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2010

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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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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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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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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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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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Development Of A Modular Environmental Decision Support System For The Integrated Management Of The Urban Wastewater Cycle At River Basin Scale, D. Murlà, A. Monistrol, Manel Poch, D. Sunyer Jul 2010

Development Of A Modular Environmental Decision Support System For The Integrated Management Of The Urban Wastewater Cycle At River Basin Scale, D. Murlà, A. Monistrol, Manel Poch, D. Sunyer

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Most of Urban Wastewater Systems (UWS) have been managed separately, without considering any interaction between sewer systems, Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) and the receiving waters. Nowadays, the conventional practice has changed, introducing the integrated management concept into the river basin scale. The goal of the project is to develop a modular Environmental Decision Support System (EDSS) to optimise the integrated management of the UWS based on a rule based system as the reasoning core and a Knowledge Base, easily represented by means of decision trees and fully opened. The EDSS, based upon expert knowledge and simulation results, will allow proposing …

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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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The Application Of A Validated Hydrodynamic Model To Improve The Water Management Of An Egyptian Shallow Water Coastal Lake, M. A. Bek, I. S. Lowndes, D. M. Hargreaves Jul 2010

The Application Of A Validated Hydrodynamic Model To Improve The Water Management Of An Egyptian Shallow Water Coastal Lake, M. A. Bek, I. S. Lowndes, D. M. Hargreaves

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

This paper presents the preliminary results of the application of the ocean model (FVCOM)to replicate the hydrodynamic flows experienced within Lake El-Manzala, Egypt. Theconstruction of this model is used to characterize the ecosystem of this shallow brackishlake and assess a range of sustainable water management strategies. Lake El-Manzala is thelargest of the Egyptian shallow coastal lakes on the fringe of the Mediterranean Sea. Thelake currently supports 30% of the fresh water fish farm production of Egypt. In recentyears the aquatic health of the lake has significantly deteriorated due to an increase in thecontamination of the lake by polluted inflows and …

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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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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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The Application Of Artificial Neural Network For Forecasting Dam Spillage Events., Anita Talib, Yahya Abu Hasan Jul 2010

The Application Of Artificial Neural Network For Forecasting Dam Spillage Events., Anita Talib, Yahya Abu Hasan

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Artificial Neural Network (ANN ) is applied for forecasting of dam spillage using a 10year hydrological dataset of Ahning Dam in the northern Malaysia at the Pedu-Mudaarea. During the rainy season, the Ahning Dam will overflow due to heavy rainfall.Increased siltation due to logging could contribute to worsen the overflow during thistime. This will lead to increasingly destructive floods downstream. Rainfall in the Pedu-Muda area is not constant. It is highly influenced by the monsoon seasons. During the dryseason, the dams may dry up. Siltation will further hamper the dams’ capability to storewater for irrigation.This study has shown that a …

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Pitimbu River Lowland Portion Water And Sediment Monitoring Data, Natal Brazil, Rafael Takeshi Kobayashi, Lúcio Flávio Ferreira Moreira, Herbert Tadeu De Almeida Andrade Jul 2010

Pitimbu River Lowland Portion Water And Sediment Monitoring Data, Natal Brazil, Rafael Takeshi Kobayashi, Lúcio Flávio Ferreira Moreira, Herbert Tadeu De Almeida Andrade

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Urbanization in developing countries has had a significant impact on water resources and the environment. Anthropogenic-related factors such as deforestation, uncontrolled urban occupation and the lack of sustainable measures have affected both the quantity and quality of water. The Pitimbu river watershed (126.7 km2) is located within the urban area of Natal, Brazil. The effects of urban occupation have recently been a concern to municipal authorities, since the Pitimbu is the main source of domestic water supply. In this paper authors analyze monitoring data, including the quantitative and qualitative water and sediment factors at the lowland portion of this river …

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Fast Variable Selection For Extreme Values, A. Phatak, C. Chan, H. Kiiveri Jul 2010

Fast Variable Selection For Extreme Values, A. Phatak, C. Chan, H. Kiiveri

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

In this paper, we outline and explore the use of RaVE, a sparse variable selectionmethod that can be used for selecting variables when modelling extreme values. We illustrate itsuse by modelling the location parameter of a series of length 49 of annual rainfall maxima at twostations in North-West Western Australia. The ensemble of potential predictors consists of 1980atmospheric variables. Preliminary results show that RaVE can produce parsimonious yet sensiblemodels. Future work will focus on devising criteria to select the best choice of hyperparametersand on methods to choose groups of spatially contiguous variables so as to aid interpretation.

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Overcoming Data Constraints To Create Meaningful Ecological Models, Rebecca E. Lester, Peter G. Fairweather Jul 2010

Overcoming Data Constraints To Create Meaningful Ecological Models, Rebecca E. Lester, Peter G. Fairweather

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Many techniques used to model ecosystems cannot be meaningfully applied tolarge-scale ecological problems due to data constraints. Disparate collection methods, datatypes and incomplete data sets, or limited theoretical understanding mean that a wide rangeof modelling techniques used to model physical processes or for problems specific tospecies or populations cannot be used at an ecosystem scale. In developing an ecologicalresponse model for the Coorong, a South Australian hypersaline estuary, we combinedseveral flexible modelling approaches in a statistical framework to develop an approach wecall ‘ecosystem states’. This model uses simulated hydrodynamic conditions as input topredict one of a suite of states per …

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Uncertainty Propagation Throughout An Integrated Water-Quality Model, Gabriele Freni, G. Mannina, G. Viviani Jul 2010

Uncertainty Propagation Throughout An Integrated Water-Quality Model, Gabriele Freni, G. Mannina, G. Viviani

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

In integrated urban drainage water quality models, due to the fact that integrated approaches are basically a cascade of sub-models (simulating sewer system, wastewater treatment plant and receiving water body), uncertainty produced in one sub-model propagates to the following ones depending on the model structure, the estimation of parameters and the availability and uncertainty of measurements in the different parts of the system. Uncertainty basically propagates throughout a chain of models in which simulation output from upstream models is transferred to the downstream ones as input. The overall uncertainty can differ from the simple sum of uncertainties generated in each …

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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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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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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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An Agglomeration Payment For Cost-Effective Biodiversity Conservation In Spatially Structured Landscapes, Martin Drechsler, Frank Wätzold, Karin Johst, Jason F. Shogren Jul 2010

An Agglomeration Payment For Cost-Effective Biodiversity Conservation In Spatially Structured Landscapes, Martin Drechsler, Frank Wätzold, Karin Johst, Jason F. Shogren

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Connected habitats are ecologically more valuable than isolated habitats for many species. A key challenge when designing payments for biodiversity in fragmented landscapes is to increase the spatial connectivity of habitats. Based on the idea of an agglomeration bonus we consider a scheme in which land-owners only receive payments if habitats are arranged in an ecologically favourable configuration. We compare the costeffectiveness of agglomeration payments to spatially homogeneous payments on a conceptual level. Our results suggest that positive efficiency gains exist for agglomeration payments. We use Large Blue butterfly habitat in Germany as a specific case study, and find the …

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Modelling Connectivity Between Pollutant Source Areas And Streams, S. Moshirvaziri, G. Sheridan, Patrick N. J. Lane, O. Jones Jul 2010

Modelling Connectivity Between Pollutant Source Areas And Streams, S. Moshirvaziri, G. Sheridan, Patrick N. J. Lane, O. Jones

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The nature of pollutant connectivity between unsealed forest roads and adjacent nearby streams is examined numerically in terms of spatial and temporal patterns of runoff generation, erosion, and sediment transport. In this paper we consider the relative effects of rainfall intensity and duration, surface roughness, infiltration rate, macropore flow and sediment detachment and transport. The objective of the numerical simulation of this hillslope system is to identify the dominant processes and parameters that affect the degree of pollutant connectivity between roads and streams. The St. Venant equations are applied to extract a two-dimensional diffusion wave model with variable conductivity and …

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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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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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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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New Software Methods In Radar Ornithology Using Wsr-88d Weather Data And Potential Application To Monitoring Effects Of Climate Change On Bird Migration, Reginald Mead, John Paxton, Richard S. Sojda Jul 2010

New Software Methods In Radar Ornithology Using Wsr-88d Weather Data And Potential Application To Monitoring Effects Of Climate Change On Bird Migration, Reginald Mead, John Paxton, Richard S. Sojda

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Radar ornithology has provided tools for studying the movement of birds,especially related to migration. Researchers have presented qualitative evidence suggestingthat birds, or at least migration events, can be identified using large broad scale radars suchas the WSR-88D used in the NEXRAD weather surveillance system. This is potentially aboon for ornithologists because such data cover a large portion of the United States, areconstantly being produced, are freely available, and have been archived since the early1990s. A major obstacle to this research, however, has been that identifying birds inNEXRAD data has required a trained technician to manually inspect a graphically renderedradar sweep. …

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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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Numerical Modeling Of The Salinity Distribution And Environmental Flows Assessment In The Yellow River Estuary, China, T. Sun, Z. F. Yang Jul 2010

Numerical Modeling Of The Salinity Distribution And Environmental Flows Assessment In The Yellow River Estuary, China, T. Sun, Z. F. Yang

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Predication of environmental flows is a critical issue in water resourcesmanagement integrated with ecological considerations. It is also a complex issue due to therelationship between ecological and hydrological processes with different temporal andspatial scales in estuarine ecosystems. The salinity gradient is a basic characteristic for anestuary ecosystem, which is largely affected by the alteration of freshwater inflows becauseof human activities. In this paper, a numerical model was developed for simulating thesalinity distribution under the action of river discharge and tide current in the Yellow RiverEstuary. Environmental flow requirements were determined for critical periods in theYellow River Estuary after identifying the …

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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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