Difference between revisions of "EMDS"
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Revision as of 23:23, 1 December 2009
General System description
System name: Ecosystem Management Decision Support
Acronym: EMDS
Brief overview
The Ecosystem Management Decision Support (EMDS) system is a general solution framework for knowledge-based decision support of ecological assessments at any geographical scale.[[Category:]] [[Category:]]
Contents
Scope of the system
The system provides decision support for landscape-level analyses through logic and decision engines integrated with the ArcGIS geographic information system. The NetWeaver logic engine evaluates landscape data against a formal logic specification designed in the NetWeaver Developer system, to derive logic-based interpretations of ecosystem conditions. The decision engine evaluates NetWeaver outcomes, and data related to the feasibility and efficacy of land management actions, against a decision model for prioritizing landscape features built with its development system, Criterium DecisionPlus. CDP models implement the analytical hierarchy process, the simple multi-attribute rating technique, or a combination of the two methods. The system has been used in a high variety of applications[1].
System origin
- Who and when was it developed
- how was it developed
- is it a commercial product
- does it have real-life application cases
Support for specific issues
Is the system designed to take into account specific uses? E.g. guidance on ways to characterize biodiversity, economic-biodiversity tradeoff analysis methods, risk assessment methods, landscape analysis methods, timber harvest effects, climate change effects, biological effects (pests, pathogens, invasives), fire,...
Support for specific thematic areas of a problem type
- Silvicultural
- Certification
- Conservation
- Restoration
- Transportation
- Development choices / land use zoning
- Policy/intervention alternatives
- Sustainability impact assessment (SIA)
Capability to support decision making phases
(NOTE I do not quite know what to do with this, as I do not understand it myself, although it seems related to system use)
(Click here to see a more detailed explanation)
- Intelligence (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
- Design (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
- Choice (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
- Monitor (+ explicit description of the support given by the DSS)
Related systems
EMDS is an extension to ArcMap, and is also available in a stand-alone edition built on ArcEngine.
The system uses the logic engine of NetWeaver Developer, which is a knowledge-based decision-support system for logic-based inference. NetWeaver Developer is used to design the logic models used by EMDS.
The system also uses the decision engine of Criterium DecisionPlus, which implements the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique (SMART) to support resource allocation decisions. CDP is used to design the decision models used by EMDS.
Projects are stored as either SQL Server of Microsoft Access databases, and spatial data are stored in ArcGIS file geodatabases.
Data and data models
Typical spatial extent of application
Spatial scale of an EMDS application is user defined, and with multiple scale interaction (projects can accommodate multiple scales of potentially linked assessments).
Forest data input
Describe the basic forest input (forest level, stand level, or individual tree level), and appropriate meta-data, such as data provenance (Areal coverage, Sample of plots, stands, Contiguous forest cover). GIS information is to be considered here, namely include cover tyes and type of information (raster or vectorial, necessity of topological information) If necessary describe surrogate sources of information
If necessary describe other types of required data (economic, social)
Type of information input from user (via GUI)
Describe what is the information that the user directly inputs in the system if any): expert knowledge, opinion, goals and production objectives, preferences, stand/site information....
Models
Forest models
Growth, Yield, Carbon, Wood quality, biodiversity and habitat suitability, environmental and external effects (fire, storms, pests, diseases, climate change, etc)
Social models
historical and cultural values of sites, values due to peace and quiet, esthetic values, values due to recreational activities, ethical values): E. g. Recreation, Health, Game
Decision Support
Definition of management interventions
Define what is available for the manager to intervene in the forest: time of harvest, plantations, thinnings, reconversions... Existence of prescription writer, simple enumeration of all possibilities, scenario simulation , etc.
Typical temporal scale of application
Define the temporal scale of the application: E.g., operational and immediate level, Tactical planning (short term) and strategic level.
Types of decisions supported
- Management level
- strategic decisions
- administrative decisions
- operating control decisions
- Management function
- planning decisions
- organizing decisions
- command decisions
- control decisions
- coordination decisions
- decision making situation
- unilateral
- collegial
- Bargaining / participative decision making
Decision-making processes and models
- Logic modeling
- Operations research modeling
- Direct approaches
- Heuristic manipulation of simulation models
- Business modeling
- Simulation (with and without stochasticity)
- Multiple criteria/ranking
- Other
Output
Types of outputs
Types of outputs produced (tables, maps, 3-D visualizations, pre-programmed summaries, etc)
Spatial analysis capabilities
- integrated capabilities
- facilitates links to GIS (wizards, etc.)
- provides standard data import/export formats
- allows spatial analysis (e.g. topology overlays (e.g. multi layering of different maps, selection of objects based on selection criteria, aggregation by attributes (e.g. areas of similar characteristics), Linking by logical means, Statistics by area, analysis with digital terrain model)
Abilities to address interdisciplinary, multi-scaled, and political issues
Evaluate interactions between different basic information types (biophysical, economic, social). Produce coordinated results for decision makers operating at different spatial scales facilitate social negotiation and learning
System
System requirements
- Operating Systems: (Windows, Macintosh, Linux/UNIX, Web-based, Others)
- Other software needed (GIS, MIP packages, etc...)
- Development status
Architecture and major DSS components
Describe the basic architecture of the system in software and hardware. Desktop client-server, web based, as well as the integration with available systems. Basic data flow, focusing on retrieval of required input and propagation and implementations of decisions. Mention its modular and scalability capabilities.
Usage
Describe the level of use: Research level use, Industry use, Government use
Computational limitations
Describe the system limitations: e.g. number of management units, number of vehicles, time horizon
User interface
Describe the quality of user interface and the Prerequisite knowledge for using the system
Documentation and support
Describe the connection to Help-system and possibilities for assistance, as well as the required training and user support levels
Installation
- Prerequisite knowledge: Level of effort to become functional
- Cost: (purchase price, development costs, demonstrated return on investment, cost of use, training costs, licence and maintenance costs)
- Demo: allows the download/utilization of a trial version. If yes, where is it available and what are the trial conditions.
References
Please visit the EMDS page on Wikipedia for a list of EMDS applications and associated publications.
Cited references
- ↑ REYNOLDS, K.M., M. TWERY, M.J. LEXER, H. VACIK, D. RAY, G. SHAO et J.G. BORGES (2008): Decision Support Systems in Forest Management. In BURSTEIN, F. et C. W. HOLSAPPLE (Eds.): Handbook on Decision Support Systems 2: Variations. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp 499-533.
