Case Study: Sensitivity Analysis of the Barataria Basin Barrier Shoreline Wetland Value Assessment Model

Abstract

Sensitivity analysis is a technique for systematically changing parameters in a model to determine the effects of such changes on model outcomes. It is an essential tool for model building and quality assurance. Sensitivity analysis also compliments uncertainty analysis because sensitivity analysis orders input importance by determining variation in output and by identifying important response thresholds. This technical note provides an example application of sensitivity analysis in support of ecosystem restoration planning. It is intended to supplement other publications about Environmental Benefits Analysis (EBA) that discuss a broader array of sensitivity techniques and applications. On average, Louisiana's coastal marshes are receding at alarming rates due to a number of factors, including: sea level rise, river-marsh disconnection, local consolidation and subsidence, and coastal erosion. The Barataria Basin Barrier Shoreline (BBBS) restoration project was identified through the Louisiana Coastal Area (LCA) program as critical to maintaining the Caminada Headland and Shell Island reaches of the Gulf shoreline to prevent larger scale, potentially irreversible ecosystem impacts. Large-scale ecosystem restoration projects require extensive planning and analysis prior to implementation to ensure the most effective alternatives are selected. Alternatives are compared on the basis of forecasted benefits of restoration determined using numerical models such as the commonly applied Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP). HEP combines habitat quantity (e.g., acres) with an assessment of habitat quality scored from zero to one, a Habitat Suitability Index (HSI). This index is determined from measured data or professional judgment, and is generally represented as a "habitat suitability curve" that assigns a quality score to a range of value.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 2014
Accession Number
ADA606863

Entities

People

  • J. Craig Fischenich
  • S. Kyle McKay

Organizations

  • Engineer Research and Development Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Algorithms
  • Aquatic Organisms
  • Arithmetic
  • Army
  • Army Corps Of Engineers
  • Barrier Islands
  • Boundaries
  • Case Studies
  • Celestial Brightness
  • Ecosystems
  • Habitats
  • Open Water
  • Sea Level
  • Sea Level Rise
  • Sensitivity
  • Water
  • Wildlife

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Coastal and Marine Engineering/Sediment Transport/Hydraulic Engineering
  • Life Cycle Cost Analysis
  • Wetland-Land-Environmental Management.