Land Change Modeler Product Features

The Land Change Modeler software includes a wealth of tools for change analysis, prediction and implication assessment for biodiversity. It is currently included within the IDRISI software and is sold separately as an extension for ArcGIS.  

Land Change Analysis

• Quickly generate graphs and maps of land change, including gains and losses, net change, persistence and specific transitions.  

• Uncover underlying trends of complex land change with a change abstraction tool. 
  

Model Land Transition Potential

• Model land cover transition potentials that express the likelihood that land will transition in the future using one of two methodologies—a multi-layer perceptron neural network or logistic regression.
  
• Incorporate into the prediction model dynamic or static environmental variable maps that might drive or explain change.  

Change Prediction

• Incorporate planning interventions, incentives and constraints, such as reserve areas and infrastructural changes, that may alter the course of development in the change prediction process.  

• Conduct scenario mapping by creating either a hard prediction map based on a multi-objective land competition model with a single realization or a soft prediction map that is a continuous map of vulnerability to change.

• Validate the quality of the prediction model.  

Impact Analysis

• Assess the effect of land cover change on habitat including habitat status and assessment, habitat change analysis, gap analysis, and landscape pattern analysis. 
  

• Perform species distribution modeling and the refinement of species range polygon maps.

• Calculate biodiversity through mapping of alpha diversity, gamma diversity, beta diversity, Sorensen's dissimilarity, and range restriction.

Land Planning

• Generate biological corridor designs that are optimized for habitat suitability, ecological significance and protection status.  
  

• Conduct reserve planning scenarios using an interface to Marxan.