5.5 Overall Trend of Landscape Development (T
6
)
Drivers influence farmers to select a few out of enormous options. Simultaneously,
farmers decide based on the economic, as well as the ecologic performance of their
management systems. A change in driving forces results in different (new) decisions for farmers, and therefore new economic and ecologic performances emerge.
The theoretical model developed here enhanced our general understanding to be
able to measure the changes in the whole scenario from the past to the present
situation, using the present as the baseline for comparison. The model assessed the
flows among the resources, influenced by farmers’ actions, which are enforced by
driving forces in the complex mountain environment. There are several ways to
evaluate the overall trend of scenario development and that are possibly generated
by the empirical evidences and data collection. We have recognized that efforts to
generate the theoretical model are noteworthy as this allows us (a) articulation,
which measures the complexity of the landscape and evaluates the resource use
dynamics in space and time, and (b) accuracy, which combines measures of
modules with interlinkages to each other. But the choice of evaluation of the
theoretical model for future perspectives is constrained by existing data sets, and the
methods in simulations are in question; therefore, we aim to use the theoretical
model as a baseline for a broad perspective of this research.
6 State of Arts of Modeling Approach
After having developed the theoretical approach we tried to identify a modeling
approach that enables us to handle the complex issue relating to human and
ecosystem interactions in the Himalaya. We use the above derived requirements to
assess or evaluate the present bio-economic landscape modeling approaches. Our
review suggests that methods and theory testing approaches stemming from our
own research were primarily geared toward construction of further conceptual
models through the rationale of converging findings in line with empirical studies
concurrently with the process of development of our theoretical model. There are
several other methods focused on conceptual model development and the implementation of sustainable natural resource management (Wand et al. 1995; Edwards
et al. 1999; Martinez-Fernandez et al. 2000; Castillo 2000; Baja et al. 2002; Petalas
et al. 2005), but we have focused on some specific methodologies where we have
found identical approaches to our concepts as is the case of the Himalayas of India.
To accomplish this a literature survey was conducted where research was done on
solving the problems of real-world complexities in the form of conceptual model
development (Tulloch 1999; Bettinger 1999; Jackson et al. 2000; Bettinger and
Boston 2001; Farrow and Winograd 2001; Baja et al. 2002; Kaechele and Dabbert
2002; Zander 2003; Gomez-Sal et al. 2003; Hillman et al. 2005; Moody 2005;
Gonzalez-Perez and Henderson-Sellers 2007). A comparison of few models was
612
S. Nautiyal et al.
6
)
Drivers influence farmers to select a few out of enormous options. Simultaneously,
farmers decide based on the economic, as well as the ecologic performance of their
management systems. A change in driving forces results in different (new) decisions for farmers, and therefore new economic and ecologic performances emerge.
The theoretical model developed here enhanced our general understanding to be
able to measure the changes in the whole scenario from the past to the present
situation, using the present as the baseline for comparison. The model assessed the
flows among the resources, influenced by farmers’ actions, which are enforced by
driving forces in the complex mountain environment. There are several ways to
evaluate the overall trend of scenario development and that are possibly generated
by the empirical evidences and data collection. We have recognized that efforts to
generate the theoretical model are noteworthy as this allows us (a) articulation,
which measures the complexity of the landscape and evaluates the resource use
dynamics in space and time, and (b) accuracy, which combines measures of
modules with interlinkages to each other. But the choice of evaluation of the
theoretical model for future perspectives is constrained by existing data sets, and the
methods in simulations are in question; therefore, we aim to use the theoretical
model as a baseline for a broad perspective of this research.
6 State of Arts of Modeling Approach
After having developed the theoretical approach we tried to identify a modeling
approach that enables us to handle the complex issue relating to human and
ecosystem interactions in the Himalaya. We use the above derived requirements to
assess or evaluate the present bio-economic landscape modeling approaches. Our
review suggests that methods and theory testing approaches stemming from our
own research were primarily geared toward construction of further conceptual
models through the rationale of converging findings in line with empirical studies
concurrently with the process of development of our theoretical model. There are
several other methods focused on conceptual model development and the implementation of sustainable natural resource management (Wand et al. 1995; Edwards
et al. 1999; Martinez-Fernandez et al. 2000; Castillo 2000; Baja et al. 2002; Petalas
et al. 2005), but we have focused on some specific methodologies where we have
found identical approaches to our concepts as is the case of the Himalayas of India.
To accomplish this a literature survey was conducted where research was done on
solving the problems of real-world complexities in the form of conceptual model
development (Tulloch 1999; Bettinger 1999; Jackson et al. 2000; Bettinger and
Boston 2001; Farrow and Winograd 2001; Baja et al. 2002; Kaechele and Dabbert
2002; Zander 2003; Gomez-Sal et al. 2003; Hillman et al. 2005; Moody 2005;
Gonzalez-Perez and Henderson-Sellers 2007). A comparison of few models was
612
S. Nautiyal et al.