Abstract

Knowledge Modeling in Non-Native Invasive Plant Management Spatial Decision Support
Track: GeoDesign
Authors: Serene Ong

There are many challenges to providing spatial decision support (SDS) for prioritizing non-native invasive species (NIS) management on Army installations. We address two challenges: representing NIS domain experts' knowledge in spatial modeling, and visualizing how this knowledge is used in NIS management prioritization. After consulting with domain experts and installation managers of our case study site Ft. Huachuca, we developed a conceptual model capturing NIS dynamics in the context of NIS management. This conceptual model then served as the framework for organizing GIS processing models, their outputs, and the knowledge source that GIS models consult during the calculations. We then developed an SDS tool to allow users to explore the logic behind the NIS management prioritization calculations. The SDS tool facilitates understanding the NIS management prioritization results by showing the calculation paths while displaying calculation results visually in map layers.