Ecosystem Modeling in the South Central US: A Synthesis of Current Models toward the Development of Coupled Models

Abstract:

Ecosystem services and products are the foundation of sustainability for regional and global economy since we are directly or indirectly dependent on the ecosystem services like food, livestock, water, air, wildlife etc. It has been increasingly recognized that for sustainability concerns, the conservation problems need to be addressed in the context of entire ecosystems. This approach known as the ecosystem approach is fundamental to managing earth’s finite resources since it addresses the interactions that link biotic systems, of which human, flora and fauna are integral parts, with the physical systems on which they depend. This approach is even more vital in the 21st century with formidable increasing human population and rapid changes in global environment. This study is being conducted to find the state of the science of ecosystem models in the South-Central region of US. The propose of the project is to conduct a systematic review and synthesize relevant information on the current state of the science of ecosystem modeling in the South-Central region of US toward coupling these models with climate, agronomic, hydrologic, economic or management models to better represent ecosystem dynamics as affected by climate change and human activities; and hence gain more reliable predictions of future ecosystem functions and service in the region. Better understandings of such processes will increase our ability to predict the ecosystem responses and feedbacks to environmental and human induced change in the region so that decision makers can make an informed management decisions of the ecosystem.