Scientific and Technical Support for Joint Ecosystem Modeling

Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) supports the Department Of Interior (DOI) Science Plan as it: 1) provides assessment tools that are a critical priority for making landscape level restoration decisions that consider multiple species or trophic levels or that maximize biodiversity with an ecological system; 2) spatially models impacts of hydrologic targets on ecological conditions and critical links between hydrology, water quality and ecological responses; 3) models how hydrologic and water quality targets relate to the landscape-scale assemblages of habitats needed to support fish and wildlife resources and particularly wide-ranging species; 4) provides geographic information system mapping for habitat database of hydrologic restoration contributions to listed species; and 5) aids in the identification of key indicators of desired ecological responses.

This study supports the applied science strategy for monitoring and assessment plans by providing a quantitative approach for integrating hydrological and ecological models to establish targets for performance measures as defined by the Conceptual Ecological Models (CEM).

JEM is a partnership of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), and the University of Florida. The JEM website is at <http://jem.cr.usgs.gov/pages/home.aspx>