The Across Trophic-Level System Simulation (ATLSS) project has produced a set of Spatially Explicit Species Index (SESI) models, population demography models, and ecosystem process models that have been applied to evaluate hydrologic scenarios for Everglades restoration. The models run at varying spatial and temporal scales based on individual model requirements. Difference in model design and the need for a high performance computing environment require attention to the integration and data management within and between models. The ATLSS Exchange was developed and implemented to meet these needs. Recent release of the ESRI ArcEngine library for the Solaris and Linux environment led us to examine the extent to which ArcEngine could be leveraged to facilitate data management within the ATLSS Exchange.

Model integration requires the ability to manage, transform, and move data between the various models. The ATLSS Exchange provides the framework to explicitly define data access between models and implement data transfer on both serial and parallel computers. Model and data synchronization can be handled in several and can be performed with and without extensive data buffering. We describe how the ATLSS Exchange is being used to integrate the ATLSS SESI Wading Bird and the Parallel Fish models. Future application to the ATLSS Vegetation Succession model and other ATLSS models will also be presented.

We also present initial results from our effort to link ATLSS with ESRI ArcEngine. ArcEngine is the underlying code that provides the functionality within ArcMap. The ATLSS models utilizing ArcEngine can access many of the ArcMap functions from within the models. An example is using ArcEngine functions to directly read and write ESRI proprietary data formats for model input and output. An implementation of a basic GIS interface through ArcEngine on the Linux platform for model control and observation will also be presented. The performance of ArcEngine for computational computing will also be presented with regard to determining areas for effective implementation.

Contact Information: Eric Carr, The Institute for Environmental Modeling, 569 Dabney Hall, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA, Phone: 865-974-0223, Email: carr@tiem.utk.edu

(This abstract is from the 2006 Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Conference.)

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