and find the tools appropriate for the task. In this same manner, the environmental management toolkit must have the range of tools required to
meet the needs of decision makers, stakeholders, and modelers.
In the context of environmental management, toolkit functionality would
be most effectively cast as a highly integrated set of tools that facilitates
conceptualization of problems; encourages interaction among decision
makers, modelers, and other stakeholders; and empowers easy querying of
databases and model results with the capability of producing clear, visually
based outputs. Given that the ultimate purpose of the toolkit is to support
decision making, features that aid building and running models, accessing
data, building consensus, conducting alternative analyses, and presenting
results are essential.
12.1.2 Why Would a Toolkit Be Useful?
The lack of familiarity with models and modeling terminology is, to a
great degree, responsible for less-than-optimal use of ecological models in
resource management decisions. A toolkit, or a series of interconnected
toolkits, stocked with information on modeling approaches, models, and
visualization tools applicable to common environmental investigations
(e.g., forest planning and environmental assessments) would provide an
invaluable source of information for managers regarding the effective use
of such technologies as a part of resource management. The toolkit would
be a resource to help make managers, stakeholders, and modelers aware
of modeling and assessment options available to address different types of
resource management issues.
Inherent in the toolkit approach is a degree of standardization required
to facilitate the connection and use of multiple tools (models, GIS, and databases) in a seamless and integrated fashion. Such standardization would
greatly increase the flexibility toolkit users would experience while employing different models and assessment tools for a given resource management
scenario. As such, the models and tools contained within a toolkit would
likely be used more productively (and would more often be accepted by
regulatory agencies and the public) than others. Holland (1998) overviews
the development of three modeling and assessment toolkits for groundwater, receiving water, and watershed analyses. Use of these toolkits has been
shown to increase user productivity by a factor of 10. Further, these toolkits have received significant regulatory acceptance as exemplified by U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) support for their development
and by their use by USEPA regional offices throughout the United States
(Holland et al. 2001).
12.1.3 Toolkit Types and Functionality
Just as craftsmen with different specialties may carry different sets of tools,
the types and functions of toolkits will vary depending on the user and use.
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Jeffery P. Holland et al.
meet the needs of decision makers, stakeholders, and modelers.
In the context of environmental management, toolkit functionality would
be most effectively cast as a highly integrated set of tools that facilitates
conceptualization of problems; encourages interaction among decision
makers, modelers, and other stakeholders; and empowers easy querying of
databases and model results with the capability of producing clear, visually
based outputs. Given that the ultimate purpose of the toolkit is to support
decision making, features that aid building and running models, accessing
data, building consensus, conducting alternative analyses, and presenting
results are essential.
12.1.2 Why Would a Toolkit Be Useful?
The lack of familiarity with models and modeling terminology is, to a
great degree, responsible for less-than-optimal use of ecological models in
resource management decisions. A toolkit, or a series of interconnected
toolkits, stocked with information on modeling approaches, models, and
visualization tools applicable to common environmental investigations
(e.g., forest planning and environmental assessments) would provide an
invaluable source of information for managers regarding the effective use
of such technologies as a part of resource management. The toolkit would
be a resource to help make managers, stakeholders, and modelers aware
of modeling and assessment options available to address different types of
resource management issues.
Inherent in the toolkit approach is a degree of standardization required
to facilitate the connection and use of multiple tools (models, GIS, and databases) in a seamless and integrated fashion. Such standardization would
greatly increase the flexibility toolkit users would experience while employing different models and assessment tools for a given resource management
scenario. As such, the models and tools contained within a toolkit would
likely be used more productively (and would more often be accepted by
regulatory agencies and the public) than others. Holland (1998) overviews
the development of three modeling and assessment toolkits for groundwater, receiving water, and watershed analyses. Use of these toolkits has been
shown to increase user productivity by a factor of 10. Further, these toolkits have received significant regulatory acceptance as exemplified by U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) support for their development
and by their use by USEPA regional offices throughout the United States
(Holland et al. 2001).
12.1.3 Toolkit Types and Functionality
Just as craftsmen with different specialties may carry different sets of tools,
the types and functions of toolkits will vary depending on the user and use.
222
Jeffery P. Holland et al.