Collaborator: Dave Theobald

(1994) EML (Environmental Modeling Language) is a modeling environment for exploring landscape dynamics. The strengths of three existing environmental modeling techniques–geographical information systems, system dynamics, and cellular automata–are combined to provide spatio-temporal modeling capabilities. We review strengths and weaknesses of each of the three existing approaches, describe our composite approach, and demonstrate how a user constructs a model using EML. Also, we show, using a simple fire spread model, Schelling’s segregation model, and a density-dependent population model, how EML can be used to explore landscape dynamics. EML’s integration of GIS, SD, and CA techniques provides a broader perspective and a richer set of methods than each individual modeling technique affords. EML also provides users an integrated modeling environment to support the iterative construction of models and exploration of landscape dynamics.

1994 EML: A Modeling Environment for Exploring Landscape Dynamics, Theobald, D. and M.D. Gross. Computers, Environment, and Urban Systems, 18(3):193-204