Best Practice in SD/GIS integration

["John Wolfenden"]

Colleagues

I am presently researching current state of the art in respect of
integrating the spatial (as represented in Geographic Information Systems)
and the temporal (SD modelling - what else?). I know that some work has
been done using Vensim. There is also a GIS package called "idrisi32" that
allows for dynamic modelling using symbols - not sure how closely this
approximates true SD modelling though.

The applications we have in mind include flood modelling, and landscape
management modelling - both of these with a view to supporting enhanced
learning about the issues and the implications of decisions.

I would appreciate any information about particular software packages or
peoples work in this area. If the input is significant, I will summarise
for the List at a later stage.

Thanks

John
------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr John Wolfenden
Centre for Ecological Economics and Water Policy Research (CEEWPR)
University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia
Australia Ph (02) 6773 3995 Fx (02) 6773 3237
International +61 2 6773 3995 +61 2 6773 3237
Mobile 0412 245 234; email: jwolfend@metz.une.edu.au
web site http://www.une.edu.au/cwpr

[Shilp Verma]

Dear Friends,

This is my first mail on this list after I rejoind the
group. Let me introduce myself to all of you.

Im Shilp Verma, working as an IT and GIS Consultant
for the International Water Management Institute
(IWMI) in India. I have just joined my job here and am
very much inexperienced in this field.

This mail is addressed to the SD/GIS Integration Query
by Prof. John Wolfenden. Sir, I would be interested in
knowing more about your current research as also your
previous work in this field.

I have some experience with working on Vensim (for a
Savings/Pension model) and also with Idrisi 32 during
my Masters program in Rural Management. At present
also, Im trying to get Idrisi and Arc View for this
newly set up office in India and the process is
underway.

We are currently doing a project in Western India for
which Im planning to use GIS and remote sensed images
for better water management. I also intend to use SD
modelling for simulations using Vensim.

Looking forward to a response from Prof. John
Wolfenden or anyone else who would be able to help me
and/or lead me to resources in this context.

Thanks...

Shilp

=====

---------------------------------

SHILP VERMA
Consultant, International Water Management Institute,
IWMI - India Program, Elecon, Anand-Sojitra Road,
Vallabh Vidyanagar - 388 120, INDIA.
Phone: 02692 - 29311, 29312, 29313
shilpv@yahoo.com
shilpverma@hotmail.com

["Michael Bean"]

John,

Don Seville and I worked with Prof.
Steven Taff from the University of
Minnesota and Dr. Peter Buessler from
the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources to create AgLand, a simulation
that lets users test government policies
to see the impact on farms and the local
environment.

The simulation did not connect to a GIS
database, but it did include several
spatial elements for modeling wildlife
abundance and diversity, soil erosion
for specific farms and plots of land,
and water quality.

Agland is a board game (somewhat similar
to fishbanks). I spoke with Steve Taff
recently. He said that the game is
played throughout the Midwest at
highschools and colleges. Steve
distributes the game through the
Univeristy of Minnesota Extension
website at:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/agland/

Ive also written a short description of
how the game was developed and and why
we decided to use a game board instead
of a direct computer interface. This
write-up is at:
http://www.forio.com/facevalue20010531.h
tm#agland

Michael
_______________________________________
Michael Bean
Forio Business Simulations

(415) 440-7500 phone
mbean@forio.com
www.forio.com

[kevin.c.seel@ca.andersen.com]

Dear Dr. Wolfenden

The National Centre for Geographic Information Analysis (NCGIA)
(http://www.ncgia.ucsb.edu/)
sponsors an international symposium on integrating GIS and environmental
modeling
every 3-4 years. There are typically several papers on dynamic spatial/temporal
modeling presented. The most recent meeting (the 4th) was in Banff, Alberta,
Canada and many of the abstracts and papers are on-line at:
http://www.colorado.edu
esearch/cires/banff/

Also, Jim Westervelt, Bruce Hannon, pioneered some early SD/GIS modeling
in a distributed, parallel environment coupling Stella and a public domain GIS
called GRASS. Their work is at the following website (however, it looks to be
undergoing a rebuild so the environmental modeling link is not currently
operable):
http://www.gis.uiuc.edu

Lastly, the Robert Costanza and Tom Maxwell of University of Maryland Institute
for
Ecological Economics (http://iee.umces.edu/)have done some excellent work
in the field of integrated SD/GIS modeling. One example, the "Everglades
Landscape
Model" (ELM) sounds like it might be of particular interest for you. It can be
found at:
http://www.sfwmd.gov/org/erd/esr/elm.html

Hope that helps!

Kevin Seel
Arthur Andersen LLP
From: kevin.c.seel@ca.andersen.com