CREDOS: A Conservation Reserve Evaluation And Design Optimisation System

A number of spatial decision support systems (SDSSs) are already available for the systematic planning of conservation reserves. These existing systems offer varying levels of integration and interactivity. However, these systems generate solutions that are sub-optimal. Integer programming (IP) optimisation techniques guarantee optimal solutions but have been criticised for excessively long or intractable solution times. Modern IP software has addressed this criticism by finding solutions in quick time. The aim in using IP techniques in this paper is to design conservation reserves that are of the minimum possible area to satisfy defined conservation targets, thereby producing reserve systems of greatest efficiency. The Conservation Reserve Evaluation and Design Optimisation System (CREDOS) is a fully integrated SDSS that calls on a thirdparty optimiser to generate solutions. We attempt to provide a foundation for a viable alternative to existing systems by tightly coupling CREDOS ...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2007
• Where: ENVSOFT
• Authors: Neville D. Crossman, Lyall M. Perry, Brett A. Bryan, Bertram Ostendorf
• Keywords: Conservation Reserves, ENVSOFT 2007, Solutions, Systems