Clark Labs Awarded Additional Funding by Conservation International to Broaden Scope of Land Use/Cover Modeling and Simulation Development

10/4/04

Worcester, MA -- Clark Labs has recently been awarded additional funding by Conservation International for the development of modeling and simulation tools to aid in their analyses and simulation of land-cover change scenarios and their effect on biodiversity. The tools will be developed within the IDRISI Kilimanjaro GIS and image processing software.

Initially, development efforts were focused on tools that were relevant to the particular land change scenarios in the Andean region. Since then, the scope has been broadened to be applicable for a wide range of environments rather than a single location. Because of the diversity of different land cover change contexts, the project aims to produce a flexible and adaptable modeling environment rather than a single model. As such, it will offer a set of techniques rather than a specific combination.

Exploratory data analysis techniques will also be included to facilitate the understanding of driving forces of change and their spatial attributes. A biodiversity implications component will allow for the assessment of how the projected change is likely to affect biodiversity. Finally, a land use planning component will facilitate land acquisition, zoning and route planning.

For further information, please contact Clark Labs, Worcester, MA. Tel: 508-793-7526.