---

Activities > Modeling

---

[ || Soil Moisture || Geology & Soil Texture || Biological Soil Crusts || Fire || Vegetation Dynamics || Soil Compaction || Wind Erosion || Climate || Repeat Photography || Land Use History || Spatial Modeling || ]

---

Modeling Vulnerability and Recoverability

Preliminary soil compaction recovery model. This map shows recovery time from soil compaction based on experimental data and extrapolations.

For the results of RVDE studies to be useful to land managers, they must be synthesized into derived maps and tools that describe the recoverability and vulnerability of the Mojave Desert ecosystem. The first step is to understand the various processes that characterize the ecosystem. Once these processes are understood, then modeling the vulnerability and/or recoverability of specific aspects, such as soil compaction vulnerability or vegetation recovery, is possible.

Once developed, these spatial models can be combined in a single tool so that assessments of vulnerability and recovery times can be made using a combination of factors. As more processes are studied and understood, their spatial model can be added to the assessment tool. Models currently under development include the following:

• Soil compaction vulnerability

• Soil compaction recovery

• Biological soil crust prediction

• Wind erosion vulnerability

• Fire hazard

• Vegetation recovery

---

[ || Overview || Activities || Products || Photo Gallery || Glossary || Links || Feedback || Sitemap || ]