Dynamic, Spatial, Ecological Modeling: A Demonstrated Simulation of the Sage Grouse Habitat at the Yakima Training Center, Washington.
Abstract
The U.S. Army is responsible for managing 12.4 million acres of land on 186 major installations worldwide. Proper land management supports the military mission and multiple use activities, but also presents the Army with a unique challenge as public land steward. The U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories (USACERL) is currently conducting basic research into alternative ways of managing limited military training lands through computer simulation of the interaction between natural processes and military training. Modeling and simulation provide an approach for experimenting with pieces of the physical world through conceptual representations. Ecologists have used modeling in recent decades to simulate system behavior, most often at the full ecosystem level. However, less recognition has been given to the importance of the spatial arrangements of ecosystem components. This study created a working dynamic spatial model of a selected ecosystem using a cellular approach. A landscape was divided into regular cells. A single ecosystem model was developed with STELLA, and then applied simultaneously to each cell. The model was demonstrated using data on the Sage Grouse at the Yakima Training Center, WA. This exercise demonstrated the potential effectiveness of a suite of software capabilities designed to facilitate landscape design, development, and simulation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA299720
Entities
People
- Albert Cheng
- Bruce Hannon
- Cory Rubin
- James D. Westervelt
- Pervaze Sheikh
Organizations
- Construction Engineering Research Laboratory