Environmental modelling and measures

Models are used to:

• Improve understanding of complex systems – simulate and simplify complex reality
• Provide spatio-temporal extension of the knowledge gained from experimental/monitoring data – predict the unknown in space and time;
• Test the reaction of these systems to changing conditions – testing hypotheses and scenarios;
• Support optimization, planning and decision-making
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We divide environmental models into two groups:

• Management models, as their name implies, are used either in elucidating better management practices or in aiding management decisions and planning. Several of the models are described under "Guide to environmental measures in agriculture"

• Research models are used to organize and guide research of a particular system. Models designed for management can certainly utilize concepts from research models but must avoid the complication of them. Research models, however, can be useful for calibrating simpler “top-down” models as recently demonstrated by Raulier et al. (2000).