Ecosystem services assessment using models like InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) and PLUS (Pattern and Process of Land Use and Land Cover Change Simulator) has become increasingly popular in recent years. By combining multiple models, researchers can conduct comprehensive evaluations of ecosystem services under different land use scenarios. This article provides an overview of how to integrate InVEST, PLUS and other models for ecosystem services assessment, spatial analysis and land use scenario simulation. It introduces the principles, data requirements, workflow and case studies of using hybrid approaches of models like InVEST, PLUS, Markov Chain and cellular automata models. With over 100 words elaboration, the article aims to demonstrate the value of invest plus model integration for quantifying, mapping and projecting ecosystem services to support sustainable land use planning and decision making.
Introduction to InVEST and PLUS Models
InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) is a suite of models used to map and quantify ecosystem services. It was developed by the Natural Capital Project for supporting ecosystem services valuation and land use planning. PLUS (Pattern and Process of Land Use and Land Cover Change Simulator) integrates rule mining, cellular automata and Markov chain for land use change modeling and scenario simulation. By combining InVEST and PLUS, the advantages of ecosystem services assessment and land use change modeling can be integrated to project impacts of land use decisions on ecosystem services under different scenarios. Specifically, InVEST quantifies ecosystem services based on land use maps, while PLUS can generate land use maps under given scenarios to be used as inputs for InVEST models.
Data Preparation for Integrated Modeling
Successful application of InVEST, PLUS and other models require various spatial data as input, including land cover/use maps, climate data, terrain data, soil data and socioeconomic data. These data need to be formatted, projected and resampled to consistent spatial resolutions and extents before model integration. Data preparation steps involve: 1) Data collection from various sources; 2) Formatting and converting data to suitable formats; 3) Resampling rasters to uniform resolution; 4) Converting vector data to rasters; 5) Spatial analysis like slope and aspect calculation from DEM; 6) Reprojecting all data to same coordinate system. This data preparation stage ensures compatible data layers for subsequent modeling.
Model Integration Workflow
A typical workflow of integrating InVEST, PLUS and other models involves: 1) Data preparation; 2) Running PLUS to simulate land use maps under different scenarios; 3) Quantifying ecosystem services using InVEST for each land use map; 4) Examining ecosystem service changes across scenarios; 5) Regression analysis relating land use patterns to ecosystem services; 6) Interpreting results to inform sustainable planning. The integration enables projecting impacts of policy and land management decisions on ecosystem services under various futures. It facilitates identifying tradeoffs and synergies between alternative land use options.
Case Studies Across the World
There are many examples of applying integrated models for ecosystem services assessment and land use planning: – Combining InVEST water yield model and PLUS to assess impacts of land use change on water provision in China. – Integrating InVEST habitat quality model and CA-Markov for biodiversity conservation planning in Malaysia. – Using InVEST sediment retention model and GEOMOD to evaluate effects of deforestation on sediment loss in Indonesia. – Coupling biophysical models and economic land use change models to guide green infrastructure planning in Australia. These case studies demonstrate the usefulness of invest plus approach in quantifying ecosystem services tradeoffs and informing sustainable land management globally.
InVEST and PLUS models can be effectively combined to project land use changes and consequent impacts on ecosystem services. Integrated modeling provides a practical tool for incorporating ecosystem services into land use planning. Invest plus approach will continue benefiting sustainable planning and development worldwide.