Modeling Software Provides Clearer Picture for Making Environmental Decisions Click on image to see a larger view. Environmental Decisions Argonne has created a new environmental modeling software tool that makes it easier for land managers to apply computer models to depict the true dynamics of a given ecosystem, region or landscape.
Ecological management is complex.
For example, government regulations may require changes in land use or management to protect an endangered species. These changes may in turn have an impact on other wildlife or on water quality and can weaken a region's economy. Balancing these multiple goals and objectives requires looking at the interplay of ecology, physical environment and socio-economics across a region and evaluating the landscape as a whole system. While geographic information systems that capture, analyze, manipulate and display geographic data are excellent tools for studying spatial aspects, they are static and have difficulty handling the dynamic nature of ecosystems. Code and data are typically kept separate in other programs.