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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Tucson, Arizona » SWRC » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #84384

Title: A MULTIPLE OBJECTIVE DECISION APPROACH WITH APPLICATION TO RANGELAND HEALTH

Author
item Yakowitz, Diana
item Weltz, Mark
item HERRICK, JEFF - NEW MEXICO STATE UNIV.

Submitted to: Soil and Water Conservation Society Proceedings
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/22/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A multiple objective decision methodology is proposed and described for evaluating watershed or ecosystem management with respect to both economic and environmental criteria. A proposed structure for determining a Rangeland Health Index will be presented and the methodology is illustrated for a rangeland watershed in the southwestern United States. A simple algorithm based on linear and dynamic programming principles is presented that allows one to quickly compute the possible range of overall indicator value from the most optimistic to the most pessimistic (best to worst). The method is applied in the context of a hierarchical arrangement of the individual indicators or attributes. The overall or Total Indicator Value is computed without the need to specify or determine explicit weights on the individual ecosystem indicators. The decision tool is particularly useful for examining land areas from numerous, often conflicting, decision nmaking viewpoints or by multiple decision makers.