Tools and Applications for Sustainability Problem-Solving (Essay Sample)

Tools and Applications for Sustainability Problem-Solving
Assignment #2
This assignment is based on the dynamic simulations models that have been developed in class on January 15th - Land Transition Model and on January 22nd – Reservoir Model. The purpose of this assignment is to enable the student to become familiar with the essential processes included within the STELLA modelling software. The assignment is based on the student’s ability to run the models, produce output and explain the modelling processes involved and provide intuition to the outputs. The completed assignment should include, where appropriate, printouts of the graphical outputs provided by the subject model runs and an accompanying explanation for the output that is provided. Address the following questions using the two dynamic simulation models.
Land Transition Model
1 Perform a sensitivity analysis on BMP payment rate by simulating rates from $100/hectare to $700/hectare. How does wetland stock respond to higher BMP payment rates? Does wetland stock increase above initial values? Why or why not?
2 Perform a sensitivity analysis on wetland conversion rate (50 hectares/year to 200 hectares/year) and a separate sensitivity analysis on the wetland creation rate ( 50 hectares/year to 200 hectares/year). Explain the pattern of wetland and cultivated stock that emerges from these analyses.
Reservoir Model
3 How can you optimise the irrigation to increase crop yield by, perhaps, including additional time windows for abstraction and irrigation.
4 Describe an additional process, or stock or flow variable that you would include in this model to improve the simulation of crop yield.
Overall
5 The Land Transition Model and Reservoir Model have been developed at the sam...