EcoService Models Library (ESML)
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Which comparison is best for me?EM Variables by Variable Role
One quick way to compare ecological models (EMs) is by comparing their variables. Predictor variables show what kinds of influences a model is able to account for, and what kinds of data it requires. Response variables show what information a model is capable of estimating.
This first comparison shows the names (and units) of each EM’s variables, side-by-side, sorted by variable role. Variable roles in ESML are as follows:
- Predictor Variables
- Time- or Space-Varying Variables
- Constants and Parameters
- Intermediate (Computed) Variables
- Response Variables
- Computed Response Variables
- Measured Response Variables
EM Variables by Category
A second way to use variables to compare EMs is by focusing on the kind of information each variable represents. The top-level categories in the ESML Variable Classification Hierarchy are as follows:
- Policy Regarding Use or Management of Ecosystem Resources
- Land Surface (or Water Body Bed) Cover, Use or Substrate
- Human Demographic Data
- Human-Produced Stressor or Enhancer of Ecosystem Goods and Services Production
- Ecosystem Attributes and Potential Supply of Ecosystem Goods and Services
- Non-monetary Indicators of Human Demand, Use or Benefit of Ecosystem Goods and Services
- Monetary Values
Besides understanding model similarities, sorting the variables for each EM by these 7 categories makes it easier to see if the compared models can be linked using similar variables. For example, if one model estimates an ecosystem attribute (in Category 5), such as water clarity, as a response variable, and a second model uses a similar attribute (also in Category 5) as a predictor of recreational use, the two models can potentially be used in tandem. This comparison makes it easier to spot potential model linkages.
All EM Descriptors
This selection allows a more detailed comparison of EMs by model characteristics other than their variables. The 50-or-so EM descriptors for each model are presented, side-by-side, in the following categories:
- EM Identity and Description
- EM Modeling Approach
- EM Locations, Environments, Ecology
- EM Ecosystem Goods and Services (EGS) potentially modeled, by classification system
EM Descriptors by Modeling Concepts
This feature guides the user through the use of the following seven concepts for comparing and selecting EMs:
- Conceptual Model
- Modeling Objective
- Modeling Context
- Potential for Model Linkage
- Feasibility of Model Use
- Model Certainty
- Model Structural Information
Though presented separately, these concepts are interdependent, and information presented under one concept may have relevance to other concepts as well.
Compare Criteria:
Show Criteria
Hide CriteriaEM Identity and Description
EM Identification
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EM ID
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EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345 
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
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EM Short Name
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Landscape importance for crops, Europe | Value of Habitat for Shrimp, Campeche, Mexico | InVEST habitat quality, Puli Township, Taiwan | Red-winged blackbird abun, Piedmont region, USA | i-Tree species selector v. 4.0 |
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EM Full Name
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Landscape importance for crop-based production, Europe | Value of Habitat for Shrimp, Campeche, Mexico | InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) habitat quality, Puli Township, Taiwan | Red-winged blackbird abundance, Piedmont ecoregion, USA | i-Tree species selector v. 4.0 |
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EM Source or Collection
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EU Biodiversity Action 5 | None | InVEST | None | i-Tree |
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EM Source Document ID
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228 | 227 | 308 | 405 |
426 ?Comment:Doc# 427 is an additional source for this EM. |
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Document Author
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Haines-Young, R., Potschin, M. and Kienast, F. | Barbier, E. B., and Strand, I. | Wu, C.-F., Lin, Y.-P., Chiang, L.-C. and Huang, T. | Riffel, S., Scognamillo, D., and L. W. Burger | i-Tree |
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Document Year
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2012 | 1998 | 2014 | 2008 | None |
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Document Title
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Indicators of ecosystem service potential at European scales: Mapping marginal changes and trade-offs | Valuing mangrove-fishery linkages: A case study of Campeche, Mexico | Assessing highway's impacts on landscape patterns and ecosystem services: A case study in Puli Township, Taiwan | Effects of the Conservation Reserve Program on northern bobwhite and grassland birds | i-Tree Species Selector User's Manual v. 4.0 |
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Document Status
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Peer reviewed and published | Peer reviewed and published | Peer reviewed and published | Peer reviewed and published | Peer reviewed and published |
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Comments on Status
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Published journal manuscript | Published journal manuscript | Published journal manuscript | Published journal manuscript | Webpage |
Software and Access
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EM ID
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EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
| Not applicable | Not applicable | https://www.naturalcapitalproject.org/invest/ | Not applicable | https://species.itreetools.org/ | |
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Contact Name
em.detail.contactNameHelp
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Marion Potschin | E.B. Barbier |
Yu-Pin Lin ?Comment:Tel.: +886 2 3366 3467; fax: +866 2 2368 6980 |
Sam Riffell |
Not reported ?Comment:send comments through any of the means listed on the i-Tree support page: http://www.itreetools.org/support/. |
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Contact Address
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Centre for Environmental Management, School of Geography, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD, United Kingdom | Environment Department, University of York, York YO1 5DD, UK | Not reported | Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA | Not reported |
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Contact Email
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marion.potschin@nottingham.ac.uk | Not reported | yplin@ntu.edu.tw | sriffell@cfr.msstate.edu | info@itreetools.org |
EM Description
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EM ID
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EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
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Summary Description
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ABSTRACT: "The study focuses on the EU-25 plus Switzerland and Norway, and develops the methodology proposed by Kienast et al. (2009), which uses expert-and literature-driven modelling methods. The methods are explored in relation to mapping and assessing … “Crop-based production” . . . The potential to deliver services is assumed to be influenced by (a) land-use, (b) net primary production, and (c) bioclimatic and landscape properties such as mountainous terrain." AUTHOR'S DESCRIPTION: "The analysis for "Crop-based production" maps all the areas that are important for food crops produced through commercial agriculture." | AUTHOR'S DESCRIPTION: "We assume throughout that shrimp harvesting occurs through open access management that yields production which is exported internationally, and we modify a standard open access fishery model to account explicitly for the effect of the mangrove area on carrying capacity and thus production.We derive the conditions determining the long-run equilibrium of the model, including the comparative static effects of a change in mangrove area, on this equilibrium. Through regressing a relationship between shrimp harvest, effort and mangrove area over time, we estimate parameters based on the combinations of the bioeconomic parameters of the model determining the comparative statics. By incorporating additional economic data, we are able to simulate an estimate of the effect of changes in mangrove area in Laguna de Terminos on the production and value of shrimp harvests in Campeche state." (153) | Please note: This ESML entry describes a specific, published application of an InVEST model. Different versions (e.g. different tiers) or more recent versions of this model may be available at the InVEST website. ABSTRACT: "...To assess the effects of different land-use scenarios under various agricultural and environmental conservation policy regimes, this study applies an integrated approach to analyze the effects of Highway 6 construction on Puli Township...A habitat quality assessment using the InVEST model indicates that the conservation of agricultural and forested lands improves habitat quality and preserves rare habitats…" AUTHOR'S DESCRIPTION: "In total, three land-use planning scenarios were simulated based on government policies in Taiwan’s Hillside Protection Act and Regulations on Non-Urban Land Utilization Control. The baseline planning scenario, Scenario A, allows land-use development with-out land-use controls (Appendix Fig. S2), meaning that land-use changes can occur anywhere. Scenario B is based on the Regulations on Non-Urban Land Utilization Control and the maintenance of agricultural areas, such that land-use changes cannot occur in agricultural areas. Scenario C protects agricultural land, hillsides, and naturally forested areas from development...The biodiversity evaluation module in the InVEST model assessed the degree of change in habitat quality and habitat rarity under three scenarios. In the InVEST model, habitat quality is primarily threatened by four factors: the relative impact of each threat; the relative sensitivity of each habitat type to each threat; the distance between habitats and sources of threats; as well as the relative degree to which land is legally protected..." Use of other models in conjunction with this model: Land use data for future scenarios modeled in InVEST were derived from a linear regression model of land use change, and the CLUE-S (Conversion of Land Use and its Effects at Small regional extent) model for apportioning those changes to the landscape. | ABSTRACT:"The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has converted just over 36 million acres of cropland into potential wildlife habitat, primarily grassland. Thus, the CRP should benefit grassland songbirds, a group of species that is declining across the United States and is of conservation concern. Additionally, the CRP is an important part of multi-agency, regional efforts to restore northern bobwhite populations. However, comprehensive assessments of the wildlife benefits of CRP at regional scales are lacking. We used Breeding Bird Survey and National Resources Inventory data to assess the potential for the CRP to benefit northern bobwhite and other grassland birds with overlapping ranges and similar habitat associations. We built regression models for 15 species in seven different ecological regions. Forty-nine of 108 total models contained significant CRP effects (P < 0.05), and 48 of the 49 contained positive effects. Responses to CRP varied across ecological regions. Only eastern meadowlark was positively related to CRP in all the ecological regions, and western meadowlark was the only species never related to CRP. CRP was a strong predictor of bird abundance compared to other land cover types. The potential for CRP habitat as a regional conservation tool to benefit declining grassland bird populations should continue to be assessed at a variety of spatial scales. We caution that bird-CRP relations varied from region to region and among species. Because the NRI provides relatively coarse resolution information on CRP, more detailed information about CRP habitats (spatial arrangement, age of the habitat (time since planting), specific conservation practices used) should be included in future assessments to fully understand where and to what extent CRP can benefit grassland birds." | ABSTRACT: "The Species Selector is a free-standing i-Tree utility that ranks tree species based on their environmental benefits at maturity. As such, it complements existing tree selection programs that rank species based on esthetics or other features. Species are selected based on three types of information. First, hardiness is considered. The hardiness zone is determined based on state and city, and all species that are not sufficiently hardy are eliminated from consideration. Second, mature height is considered. Users are asked to specify minimum and maximum heights, and species outside of that range are eliminated. Finally, eight environmental factors are considered in the rankings created by the Species Selector: • Air pollution removal • Air temperature reduction • Ultraviolet radiation reduction • Carbon storage • Pollen allergenicity • Building energy conservation • Wind reduction • Stream flow reduction (stormwater management). Users are asked to rank the importance of each of these factors on a scale of 0 to 10. The combination of hardiness, mature height, and desired functionality produces a ranked list of appropriate species from an initial database of about 1,600 species. The large species database covers a broad range of native, naturalized and exotic trees, some of which are commonly planted in urban areas. Since only city hardiness zone, tree height and user functional preferences are used to produce the list, there may well be many species on the list that are unsuitable to the local context for a variety of reasons. A species may have particular structural, drainage, sun, pest, or soil pH limitations that should exclude it from use. Furthermore, since many native and exotic species are included, items may appear that are simply not available in the local trade. For these reasons, the list should be considered a beginning rather than an end. The list will need to be whittled down to meet local needs and limitations. Relevant cultural needs should be taken into account as well. The result will be a list of recommended species suited for local use that maximizes environmental services." |
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Specific Policy or Decision Context Cited
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None identified | None identified | Environmental effects of Highway 6 construction on Puli Township, Taiwan | None reported | None identified |
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Biophysical Context
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No additional description provided | Gulf of Mexico; mangrove-lagoon system | 26% of the land area is categorized as plain and the remaining 74% is categorized as hilly with elevations of 380-700 m. Predominant land classes are forested (47.4%), cultivated (31.8%), and built-up (14.5%). Average annual rainfall is 2120 mm, and average annual temperature is 21°C. The soil in the eastern portion of the basin is primarily clay, and primarily loess elsewhere. | Conservation Reserve Program lands left to go fallow | No additional description provided |
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EM Scenario Drivers
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No scenarios presented | No scenarios presented | Three scenarios; baseline planning (A, without land-use controls), scenario B based on maintenance of agriculture, scenario C protects agriculture, hillsides and naturally forested areas. | N/A | No scenarios presented |
EM Relationship to Other EMs or Applications
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EM ID
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EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
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Method Only, Application of Method or Model Run
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Method + Application | Method + Application | Method + Application (multiple runs exist) View EM Runs | Method + Application | Method Only |
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New or Pre-existing EM?
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New or revised model | New or revised model | Application of existing model | New or revised model | New or revised model |
Related EMs (for example, other versions or derivations of this EM) described in ESML
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EM ID
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EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
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Document ID for related EM
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Doc-231 | Doc-228 | None | Doc-278 | Doc-405 | Doc-427 |
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EM ID for related EM
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EM-119 | EM-120 | EM-121 | EM-162 | EM-164 | EM-165 | EM-122 | EM-123 | EM-124 | EM-125 | EM-166 | EM-170 | EM-171 | EM-185 | EM-319 | EM-143 | EM-831 | EM-838 | EM-839 | EM-840 | EM-841 | EM-842 | EM-843 | EM-844 | EM-846 | EM-847 | None |
EM Modeling Approach
EM Relationship to Time
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EM ID
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EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
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EM Temporal Extent
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2000 | 1980-1990 | 2010-2025 | 2008 | Not applicable |
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EM Time Dependence
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time-stationary | time-stationary | time-stationary | time-stationary | Not applicable |
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EM Time Reference (Future/Past)
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Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
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EM Time Continuity
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Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
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EM Temporal Grain Size Value
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Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
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EM Temporal Grain Size Unit
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Not applicable | Year | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
EM Spatial Extent
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EM ID
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EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
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Bounding Type
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Geopolitical | Physiographic or Ecological | Geopolitical | Physiographic or ecological | Not applicable |
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Spatial Extent Name
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The EU-25 plus Switzerland and Norway | Laguna de Terminos Mangrove system | Puli Township, Nantou County | Piedmont Ecoregion | Not applicable |
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Spatial Extent Area (Magnitude)
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>1,000,000 km^2 | 100-1000 km^2 | 100-1000 km^2 | 100,000-1,000,000 km^2 | Not applicable |
Spatial Distribution of Computations
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EM ID
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EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
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EM Spatial Distribution
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spatially distributed (in at least some cases) | spatially distributed (in at least some cases) | spatially distributed (in at least some cases) | spatially lumped (in all cases) | Not applicable |
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Spatial Grain Type
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area, for pixel or radial feature | area, for pixel or radial feature | area, for pixel or radial feature | Not applicable | Not applicable |
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Spatial Grain Size
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1 km x 1 km | 1 km x 1 km | 40 m x 40 m | Not applicable | Not applicable |
EM Structure and Computation Approach
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EM ID
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EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
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EM Computational Approach
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Logic- or rule-based | Analytic | Analytic | Analytic | Analytic |
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EM Determinism
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deterministic | deterministic | deterministic | deterministic | deterministic |
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Statistical Estimation of EM
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Model Checking Procedures Used
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EM ID
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EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
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Model Calibration Reported?
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No | Yes | Unclear | Yes | Not applicable |
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Model Goodness of Fit Reported?
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No | Yes | Not applicable | No | Not applicable |
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Goodness of Fit (metric| value | unit)
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None |
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None | None | None |
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Model Operational Validation Reported?
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Yes | No | Not applicable | No | Not applicable |
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Model Uncertainty Analysis Reported?
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No | Yes | No | No | Not applicable |
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Model Sensitivity Analysis Reported?
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No | Yes | No | Yes | Not applicable |
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Model Sensitivity Analysis Include Interactions?
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Not applicable | Unclear | Not applicable | Unclear | Not applicable |
EM Locations, Environments, Ecology
Location of EM Application
Terrestrial location (Classification hierarchy: Continent > Country > U.S. State [United States only])
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| EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
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Comment:Taiwan |
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Marine location (Classification hierarchy: Realm > Region > Province > Ecoregion)
em.detail.relationToSpaceMarineHelp
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| EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
| None |
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None | None | None |
Centroid Lat/Long (Decimal Degree)
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EM ID
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EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
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Centroid Latitude
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50.53 | 18.61 | 23.98 | 36.23 | Not applicable |
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Centroid Longitude
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7.6 | -91.55 | 120.96 | -81.9 | Not applicable |
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Centroid Datum
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WGS84 | WGS84 | WGS84 | WGS84 | Not applicable |
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Centroid Coordinates Status
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Estimated | Estimated | Estimated | Estimated | Not applicable |
Environments and Scales Modeled
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EM ID
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EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
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EM Environmental Sub-Class
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Terrestrial Environment (sub-classes not fully specified) | Near Coastal Marine and Estuarine | Rivers and Streams | Lakes and Ponds | Forests | Agroecosystems | Created Greenspace | Grasslands | Grasslands | Created Greenspace |
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Specific Environment Type
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Not applicable | Mangrove | Predominantly an agricultural area with associated forest land | grasslands | Urban greenspace |
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EM Ecological Scale
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Ecological scale is finer than that of the Environmental Sub-class | Ecological scale is finer than that of the Environmental Sub-class | Ecological scale corresponds to the Environmental Sub-class | Ecological scale corresponds to the Environmental Sub-class | Ecological scale corresponds to the Environmental Sub-class |
Scale and taxa of organisms modeled
Scale of differentiation of organisms modeled
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EM ID
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EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
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EM Organismal Scale
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Not applicable | Guild or Assemblage | Community | Species | Species |
Taxonomic level and name of organisms or groups identified
taxonomyHelp
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| EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
| None Available |
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None Available |
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None Available |
EnviroAtlas URL
EM Ecosystem Goods and Services (EGS) potentially modeled, by classification system
CICES v 4.3 - Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (Section > Division > Group > Class)
em.detail.cicesHelp
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| EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
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<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.epa.gov/eco-research/national-ecosystem-services-classification-system-nescs-plus">National Ecosystem Services Classification System (NESCS) Plus</a>
fegs1Help
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(Environmental Subclass > Ecological End-Product (EEP) > EEP Subclass > EEP Modifier)
fegs2Help
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| EM-99 | EM-106 |
EM-345
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EM-845 | EM-936 |
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None |