Decision Support Tools and Modeling

Most national parks interact with adjacent lands because their boundaries fail to encompass all regional habitats, species pools, and migration routes. Activities planned for adjacent lands can have adverse effects on park resources and visitor experiences. For example, fragmentation of adjacent habitat into smaller and more isolated remnants may influence the suitability of park habitat for a...

Curve Fit is an ArcMap 10.1 (10.2 forthcoming) tool that: performs pixel level regression analysis on a series of raster datasets is capable of calculating both linear and nonlinear regressions allows the user to constrain parameters for nonlinear models generates raster surfaces representing parameter estimate, model fit, and multi-model inference

Models based upon coastal engineering equations have been developed to quantify wind fetch length and several physical wave characteristics including significant height, length, peak period, maximum orbital velocity, and shear stress These models, modified to operate using Environmental Systems Research Institute's ArcGIS 10.0/10.1 Geographic Information System platform, were used to quantify...

There are ongoing needs for analytical tools to investigate the cumulative effects of fluctuating water flow and depth. The Connectivity and Inundation Tool was developed at UMESC to help address these needs. The tool allows for the investigation of the historic hydrographs or proposed theoretical hydrographs. It does this by utilizing existing 2D hydrodynamic models that have been encapsulated...

Where are the most important places to direct conservation effort? Such a simple question is not answered simply. There are a myriad of priorities, constraints, and capacities, both scientific and socio-economic, which in combination guide the allocation of management effort. An honest accounting of these priorities, constraints, and capacities is essential for efficient, effective action. The...

Humans often look at wild places and guess animals are either abundant because they see large numbers of animals or animals are limited because they observe low numbers or little sign of activity. In reality, our estimates of animal numbers may be limited because of our inability to accurately detect animals and predict habitat occupancy or persistence over different seasons. Scientists and land...