Through EMDS, decision makers can apply logical models of ideal
ecosystem conditions against spatially referenced information
and then prioritize the results for a maximum net benefit to the
environment based on management constraints and opportunities.
EMDS integrates the logic engine of NetWeaver from Rules of
Thumb, Inc. to perform create a logical model and perform
various evaluations against it, and the decision modeling engine
of Criterium DecisionPlus from InfoHarvest, Inc. for evaluating
management priorities to create an application framework for
knowledge-based decision support of ecological assessments.
Logic processing in EMDS is performed by the NetWeaver engine.
Data input to the engine is mediated by the EMDS Project
Environment and ArcMap. Logic models (knowledge bases) that
describe logical relations among ecosystem states and processes
are created in NetWeaver Developer. NetWeaver readily supports
design of knowledge bases for the types of large, complex, and
abstract problems typically pose