Development and Testing of a Decision Support System for River Restoration

本研究的目的是利用跨学科的方法来探讨景观变化如何影响河流生态系统，并评估恢复的优先次序。利用空间数据，调查人员将量化景观特性作为河流状况的可能预测因子。 物理和生物变量将提供河流状况的独立评估，使PI能够确定人类活动与河流系统生态状态之间的关系。 现有的最佳管理做法和当地社区喜欢的人类住区创新形式将被纳入土地使用和河流状况之间的统计模式，以审查社会接受性和恢复潜力之间的相互作用。 通过对替代土地管理做法的经济评价，项目执行人将评价恢复替代办法的成本。预期的成果是一套通用的定量分析工具，使决策者能够根据土地使用的创新替代办法、对生态完整性的预期影响和估计费用，确定恢复需要和机会。

ABSTRACT99-00679AllanW/WS: Development and testing of a decision support system for river restorationThe objective of this research is to use an interdisciplinary approach to explore how landscape change affects river ecosystems, and to evaluate restoration priorities. Using spatial data, the investigators will quantify landscape properties as possible predictors of stream condition. Physical and biological variables will provide independent assessment of stream condition, enabling the PIs to determine relationships between human activities and the ecological state of the river system. Available best management practices and innovative forms of human settlement that are preferred by the local community will be integrated into statistical models between land use and stream condition to examine the interaction between social acceptability and restoration potential. Through economic evaluation of alternative land management practices the PIs will evaluate the costs of restoration alternatives. The expected outcome is a generalized set of quantitative analysis tools that will enable decision-makers to target rehabilitation needs and opportunities based on innovative alternatives to land use, expected impact on ecological integrity, and estimated cost.