Dr. Mark Brown, Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences – Systems Modeling
Mark Brown is a systems ecologist with special interests in modeling coupled human and natural systems. He is a professor in UF’s Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Director of the Center for Environmental Policy and acting Director of the Center for Wetlands. He teaches numerous graduate courses related to coupled human and natural systems including: Ecological Engineering, Ecological and General Systems, Environmental Planning, Adaptive Ecological Restoration, and Energy Analysis. More information can be found at: www.ees.ufl.edu/homepp/brown
Goals of the Systems Modeling component - The prediction or extrapolation of reference (baseline) conditions with regard to the development and management of nutrient criteria and the use of models as tools for watershed management once nutrient criteria have been established.
(1) Synthesize understanding of the suite of models used in watershed management,
(2) Apply models to the study watershed to test their strengths and weaknesses,
(3) Interface with other program components to provide an integrative framework, and
(4) Explore use of models as tools for communicating complex systems to stakeholders.
There is a plethora of models related to assessment of nutrients in surface waters, from evaluating within-system trophic conditions to estimating loading from entire watersheds. Most models were developed for use in temperate water bodies in North America and Europe, but few have been calibrated or applied to shallow, naturally eutrophic, sub-tropical lakes. Additionally many rely on national databases and thus are not regionally applicable, especially to Florida’s climatic and geologic conditions. Therein lays fruitful territory for our modeling efforts.
The modeling component of our program will focus on two areas with regard to the development and management of nutrient criteria. The first area is prediction or extrapolation of reference (baseline) conditions and the second area deals with the use of models as tools for watershed management once nutrient criteria have been established. Because the modeling component is synthetic in nature, it will interface with the other research areas and provide an integrative framework. Of particular interest is the interface with the social/policy dimensions of the program to determine how best to use models as tools for communicating information about complex system functioning to stakeholders.
Mark Brown is a systems ecologist with special interests in modeling coupled human and natural systems. He is a professor in UF’s Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Director of the Center for Environmental Policy and acting Director of the Center for Wetlands. He teaches numerous graduate courses related to coupled human and natural systems including: Ecological Engineering, Ecological and General Systems, Environmental Planning, Adaptive Ecological Restoration, and Energy Analysis. More information can be found at: www.ees.ufl.edu/homepp/brown
Goals of the Systems Modeling component - The prediction or extrapolation of reference (baseline) conditions with regard to the development and management of nutrient criteria and the use of models as tools for watershed management once nutrient criteria have been established.
(1) Synthesize understanding of the suite of models used in watershed management,
(2) Apply models to the study watershed to test their strengths and weaknesses,
(3) Interface with other program components to provide an integrative framework, and
(4) Explore use of models as tools for communicating complex systems to stakeholders.
There is a plethora of models related to assessment of nutrients in surface waters, from evaluating within-system trophic conditions to estimating loading from entire watersheds. Most models were developed for use in temperate water bodies in North America and Europe, but few have been calibrated or applied to shallow, naturally eutrophic, sub-tropical lakes. Additionally many rely on national databases and thus are not regionally applicable, especially to Florida’s climatic and geologic conditions. Therein lays fruitful territory for our modeling efforts.
The modeling component of our program will focus on two areas with regard to the development and management of nutrient criteria. The first area is prediction or extrapolation of reference (baseline) conditions and the second area deals with the use of models as tools for watershed management once nutrient criteria have been established. Because the modeling component is synthetic in nature, it will interface with the other research areas and provide an integrative framework. Of particular interest is the interface with the social/policy dimensions of the program to determine how best to use models as tools for communicating information about complex system functioning to stakeholders.