three Swiss lakes. This model combines the description of biogeochemical and ecological processes in lakes. Considering bias in the model output, lead to a description of system observations as the sum of the output of the deterministic model, bias and observation error. The identifiability problem between model output and bias was …

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A Crane Movement Model Parameterized Using Portable Radar For Evaluating Response To Wind Energy Development, Eileen M. Kirsch, Richard S. Sojda, Robert H. Diehl, Manuel Suarez Jul 2010

A Crane Movement Model Parameterized Using Portable Radar For Evaluating Response To Wind Energy Development, Eileen M. Kirsch, Richard S. Sojda, Robert H. Diehl, Manuel Suarez

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has an interest in understanding how sandhill and whooping cranes (Grus canadensis and G. americana, respectively) use habitats in the landscape surrounding Horicon National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin, USA. The refuge and adjacent state wildlife management areas contain the largest cattail marsh in the lower 48 states, providing important habitat for sandhill and whooping cranes, especially for roosting and staging for migration. Important feeding habitats are found in adjacent agricultural fields, small wetlands, and grasslands. It is in these feeding habitats that commercial wind turbines have been erected. We are studying crane movements in …

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Mr Potatohead Framework – A Software Tool For Collaborative Land-Use Change Modeling, Mike Livermore Jul 2010

Mr Potatohead Framework – A Software Tool For Collaborative Land-Use Change Modeling, Mike Livermore

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Agent-based land-use cover/change models (ABM/LUCC), which can be used for various types of complex human-environment interactions, recently have been gaining popularity. ABM/LUCC models combine a spatial representation of the landscape with key decision-makers (e.g. farmers and institutions) and an environment for interaction. There is inherent complexity in modeling human-environment interactions which need to be assessed at multiple spatial and time scales, and often multiple models are integrated; however, current methods of developing integrated models are often cumbersome and communicating design and results can be a great challenge and would be aided by a common framework in which different models can …

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Meta-Modelling The European Environmental Information Space, Werner Pillmann, Karl-Heinz Simon Jul 2010

Meta-Modelling The European Environmental Information Space, Werner Pillmann, Karl-Heinz Simon

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

In this paper a conceptual Meta-Model is presented with the aim to structure environmental information, relevant for the environmental part of sustainable development. It is focused on crucial environmental information flows handled in the discipline of Environmental Informatics. The introduced structure is a conceptual systems dynamics type model which describes the natural environment (air, water, soil, climate etc.), the private sector (industry, trade, transport etc.) and households. It uses the input-output presentation where causeeffect chains and information feedback paths are considered. The Meta-Model brings together substantial information about environmental indicators from different areas and organizations, the knowledge about levels of …

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Quantifying Ecosystem Service Trade-Offs, Sven Lautenbach, Martin Volk, Bernd Gruber, Carsten F. Dormann Jul 2010

Quantifying Ecosystem Service Trade-Offs, Sven Lautenbach, Martin Volk, Bernd Gruber, Carsten F. Dormann

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The ecosystem services concept evaluates ecosystem functions from a human perspective, e.g. the concept focuses on the contribution of ecosystem functions, ecosystem goods and services or human well-being. An evaluation allows the analysis of trade-offs between different ecosystem services as well as between ecosystem services and other components of human well-being. We will test three options to compare trade-offs between ecosystem services, namely map comparison, scenario analysis and trade-off analysis using optimized landscapes. While map comparison and scenario analysis are valuable tools to study ecosystem service trade-offs we emphasize the use of optimized landscapes for tradeoff analysis. Overall, analysis of …

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