PARENT SESSION
Poster Session # 7: Restoration, Resource Management, and Conservation.

Monday, August 4 Presentation from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. SITCC Exhibit Hall B.

Spatial decision support systems for Everglades restoration and management.

Pearlstine, Leonard^*,1, Mazzotti, Frank¹, DeAngelis, Donald², ¹ University of Florida, Ft Lauderdale, Florida² United States Geological Survey, Miami, Florida

ABSTRACT- Restoration of the Florida Everglades habitat is characterized by conflicting goals, difficult issues, scientific uncertainty, and complex interrelationships. Decision support systems provide support methodologies that help authorities involved in ecological restoration sort out spatial explicit (1) knowledge acquisition and representation, (2) goals and issues identification and conflict resolution, (3) alternatives evaluation, and (4) group negotiation support. Spatial decision support software and many existing spatial data layers from modeled output including vegetation classifications, wildlife models, and hydrology models have been brought together for regional habitat evaluation in south Florida. Other necessary layers such as socioeconomic impacts are not well developed and need attention. Uncertainty in the modeled outputs is explicitly presented to the user in a manner that increases the decision-makers understanding of the range of responses and provides a mechanism for deciding where additional information is needed. Development of decision support systems has proceeded in an iterative process that operates within the context, needs, and objectives of the resource agencies, planners, and managers targeted as users. The collaboration of key agency individuals, helps to ensure that this effort will be focused on the needs and objectives of on-the-ground natural resource planners and managers.

Key words: everglades, florida, decision support systems, restoration