A GIS-Based Adaptive Management Decision Support System to Develop a Multi-Objective Framework: A Case Study Utilizing GIS Technologies and Physically-Based Models to Achieve Improved Decision Making for Site Management

ABSTRACT

The notion of Adaptive Management (AM) allows for the realization and adjustment of management practices in response to elements of uncertainty. In terms of natural resource management, this will typically integrate monitoring, databases, simulation modeling, decision theory, and expert judgment to evaluate management alternatives and adapt them as necessary to continually improve the natural resource condition as defined by stakeholders. Natural resource management scenarios can often be expressed, viewed, and understood as a geospatial and temporal problem. The integration of Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies and physically-based models provide an effective state-of-the-art solution for deriving, understanding, and applying AM scenarios for land use and remediation. A recently developed GIS-based adaptive management decision support system is presented for the U.S. Department of Defense Yakima Training Center near Yakima, Washington.

KEYWORDS:

• Adaptive management
• modeling
• decision theory
• Natural Resources Management
• Geographic Information Systems
• Yakima Training Center