Dear Sir:
I am a teacher at Murcia in Spain. I am specializing in systems dynamics
and I am working in Desertification. Does anyone hve insights, references
or models they can share with me?
If you are sending models send them to me at ehlaguna@fcu.um.es
Thans
Enrique Hernández Laguna
ehlaguna@fcu.um.es
Models of Desertification
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Enrique =?iso-8859-1?Q?Hern=E1nd
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"geoff coyle"
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Models of Desertification
This is interesting stuff but Id like to know what questions you hope to
answer with your model. Richardson and Pughs textbook makes the point very
well that a model should be a simplification of reality designed to answer
some reasonably well-designed questions. They also state that an acid test
of its validity is the extent to which it does NOT answer its questions.
I am sure you will find material on desertification partly from the SD
bibliography but dont neglect the geological literature, Holmes The
Principles of Physical Geology is still good. You might also watch out for
articles in journals such as National Geographic, New Scientist and American
Scientist.
The only work I know which is even peripherally relevant is a paper by
Wolstenholme and myself on the nomads of the Sahel Development of system
dynamics as a rigorous procedure for system description, Journal of the
Operational Research Society, Vol. 34, No. 9, pp 885-898, 1983.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
Geoff Coyle
geoff.coyle@btinternet.com
Professor Geoff Coyle
Consultant in System Dynamics and Strategic Analysis
Tel: (44) 01793 782817 Fax: 01793 783188
answer with your model. Richardson and Pughs textbook makes the point very
well that a model should be a simplification of reality designed to answer
some reasonably well-designed questions. They also state that an acid test
of its validity is the extent to which it does NOT answer its questions.
I am sure you will find material on desertification partly from the SD
bibliography but dont neglect the geological literature, Holmes The
Principles of Physical Geology is still good. You might also watch out for
articles in journals such as National Geographic, New Scientist and American
Scientist.
The only work I know which is even peripherally relevant is a paper by
Wolstenholme and myself on the nomads of the Sahel Development of system
dynamics as a rigorous procedure for system description, Journal of the
Operational Research Society, Vol. 34, No. 9, pp 885-898, 1983.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
Geoff Coyle
geoff.coyle@btinternet.com
Professor Geoff Coyle
Consultant in System Dynamics and Strategic Analysis
Tel: (44) 01793 782817 Fax: 01793 783188
Models of Desertification
Enrique,
Tony Picardi developed an interesting system dynamics model of desertification in the Sahel. The model simulated overgrazing, soil degradation and other issues of interest to the US AID, the US Agency for International Development. A short sketch of Tonys model appears in Chapter 9 of Modeling the Environment, my recent textbook from Island Press. A longer description appears in The Electronic Oracle by Donnella Meadows and Jennifer Robinson (Wiley 1985).
Andy Ford
Program in Environmental Science and Regional Planning
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164-4430
USA
Phone: 509 335 7846
Email: FordA@mail.wsu.edu
Website: http://www.wsu.edu/~forda
Tony Picardi developed an interesting system dynamics model of desertification in the Sahel. The model simulated overgrazing, soil degradation and other issues of interest to the US AID, the US Agency for International Development. A short sketch of Tonys model appears in Chapter 9 of Modeling the Environment, my recent textbook from Island Press. A longer description appears in The Electronic Oracle by Donnella Meadows and Jennifer Robinson (Wiley 1985).
Andy Ford
Program in Environmental Science and Regional Planning
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164-4430
USA
Phone: 509 335 7846
Email: FordA@mail.wsu.edu
Website: http://www.wsu.edu/~forda