Spatial and Temporal Model Validation: Representing Landscape Properties and Processes across Scales
Keywords
gis, scale, soil erosion, modeling, validation, project management
Start Date
1-7-2006 12:00 AM
Abstract
Continuous modeling of landscape processes and their validation requires representingenvironmental properties for model input and output across scales. A combination of a scaling theory, aGeospatial Project Management Tool (GeoProMT), and a GIS-based environmental modeling interface,allows interdisciplinary collaborators to efficiently handle and communicate the scaling (or transformation)of geospatial information of properties and processes across scales. This integrated approach of theory,project management tool, and modeling interface can be applied to any environmental model and softwaredevelopment. The integrated modeling is based on the Geospatial Interface for the Water Erosion PredictionProject (GeoWEPP) that enables soil and water conservationists to assess soil erosion taking into accountdetailed topographic, soils, and land use pattern to derive soil redistribution patterns at various spatial andtemporal scales. Short-term, event-based and long-term, continuous validation studies in forest and rangelandhave shown that the combination of different representations of hillslopes, the hillslope-channel interface,and the channels allows land managers to assess on- and off site impacts with the same underlying model atdifferent spatial and temporal scales. Detailed climate, runoff and sediment time series were used toparameterize and validate the models performance. While event-based discharge and sediment measurementsat silt fence studies and watershed outlets were used to validate short-term performance, long-termdischarges and distributed 137Cs samples on hillslopes were used to assess the long-term discharges and soilredistribution patterns over a 50-year time period. The results of this integrated model design and validationapproach will guide modelers in other applications to a more effective and valid representation of landscapeproperties and processes.
Spatial and Temporal Model Validation: Representing Landscape Properties and Processes across Scales
Continuous modeling of landscape processes and their validation requires representingenvironmental properties for model input and output across scales. A combination of a scaling theory, aGeospatial Project Management Tool (GeoProMT), and a GIS-based environmental modeling interface,allows interdisciplinary collaborators to efficiently handle and communicate the scaling (or transformation)of geospatial information of properties and processes across scales. This integrated approach of theory,project management tool, and modeling interface can be applied to any environmental model and softwaredevelopment. The integrated modeling is based on the Geospatial Interface for the Water Erosion PredictionProject (GeoWEPP) that enables soil and water conservationists to assess soil erosion taking into accountdetailed topographic, soils, and land use pattern to derive soil redistribution patterns at various spatial andtemporal scales. Short-term, event-based and long-term, continuous validation studies in forest and rangelandhave shown that the combination of different representations of hillslopes, the hillslope-channel interface,and the channels allows land managers to assess on- and off site impacts with the same underlying model atdifferent spatial and temporal scales. Detailed climate, runoff and sediment time series were used toparameterize and validate the models performance. While event-based discharge and sediment measurementsat silt fence studies and watershed outlets were used to validate short-term performance, long-termdischarges and distributed 137Cs samples on hillslopes were used to assess the long-term discharges and soilredistribution patterns over a 50-year time period. The results of this integrated model design and validationapproach will guide modelers in other applications to a more effective and valid representation of landscapeproperties and processes.
