Keywords
ecosystem services; low impact development; sustainability; urban forestry
Location
Session E2: Environmental Modeling of Human Health Effects from Global to Local Scale
Start Date
18-6-2014 10:40 AM
End Date
18-6-2014 12:00 PM
Abstract
The urban environment offers significant opportunities to improve sustainability and optimize water resources. Historically, research and software applications have been focused on the built environment (buildings). Cost-effective, practical tools that can assess the impact of different landscape configurations and their interactions with buildings have not been widely deployed. ecoSmart Landscapes (eSL) is a unique SaaS-based platform that helps to bridge this gap. It incorporates modelling and planning tools for the integrated assessment of carbon, water, energy, and fire impacts of individual landscapes at the residential parcel scale. Analytical and empirical models running concurrently, for each user’s landscape configuration, simulate tree growth, carbon sequestration, rainfall interception by trees, turf, shrubs, soils, and cisterns, tree combustion, and building energy consumption as influenced by shade from adjacent trees. eSL’s modularity and configurability make it highly customizable to meet the needs of a wide range of users, from the general public to green industry professionals. The carbon and energy components of eSL have already been deployed. The complete suite is scheduled for completion by April 2014. The project is a collaborative effort that brings together 1) over 20 years of empirical research in urban forestry by USDA Forest Service scientists, 2) empirically tested residential scale hydrologic models developed by UC Davis researchers, and 3) software developed by EcoLayers for integrated, adaptive, and collaborative management of water, land, and environment. The presentation will discuss the research, design, and implementation of eSL, and use of this SaaS platform for other water and environmental applications.
Included in
Civil Engineering Commons, Data Storage Systems Commons, Environmental Engineering Commons, Hydraulic Engineering Commons, Other Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons
ecoSmart Landscapes: A Versatile SaaS Platform for Green Infrastructure Applications in Urban Environments
Session E2: Environmental Modeling of Human Health Effects from Global to Local Scale
The urban environment offers significant opportunities to improve sustainability and optimize water resources. Historically, research and software applications have been focused on the built environment (buildings). Cost-effective, practical tools that can assess the impact of different landscape configurations and their interactions with buildings have not been widely deployed. ecoSmart Landscapes (eSL) is a unique SaaS-based platform that helps to bridge this gap. It incorporates modelling and planning tools for the integrated assessment of carbon, water, energy, and fire impacts of individual landscapes at the residential parcel scale. Analytical and empirical models running concurrently, for each user’s landscape configuration, simulate tree growth, carbon sequestration, rainfall interception by trees, turf, shrubs, soils, and cisterns, tree combustion, and building energy consumption as influenced by shade from adjacent trees. eSL’s modularity and configurability make it highly customizable to meet the needs of a wide range of users, from the general public to green industry professionals. The carbon and energy components of eSL have already been deployed. The complete suite is scheduled for completion by April 2014. The project is a collaborative effort that brings together 1) over 20 years of empirical research in urban forestry by USDA Forest Service scientists, 2) empirically tested residential scale hydrologic models developed by UC Davis researchers, and 3) software developed by EcoLayers for integrated, adaptive, and collaborative management of water, land, and environment. The presentation will discuss the research, design, and implementation of eSL, and use of this SaaS platform for other water and environmental applications.
