Coupling the RBIS Environmental Information System and the JAMS Modelling Framework

Abstract: The pressure on environmental systems is increasing worldwide due to population growth and the consequences of climate change. Adaptable tools and methods are needed to elaborate information, develop understanding and strategies for sustainable use and management of environmental systems. Such tools should assist scientists, natural resource managers and decision makers in their work by providing them with (1) sufficient information about relevant drivers, attributes and factors from measured data, (2) tools and methods for user friendly access and integrated analyses of such data, i.e. environmental information systems (EIS), and (3) tools for estimating additional information not available as measurements, i.e. environmental simulation models. For an integrated assessment of complex environmental systems and their related prob-lems a seamless and preferably standardized coupling of environmental information systems with environ-mental modelling systems is desirable. On the other hand, both parts should always be useable as standalone versions to avoid over-complexity of toolsets which can hamper or even permit their use for projects which tackle less complex problems. Data exchange between environmental information systems and simulation models are of increasing impor-tance as the amount of available environmental information rises together with the complexity of conceptual simulation components and hardware capability. Due to their explicit representation of data interfaces, mod