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-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718 
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EM-1005 |
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EM Short Name
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Rate of Fire Spread | SAV occurrence, St. Louis River, MN/WI, USA | Chinook salmon value (household), Yaquina Bay, OR | WESP: Riparian & stream habitat, ID, USA | ComunityViz - land-sea planning submodel |
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EM Full Name
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Rate of Fire Spread | Predicting submerged aquatic vegetation occurrence, St. Louis River Estuary, MN & WI, USA | Economic value of Chinook salmon per household method, Yaquina Bay, OR | WESP: Riparian and stream habitat focus projects, ID, USA | A technical guide to the integrated land-sea planning toolkit |
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EM Source or Collection
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None | US EPA | US EPA | None | None |
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EM Source Document ID
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306 | 330 | 324 |
393 ?Comment:Additional data came from electronic appendix provided by author Chris Murphy. |
473 |
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Document Author
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Rothermel, Richard C. | Ted R. Angradi, Mark S. Pearson, David W. Bolgrien, Brent J. Bellinger, Matthew A. Starry, Carol Reschke | Stephen J. Jordan, Timothy O'Higgins and John A. Dittmar | Murphy, C. and T. Weekley | Crist, P., Madden, K., Varley, I., Eslinger, D., Walker, D., Anderson, A., Morehead, S. and Dunton, K., |
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Document Year
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1972 | 2013 | 2012 | 2012 | 2009 |
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Document Title
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A Mathematical model for predicting fire spread in wildland fuels | Predicting submerged aquatic vegetation cover and occurrence in a Lake Superior estuary | Ecosystem Services of Coastal Habitats and Fisheries: Multiscale Ecological and Economic Models in Support of Ecosystem-Based Management | Measuring outcomes of wetland restoration, enhancement, and creation in Idaho-- Assessing potential functions, values, and condition in a watershed context. | Integrated Land-Sea Planning: A Technical Guide to the Integrated Land-Sea Planning Toolkit. |
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Document Status
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Documented, not peer reviewed | 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 USDA Forest Service report | Published journal manuscript | Published journal manuscript | Published report | Published report |
Software and Access
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EM ID
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EM-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718
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EM-1005 |
| http://firelab.org/project/farsite | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstreams/3dee92a8-9373-4bcc-be25-eda74e81fabf/download | |
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Contact Name
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Charles McHugh | Ted R. Angradi | Stephen Jordan | Chris Murphy |
Patrick Crist ?Comment:No contact information provided |
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Contact Address
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RMRS Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, 5775 US Highway 10 West, Missoula, MT 59808 | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Mid-Continent Ecology Division, 6201 Congdon Blvd., Duluth, MN 55804, USA | U.S. EPA, Gulf Ecology Div., 1 Sabine Island Dr., Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, USA | Idaho Dept. Fish and Game, Wildlife Bureau, Habitat Section, Boise, ID | None provided |
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Contact Email
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cmchugh@fs.fed.us | angradi.theodore@epa.gov | jordan.steve@epa.gov | chris.murphy@idfg.idaho.gov | patrick@planitfwd.com |
EM Description
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EM ID
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EM-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718
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EM-1005 |
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Summary Description
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ABSTRACT: "The development of a mathematical model for predicting rate of fire spread and intensity applicable to a wide range of wildland fuels is presented from the conceptual stage through evaluation and demonstration of results to hypothetical fuel models. The model was developed for and is now being used as a basis for appraising fire spread and intensity in the National Fire Danger Rating System. The initial work was done using fuel arrays composed of uniform size particles. Three fuel sizes were tested over a wide range of bulk densities. These were 0.026-inch-square cut excelsior, 114-inch sticks, and 112-inch sticks. The problem of mixed fuel sizes was then resolved by weighting the various particle sizes that compose actual fuel arrays by either surface area or loading, depending upon the feature of the fire being predicted. The model is complete in the sense that no prior knowledge of a fuel's burning characteristics is required. All that is necessary are inputs describing the physical and chemical makeup of the fuel and the environmental conditions in which it is expected to burn. Inputs include fuel loading, fuel depth, fuel particle surface-area-to-volume ratio, fuel particle heat content, fuel particle moisture and mineral content, and the moisture content at which extinction can be expected. Environmental inputs are mean wind velocity and slope of terrain. For heterogeneous mixtures, the fuel properties are entered for each particle size. The model as originally conceived was for dead fuels in a uniform stratum contiguous to the ground, such as litter or grass. It has been found to be useful, however, for fuels ranging from pine needle litter to heavy logging slash and for California brush fields." **FARSITE4 will no longer be supported or available for download or further supported. FlamMap6 now includes FARSITE.** | ABSTRACT: “Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) provides the biophysical basis for multiple ecosystem services in Great Lakes estuaries. Understanding sources of variation in SAV is necessary for sustainable management of SAV habitat. From data collected using hydroacoustic survey methods, we created predictive models for SAV in the St. Louis River Estuary (SLRE) of western Lake Superior. The dominant SAV species in most areas of the estuary was American wild celery (Vallisneria americana Michx.)…” AUTHOR’S DESCRIPTION: “The SLRE is a Great Lakes “rivermouth” ecosystem as defined by Larson et al. (2013). The 5000-ha estuary forms a section of the state border between Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin…In the SLRE, SAV beds are often patchy, turbidity varies considerably among areas (DeVore, 1978) and over time, and the growing season is short. Given these conditions, hydroacoustic survey methods were the best option for generating the extensive, high resolution data needed for modeling. From late July through mid September in 2011, we surveyed SAV in Allouez Bay, part of Superior Bay, eastern half of St. Louis Bay, and Spirit Lake…We used the measured SAV percent cover at the location immediately previous to each useable record location along each transect as a lag variable to correct for possible serial autocorrelation of model error. SAV percent cover, substrate parameters, corrected depth, and exposure and bed slope data were combined in Arc-GIS...We created logistic regression models for each area of the SLRE to predict the probability of SAV being present at each report location. We created models for the training data set using the Logistic procedure in SAS v.9.1 with step wise elimination (?=0.05). Plots of cover by depth for selected predictor values (Supplementary Information Appendix C) suggested that interactions between depth and other predictors were likely to be significant, and so were included in regression models. We retained the main effect if their interaction terms were significant in the model. We examined the performance of the models using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve. AUROC is the probability of concordance between random pairs of observations and ranges from 0.5 to 1 (Gönen, 2006). We cross-validated logistic occurrence models for their ability to classify correctly locations in the validation (holdout) dataset and in the Superior Bay dataset… Model performance, as indicated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was >0.8 (Table 3). Assessed accuracy of models (the percent of records where the predicted probability of occurrence and actual SAV presence or absence agreed) for split datasets was 79% for Allouez Bay, 86% for St. Louis Bay, and 78% for Spirit Lake." | ABSTRACT:"Critical habitats for fish and wildlife are often small patches in landscapes, e.g., aquatic vegetation beds, reefs, isolated ponds and wetlands, remnant old-growth forests, etc., yet the same animal populations that depend on these patches for reproduction or survival can be extensive, ranging over large regions, even continents or major ocean basins. Whereas the ecological production functions that support these populations can be measured only at fine geographic scales and over brief periods of time, the ecosystem services (benefits that ecosystems convey to humans by supporting food production, water and air purification, recreational, esthetic, and cultural amenities, etc.) are delivered over extensive scales of space and time. These scale mismatches are particularly important for quantifying the economic values of ecosystem services. Examples can be seen in fish, shellfish, game, and bird populations. Moreover, there can be wide-scale mismatches in management regimes, e.g., coastal fisheries management versus habitat management in the coastal zone. We present concepts and case studies linking the production functions (contributions to recruitment) of critical habitats to commercial and recreational fishery values by combining site specific research data with spatial analysis and population models. We present examples illustrating various spatial scales of analysis, with indicators of economic value, for recreational Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) salmon fisheries in the U.S. Pacific Northwest (Washington and Oregon) and commercial blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) and penaeid shrimp fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico. | A wetland restoration monitoring and assessment program framework was developed for Idaho. The project goal was to assess outcomes of substantial governmental and private investment in wetland restoration, enhancement and creation. The functions, values, condition, and vegetation at restored, enhanced, and created wetlands on private and state lands across Idaho were retrospectively evaluated. Assessment was conducted at multiple spatial scales and intensities. Potential functions and values (ecosystem services) were rapidly assessed using the Oregon Rapid Wetland Assessment Protocol. Vegetation samples were analyzed using Floristic Quality Assessment indices from Washington State. We compared vegetation of restored, enhanced, and created wetlands with reference wetlands that occurred in similar hydrogeomorphic environments determined at the HUC 12 level. | CommunityViz® is an advanced yet easy-to-use GIS software extension that is designed to help people visualize, analyze, and communicate about important planning decisions. Widely adopted by land-use planners, it supports informed, collaborative decision-making by illustrating and analyzing alternative planning scenarios. It features flexible and interactive analysis tools, a rich set of presentation tools, and several options for 3D visualization of future places. In the land-sea toolkit, CommunityViz (sometimes referred to as “Cviz”) serves as the platform for creating land use scenarios. It models how urban growth could occur over time as the result of present-day decisions regarding land use and regulation. The resulting future growth conditions are passed to NatureServe Vista (Vista) and NSPECT for impact assessment, and those results can be returned to CommunityViz for display and for guidance in development of revisions to planning scenarios. Throughout the integration process, CommunityViz provides the ability to assess a variety of socio-economic indicators attached to the land-use scenarios. |
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Specific Policy or Decision Context Cited
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None identified | None identified | None identified | None identified | None provided |
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Biophysical Context
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Not applicable | submerged aquatic vegetation | Yaquina Bay estuary | restored, enhanced and created wetlands | Not applicable |
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EM Scenario Drivers
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No scenarios presented | No scenarios presented | No scenarios presented | Sites, function or habitat focus | No scenarios presented |
EM Relationship to Other EMs or Applications
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EM ID
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EM-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718
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EM-1005 |
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Method Only, Application of Method or Model Run
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Method Only | Method + Application | Method + Application | Method + Application (multiple runs exist) View EM Runs | Method Only |
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New or Pre-existing EM?
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New or revised model | New or revised model | New or revised model | Application of existing 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-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718
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EM-1005 |
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Document ID for related EM
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None | None | Doc-324 | Doc-390 | Doc-473 |
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EM ID for related EM
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None | None | EM-603 | EM-397 | EM-706 | EM-729 | EM-730 | EM-734 | EM-743 | EM-749 | EM-750 | EM-756 | EM-757 | EM-758 | EM-759 | EM-760 | EM-761 | EM-763 | EM-764 | EM-766 | EM-767 | EM-732 | EM-737 | EM-738 | EM-739 | EM-741 | EM-742 | EM-751 | EM-768 | EM-1003 | EM-1006 | EM-1007 | EM-1008 |
EM Modeling Approach
EM Relationship to Time
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EM ID
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EM-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718
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EM-1005 |
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EM Temporal Extent
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Not applicable | 2010 - 2012 | 2003-2008 | 2010-2011 | Not applicable |
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EM Time Dependence
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Not applicable | time-stationary | time-stationary | time-dependent | time-dependent |
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EM Time Reference (Future/Past)
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Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | past time | Not applicable |
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EM Time Continuity
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Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | other or unclear (comment) |
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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 | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
EM Spatial Extent
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EM ID
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EM-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718
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EM-1005 |
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Bounding Type
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Not applicable | Physiographic or ecological | Geopolitical | Multiple unrelated locations (e.g., meta-analysis) | Not applicable |
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Spatial Extent Name
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Not applicable | St. Louis River Estuary | Pacific Northwest | Wetlands in idaho | Not applicable |
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Spatial Extent Area (Magnitude)
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Not applicable | 10-100 km^2 | >1,000,000 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-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718
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EM-1005 |
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EM Spatial Distribution
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Not applicable |
spatially distributed (in at least some cases) ?Comment:BH: Each individual transect?s data was parceled into location reports, and that each report?s ?quadrat? area was dependent upon the angle of the hydroacoustic sampling beam. The spatial grain is 0.07 m^2, 0.20 m^2 and 0.70 m^2 for depths of 1 meter, 2 meters and 3 meters, respectively. |
spatially lumped (in all cases) | spatially lumped (in all cases) | other or unclear (comment) |
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Spatial Grain Type
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Not applicable | area, for pixel or radial feature | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
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Spatial Grain Size
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Not applicable | 0.07 m^2 to 0.70 m^2 | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
EM Structure and Computation Approach
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EM ID
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EM-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718
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EM-1005 |
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EM Computational Approach
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Analytic | Analytic | Analytic | Numeric | 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-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718
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EM-1005 |
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Model Calibration Reported?
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Not applicable | Yes | No | No | Not applicable |
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Model Goodness of Fit Reported?
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Not applicable | Yes | No | 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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No | Yes | Yes | No | Not applicable |
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Model Uncertainty Analysis Reported?
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Not applicable | No | No | No | Not applicable |
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Model Sensitivity Analysis Reported?
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Not applicable | No | No | No | Not applicable |
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Model Sensitivity Analysis Include Interactions?
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Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | 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-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718
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EM-1005 |
| None |
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None |
Marine location (Classification hierarchy: Realm > Region > Province > Ecoregion)
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| EM-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718
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EM-1005 |
| None | None |
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None | None |
Centroid Lat/Long (Decimal Degree)
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EM ID
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EM-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718
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EM-1005 |
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Centroid Latitude
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-9999 | 46.72 | 44.62 | 44.06 | Not applicable |
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Centroid Longitude
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-9999 | -96.13 | -124.02 | -114.69 | Not applicable |
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Centroid Datum
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Not applicable | WGS84 | WGS84 | WGS84 | Not applicable |
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Centroid Coordinates Status
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Not applicable | Estimated | Estimated | Estimated | Not applicable |
Environments and Scales Modeled
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EM ID
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EM-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718
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EM-1005 |
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EM Environmental Sub-Class
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Terrestrial Environment (sub-classes not fully specified) | Aquatic Environment (sub-classes not fully specified) | Rivers and Streams | Inland Wetlands | Lakes and Ponds | Near Coastal Marine and Estuarine | Terrestrial Environment (sub-classes not fully specified) | Inland Wetlands | Not applicable |
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Specific Environment Type
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Not applicable | Freshwater estuarine system | Yaquina Bay estuary and ocean | created, restored and enhanced wetlands | None |
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EM Ecological Scale
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Ecological scale is finer than that of the Environmental Sub-class | Ecological scale corresponds to the Environmental Sub-class | 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 |
Scale and taxa of organisms modeled
Scale of differentiation of organisms modeled
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EM ID
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EM-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718
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EM-1005 |
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EM Organismal Scale
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Not applicable | Not applicable | Other (multiple scales) | Not applicable | Community |
Taxonomic level and name of organisms or groups identified
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| EM-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718
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EM-1005 |
| None Available | None Available |
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None Available | 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)
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| EM-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718
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EM-1005 |
| None |
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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>
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(Environmental Subclass > Ecological End-Product (EEP) > EEP Subclass > EEP Modifier)
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| EM-337 | EM-414 | EM-604 |
EM-718
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EM-1005 |
| None | None |
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None | None |