Michael Berry
Friday, October 17, 2008 - 1:30-2:00
A computer simulation environment, the Regional Simulation (RSim), was constructed to project how land-use changes affect the quality of water, air, noise, and habitat of species of special concern. RSim is designed to simulate land-use changes and its impacts for the five counties in Georgia surrounding and including Fort Benning. The model combines existing data and modeling approaches to simulate effects of land-cover changes on nutrient export by hydrologic unit; peak 8-hour average ozone concentration; noise impacts due to small arms and blasts, and habitats changes for the rare red cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) and gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus). The model also includes submodules for urban growth, new roadinfluenced urbanization, non-urban land-cover transitions, and a new military training area under development at Fort Benning. Management scenarios such as business as usual (BAU) and greatly increased urban growth can be simulated in order to yield projections on how large an effect urban growth would have on air, water, and noise quality (in the absence of associated increases in industry and transportation use or technology changes). Effects of urban growth on existing populations of the federally endangered red cockaded woodpecker can be predicted as well. RSim is designed to assess planning activities both inside and outside the installation and to address concerns related to encroachment and trans-boundary influences.
Keywords: RSIM, LAND – USE CHANGE, MODELING, SIMULATION