EcoService Models Library (ESML)
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Compare EMs
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.
EM Identity and Description
EM ID
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EM-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
EM Short Name
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SPARROW, Northeastern USA | Value of Habitat for Shrimp, Campeche, Mexico | Redfish and cold water coral (EFH), Norway | InVEST habitat quality, Puli Township, Taiwan | Decrease in wave runup, St. Croix, USVI | ESTIMAP - Pollination potential, Iran |
EM Full Name
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SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed Attributes), Northeastern USA | Value of Habitat for Shrimp, Campeche, Mexico | Linkage between redfish and cold water coral, Norway (essential fish habitat model) | InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) habitat quality, Puli Township, Taiwan | Decrease in wave runup (by reef), St. Croix, USVI | ESTIMAP - Pollination potential, Iran |
EM Source or Collection
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US EPA | None | None | InVEST | US EPA | None |
EM Source Document ID
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86 | 227 | 259 | 308 | 335 | 434 |
Document Author
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Moore, R. B., Johnston, C.M., Smith, R. A. and Milstead, B. | Barbier, E. B., and Strand, I. | Foley N.S., Kahui V.K., Armstrong C.W., Van Rensburg T.M | Wu, C.-F., Lin, Y.-P., Chiang, L.-C. and Huang, T. | Yee, S. H., Dittmar, J. A., and L. M. Oliver | Rahimi, E., Barghjelveh, S., and P. Dong |
Document Year
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2011 | 1998 | 2010 | 2014 | 2014 | 2020 |
Document Title
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Source and delivery of nutrients to receiving waters in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States | Valuing mangrove-fishery linkages: A case study of Campeche, Mexico | Estimating linkages between redfish and cold water coral on the Norwegian coast | Assessing highway's impacts on landscape patterns and ecosystem services: A case study in Puli Township, Taiwan | Comparison of methods for quantifying reef ecosystem services: A case study mapping services for St. Croix, USVI | Using the Lonsdorf and ESTIMAP models for large-scale pollination Using the Lonsdorf and ESTIMAP models for large-scale pollination mapping (Case study: Iran) |
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 | Peer reviewed and published |
Comments on Status
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Published journal manuscript | Published journal manuscript | Published journal manuscript | Published journal manuscript | Published journal manuscript | Published journal manuscript |
EM ID
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EM-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | https://www.naturalcapitalproject.org/invest/ | Not applicable | Not applicable | |
Contact Name
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Richard Moore | E.B. Barbier | Naomi S. Foley |
Yu-Pin Lin ?Comment:Tel.: +886 2 3366 3467; fax: +866 2 2368 6980 |
Susan H. Yee | Ehsan Rahini |
Contact Address
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882 | Environment Department, University of York, York YO1 5DD, UK | Dept. of Economics and Management, Univeristy of Tromso, Norway | Not reported | US EPA, Office of Research and Development, NHEERL, Gulf Ecology Division, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, USA | Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran |
Contact Email
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rmoore@usgs.gov | Not reported | naomifoley@gmail.com | yplin@ntu.edu.tw | yee.susan@epa.gov | ehsanrahimi666@gmail.com |
EM ID
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EM-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
Summary Description
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AUTHOR'S DESCRIPTION: "SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) nutrient models were developed for the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic (NE US) regions of the United States to represent source conditions for the year 2002. The model developed to examine the source and delivery of nitrogen to the estuaries of nine large rivers along the NE US Seaboard indicated that agricultural sources contribute the largest percentage (37%) of the total nitrogen load delivered to the estuaries" | 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) | ABSTRACT: "…This paper applies the production function approach to estimate the link between cold water corals and redfish in Norway. Both the carrying capacity and growth rate of redfish are found to be functions of cold water coral habitat and thus cold water corals can be considered an essential fish habitat…The essential habitat model shows the best fit to the data…" AUTHOR'S DESCRIPTION: "…the EFH model presented by Barbier and Strand (1998), in which the habitat is considered essential to the stock; i.e., if the habitat declines to zero the fish stock will perish…based on the Gordon-Schaefer model, which is a single-species biomass model, where effort is the control variable and fish stock is the state variable. In the case of habitat-fisheries interactions, such as in our case, a second state variable is introduced, the habitat (CWC)…Scientists have stimated that 30-50% of CWC habitat has been damaged (Fossa, Mortensen, and Furevik 2002. Working within these bounds, we empirically estimate the relationship between CWC as a habitat and a fish stock..." | 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: "...We investigated and compared a number of existing methods for quantifying ecological integrity, shoreline protection, recreational opportunities, fisheries production, and the potential for natural products discovery from reefs. Methods were applied to mapping potential ecosystem services production around St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Overall, we found that a number of different methods produced similar predictions." AUTHOR'S DESCRIPTION: "A number of methods have been developed for linking biophysical attributes of reef condition, such as reef structural complexity, fish biomass, or species richness, to provisioning of ecosystem goods and services (Principe et al., 2012). We investigated the feasibility of using existing methods and data for mapping production of reef ecosystem goods and services. We applied these methods toward mapping potential ecosystem goods and services production in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI)...For each of the five categories of ecosystem services, we chose a suite of models and indices for estimating potential production based on relative ease of implementation, consisting of well-defined parameters, and likely availability of input data, to maximize potential for transferability to other locations. For each method, we assembled the necessary reef condition and environmental data as spatial data layers for St. Croix (Table1). The coastal zone surrounding St. Croix was divided into 10x10 m grid cells, and production functions were applied to quantify ecosystem services provisioning in each grid cell...Shoreline protection as an ecosystem service has been defined in a number of ways including protection from shoreline erosion, storm damage, or coastal inundation during extreme events...Wave run-up, R, can be estimated as R = H(tan α/(√H/Ho) where H is the wave height nearshore, Ho is the deep water wave height, and α is the angle of the beach slope. R may be corrected by a multiplier depending on the porosity of the shoreline surface...The contribution of each grid cell to reduction in wave run-up would depend on its contribution to wave height attenuation (Eq. (S3))." | Abstract: ". ..we used the ESTIMAP model to improve the results of the Lonsdorf model. For this, we included the effects of roads, railways, rivers, wetlands, lakes, altitude, climate, and ecosystem boundaries in the ESTIMAP modeling and compared the results with the Lonsdorf model. The results of the Lonsdorf model showed that the majority of Iran had a very low potential for providing pollination service and only three percent of the northern and western parts of Iran had high potential. However, the results of the ESTIMAP model showed that 16% of Iran had a high potential to provide pollination that covers most of the northern and southern parts of the country. The results of the ESTIMAP model for pollination mapping in Iran showed the Lonsdorf model of estimating pollination service can be improved through considering other relevant factors." |
Specific Policy or Decision Context Cited
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water-quality assessment, total maximum daily load(TMDL) determination | None identified | None identified | Environmental effects of Highway 6 construction on Puli Township, Taiwan | None identified | None reported |
Biophysical Context
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Norteneastern region (U.S.); Mid-Atlantic region (U.S.) | Gulf of Mexico; mangrove-lagoon system | Continental slope | 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. | No additional description provided | None additional |
EM Scenario Drivers
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No scenarios presented | No scenarios presented | Estimated impact differences due to fishing effort; minimum (30%), and maximum (50%) degredation (reduction) in coral reef area. | 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. | No scenarios presented | N/A |
EM ID
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EM-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
Method Only, Application of Method or Model Run
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Method + Application | Method + Application | Method + Application | Method + Application (multiple runs exist) View EM Runs | Method + Application | Method + Application |
New or Pre-existing EM?
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Application of existing model | New or revised model | Application of existing model | Application of existing model | Application of existing model | Application of existing model |
Related EMs (for example, other versions or derivations of this EM) described in ESML
EM ID
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EM-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
Document ID for related EM
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None | None | Doc-227 | Doc-278 | Doc-335 | Doc-432 |
EM ID for related EM
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None | EM-185 | EM-319 | EM-106 | EM-143 | EM-447 | EM-939 |
EM Modeling Approach
EM ID
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EM-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
EM Temporal Extent
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2002 ?Comment:Several nationwide database development and modeling efforts were necessary to create models consistent with 2002 conditions. |
1980-1990 | 1986-2002 | 2010-2025 | 2006-2007, 2010 | 2020 |
EM Time Dependence
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time-stationary | time-stationary | time-stationary | time-stationary | time-stationary | time-stationary |
EM Time Reference (Future/Past)
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Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
EM Time Continuity
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Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
EM Temporal Grain Size Value
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Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
EM Temporal Grain Size Unit
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Not applicable | Year | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
EM ID
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EM-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
Bounding Type
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Geopolitical | Physiographic or Ecological | Physiographic or ecological | Geopolitical | Physiographic or ecological | Geopolitical |
Spatial Extent Name
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NE U.S. Regions | Laguna de Terminos Mangrove system | Norwegian Sea (ICES areas I and II) | Puli Township, Nantou County | Coastal zone surrounding St. Croix | Iran |
Spatial Extent Area (Magnitude)
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>1,000,000 km^2 | 100-1000 km^2 | 1000-10,000 km^2. | 100-1000 km^2 | 100-1000 km^2 | >1,000,000 km^2 |
EM ID
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EM-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
EM Spatial Distribution
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spatially distributed (in at least some cases) | spatially distributed (in at least some cases) | spatially lumped (in all cases) | spatially distributed (in at least some cases) | spatially distributed (in at least some cases) |
spatially distributed (in at least some cases) ?Comment:Varies by inputs, but results are for areas of country |
Spatial Grain Type
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area, for pixel or radial feature | area, for pixel or radial feature | Not applicable | area, for pixel or radial feature | area, for pixel or radial feature | area, for pixel or radial feature |
Spatial Grain Size
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30 x 30 m | 1 km x 1 km | Not applicable | 40 m x 40 m | 10 m x 10 m | ha^2 |
EM ID
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EM-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
EM Computational Approach
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Analytic | Analytic | Analytic | Analytic | Analytic | Numeric |
EM Determinism
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deterministic | deterministic | deterministic | deterministic | deterministic | deterministic |
Statistical Estimation of EM
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EM ID
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EM-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
Model Calibration Reported?
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Yes | Yes | Yes | Unclear | Yes | No |
Model Goodness of Fit Reported?
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Yes ?Comment:R-squared of .97 refers to the modelled loading whereas .83 refers to yield (see table 1, pg 972 for more information) |
Yes | Yes | Not applicable | No | No |
Goodness of Fit (metric| value | unit)
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None | None | None |
Model Operational Validation Reported?
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Yes | No | No | Not applicable | Yes | No |
Model Uncertainty Analysis Reported?
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Unclear | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Model Sensitivity Analysis Reported?
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Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Model Sensitivity Analysis Include Interactions?
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Unclear | Unclear | Yes | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
EM Locations, Environments, Ecology
Terrestrial location (Classification hierarchy: Continent > Country > U.S. State [United States only])
EM-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
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None |
Comment:Taiwan |
None |
Comment:Model for Iran - no form preset id for country |
Marine location (Classification hierarchy: Realm > Region > Province > Ecoregion)
EM-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
None |
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None |
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None |
Centroid Lat/Long (Decimal Degree)
EM ID
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EM-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
Centroid Latitude
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42 | 18.61 | 70 | 23.98 | 17.73 | 32.29 |
Centroid Longitude
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-73 | -91.55 | 10 | 120.96 | -64.77 | 53.68 |
Centroid Datum
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WGS84 | WGS84 | WGS84 | WGS84 | WGS84 | WGS84 |
Centroid Coordinates Status
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Estimated | Estimated | Estimated | Estimated | Estimated | Estimated |
EM ID
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EM-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
EM Environmental Sub-Class
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Rivers and Streams | Ground Water | Terrestrial Environment (sub-classes not fully specified) | Agroecosystems | Atmosphere | Near Coastal Marine and Estuarine | Near Coastal Marine and Estuarine | Open Ocean and Seas | Rivers and Streams | Lakes and Ponds | Forests | Agroecosystems | Created Greenspace | Grasslands | Near Coastal Marine and Estuarine | Terrestrial Environment (sub-classes not fully specified) |
Specific Environment Type
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none | Mangrove | cold water coral reefs | Predominantly an agricultural area with associated forest land | Coral reefs | terrestrial land types |
EM Ecological Scale
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Ecological scale is coarser than that of 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 | Ecological scale is finer than that of the Environmental Sub-class | Ecological scale is finer than that of the Environmental Sub-class |
Scale of differentiation of organisms modeled
EM ID
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EM-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
EM Organismal Scale
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Not applicable | Guild or Assemblage | Guild or Assemblage | Community | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Taxonomic level and name of organisms or groups identified
EM-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
None Available |
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None Available | None Available |
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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-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
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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>
(Environmental Subclass > Ecological End-Product (EEP) > EEP Subclass > EEP Modifier)
EM-104 | EM-106 | EM-319 |
EM-345 ![]() |
EM-450 | EM-941 |
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