The Everglades vulnerability analysis: Linking ecological models to support ecosystem restoration

Understanding of the Everglades’ ecological vulnerabilities and restoration needs has advanced over past decade but not been applied in an integrated manner. To address this need, we developed Everglades Vulnerability Analysis (EVA), a decision support tool that uses modular Bayesian networks to predict outcomes subset ecosystem’s health indicators. This takes advantage extensive modeling work already done synthesizes information across indicators ecosystem forecast long-term, landscape-scale changes. In addition, can indicator vulnerability through comparison user-defined ideal system states vary level certainty outcomes. An understanding is essential for evaluation trade-offs at local, regional, system-wide scales. Through EVA, makers provide effective guidance during planning implementation processes mitigate unintended consequences could result further damage system.