Making results of complex systems-based landscape models more accessible to non-expert users

Abstract: Current approaches to landscape management have seen an increasing use of complex models based on an integrated systems approach to describe landscape dynamics. The availability and use of such models provides greater flexibility for informing policy decisions than do single issue approaches. However, model complexity precludes their direct use by all but the most technically savvy. The issue of modellers providing access to results of complex models to non-experts in a flexible way was addressed in this study. The government of Victoria (Australia) needed to be able to assess potential impacts of different land use changes on a variety of factors related to water availability and quality in two priority catchments. The Forest Policy branch of the Department of Primary Industries Victoria (DPI-Vic) who commissioned this work wanted flexibility in the presentation of results of a complex spatial model with particular emphasis on making them intuitive and interactive for end users. To respond to these needs, a GIS-like Spatial Viewer was developed to allow non-experts to query model-based estimates of impacts of land-use change. The land-use changes of interest were the conversion of pasture or cropland to forest and vice versa. The catchment characteristics of interest were recharge, evapotranspiration, total flow to stream, above-ground vegetative carbon, water quality (in-stream nutrients), soil erosion (that also impacts water quality), depth to water table, and in-stream salt