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The EcoService Models Library (ESML): A searchable database of ecological models for estimating the production of ecosystem goods and services
Citation:
Newcomer-Johnson, T., R. Bruins, J. Moon, M. Errend, M. Gray, J. Wilson, AND G. Lomnicky. The EcoService Models Library (ESML): A searchable database of ecological models for estimating the production of ecosystem goods and services. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
The health of our citizens and the strength of our economy depend on many goods and services provided by ecosystems such as forests, wetlands and estuaries as well as agroecosystems and urban green spaces. Ecosystems regulate the quality of our air and water, provide protection from storms and floods, produce foods and other essential materials, and provide opportunities for recreation. Recognizing these ecosystem goods and services, and understanding how society’s decisions affect them, is critical to our well-being. Fortunately, our knowledge about the underlying processes by which ecosystems provide these goods and services is growing. Ecological models describing these processes are developed and used by scientists in government, academia and business, and have been used to help protect and enhance human well-being. However, information about these ecological models is scattered throughout journals, websites and government reports, and may not be readily available when needed to inform decision makers. The quality, usefulness and transferability of these models also is uneven and may be difficult to assess through regular bibliographic searches. The EcoService Models Library (ESML) is an online database for finding, examining and comparing ecological models that can be useful for estimating the production of ecosystem goods and services. EPA created the ESML to catalog and characterize ecological models and make that information more readily available. The ESML is designed for use by scientists, planners, and economists who provide advice to communities, businesses and conservation organizations on land-use and other community-to-landscape scale planning decisions. It is also for use by those who develop computer-based decision support systems. Additionally, ESML is also designed for researchers interested in improving ecological modeling methods.
Description:
ORD has created the EcoService Models Library (ESML) to make ecological model descriptions more available and informative. EMSL is a website and database for finding, examining and comparing ecological models that may be useful for estimating ecosystem goods and services. ESML is designed for use by scientists and economists who provide advice to communities, businesses and conservation organizations. It is also for use by those who develop computer-based decision support systems that decision-makers will use. ESML is also designed for researchers interested in improving ecological modeling methods. Ecosystem goods and services are defined as outputs of ecological processes that contribute to human well-being. Whereas several existing databases focus on valuing these goods and services, ESML is unique in its focus on estimating their production. ESML does not contain modeling software or perform calculations; instead, it provides detailed descriptions of models. Over 50 individual descriptors – covering purpose, approach, and environmental use – are applied to each ecological model, and 40 additional descriptors are applied to each of the model’s variables. An informative help screen is provided for each descriptor, and searchable bibliographic source information is available for each model. ESML links models to specific types of ecosystem goods and services using two classification systems: the European Union’s Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services and, for demonstration purposes, a new system currently under development by EPA: the National Ecosystem Services Classification System. With this information, ESML helps users identify the best model for a given situation. That is, it helps users compare the objectives, environmental contexts and feasibility of models in light of the user’s specific needs. It also helps users understand the level of uncertainty associated with each model. ESML also provides a means to check for potential alignment between different models that could allow them to be mathematically linked. That is, users can compare the output (or response) variables of one model with the input (or predictor) variables of another. A close match indicates the potential for linkage that could enhance the user’s ability to achieve modeling objectives.