The timber production and carbon models provide a platform for policy and decision makers to understand how activities like logging for lumber and pulp impact the amount of carbon stored in forests.

The model simulates forest growth, a carbon budget, and timber production. The value of timber production is equal to the profits generated at the mill from selling processed timber.

For timber production, the model incorporates standardized forest yield equations, timber harvest protocols, and the costs of transporting timber to mills for processing.

For the carbon model, an external carbon budget model generates a series of detailed carbon equations that relate tons of carbon/ha to the age of the forest stand. The total stock of carbon at any point in time is influenced by timber harvesting activities. Read more about the timber and carbon model here.

This annual model explores the linkages between the landscape and surface water to identify source and sink areas for nutrients and sediment that can lead to decreased water quality. It operates by simulating precipitation, overland flow, and stream flow.

During precipitation, nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and total suspended solids) and eroded sediment are loaded into surface runoff based on landcover, topography, and soil characteristics. As surface runoff flows overland to downslope cells, a proportion of the nutrients and sediment contained in the runoff is removed, based on the landcover present. Eventually, surface runoff collects into the stream network and it moves downriver. The model is used to identify which areas of the landscape are sources for nutrients and sediment that can be prioritized for management, and which areas remove these substances and therefore contribute to higher water quality. Additionally, the model estimates the annual load of each substance throughout the river network.

The model includes surface flow and runoff but does not incorporate ground water flow. Read more about the water model here.

The biodiversity model demonstrates the impact of human land-use development on biodiversity. This model is based on data collected through ABMI’s long-term biodiversity monitoring program.

The model applies a series of statistical equations to predict the biodiversity index in each cell as a function of the amount of different categories of human footprint present, such as paved roads, gravel roads, cut-lines and trails, urban and industrial development, forestry cut blocks, and agriculture. This model provides an overall metric of how the ecological community has shifted as a result of human footprint. More detailed models estimating how individual species respond to human footprint can be obtained at species.abmi.ca

The pollination model demonstrates the economic value of native, wild bees to canola production. The model is based on field research from Alberta that relates canola yield on a given field to the abundance of bees present in the field. Bee abundance is in turn based on the amount of uncultivated land within bee foraging distance of a field that can provide nesting habitat.

The model also accounts for crop rotations, using four years of annual crop maps (2009-2012) obtained from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, such that in each year of the model, the crop grown on a given field may change, based on what was actually observed. This presumes a four-year rotation, which is then repeated if the user runs the simulation for a longer time period.

This shows no output variables. Click on one of the output layers to show the results of your model simulation.

This is a GIS layer that shows the estimated net present value of timber production per hectare. It is calculated by multiplying the net present value of per m³ of timber harvested by the volume of timber harvested per hectare in a specified time period. It only applies to areas where timber was actually harvested during the simulation.

This is a GIS layer that shows the estimated potential value of timber production per hectare. It is calculated by multiplying the value of the timber harvested per m³ by the standing volume of merchantable timber per hectare at the end of a simulation. It applies to all areas but will be higher in areas where timber was not harvested during the simulation. This value represents how much value could be obtained from any given hectare if it were to be harvested. Therefore, the total value across the landscape (i.e. the sum of values across all hectares) provides an estimate of the magnitude of this ecosystem service, but it is not possible to actually realize all of this value.

This is a GIS layer representing the value of carbon stored per hectare at the end of the simulation. It is calculated by multiplying the user-defined carbon price by the estimated amount of carbon (measured in CO₂-equivalent) contained in the forested area of each hectare. Actual payments for carbon storage are usually rewarded for sequestering “new” carbon, rather than the total amount stored. Therefore, the total value across the landscape (i.e. the sum of values across all hectares) provides an estimate of the magnitude of this ecosystem service, but it is not possible to actually realize all of this value.

This is a GIS layer representing the value of the amount of carbon that is sequestered in forested hectares over the course of the simulation. It is calculated by multiplying the user-defined carbon price by the change in each hectare’s carbon storage (amount at the end of the simulation minus the amount at the start). Carbon is measured in CO₂-equivalent.

This shows no output variables. Click on one of the output layers to show the results of your model simulation.

This is a GIS layer representing the total amount of nitrogen exported from an area in a year as surface runoff (measured in kg per hectare per year).

This is a GIS layer representing the amount of nitrogen that originated in an area that actually made it into the river network (i.e. was not retained on a downslope cell). This will be a subset of a hectare’s Nitrogen Load.

This is a GIS layer representing how much nitrogen (measured in kg) each hectare retains in a year; this value will be a fraction of all the nitrogen that a hectare received from upslope areas during simulated overland water flow.

This is a GIS layer representing the total amount of phosphorus exported from an area in a year as surface runoff (measured in kg per hectare per year).

This is a GIS layer representing the amount of phosphorus that originated in an area that actually made it into the river network (i.e. was not retained on a downslope cell). This will be a subset of a hectare’s Phosphorus Load.

This is a GIS layer representing how much phosphorus (measured in kg) each hectare retains in a year; this value will be a fraction of all the phosphorus that a hectare received from upslope areas during simulated overland water flow.

This is a GIS layer representing the total amount of suspended solids exported from an area in a year as surface runoff (measured in kg per hectare per year).

This is a GIS layer representing the amount of total suspended solids that originated in an area that actually made it into the river network (i.e. was not retained on a downslope hectare. This will be a subset of a hectare’s Total suspended solids Load.

This is a GIS layer representing how much total suspended solids (measured in kg) each hectare retains in a year; this value will be a fraction of all the total suspended solids that a hectare received from upslope areas during simulated overland water flow.

This is a GIS layer representing the total amount of sediment released by an area through erosion in a year. It is calculated using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and measured in tonnes per hectare per year.

This is a GIS layer representing the amount of sediment that originated in an area that actually made it into the river network (i.e. was not retained on a downslope cell). This will be a subset of a hectare’s Sediment Generated.

This is a GIS layer representing how much sediment (measured in kg) each hectare retains in a year; this value will be a fraction of all the sediment that a hectare received from upslope areas during simulated overland water flow.

This is a GIS layer representing whether an area is a net source or sink for nitrogen. It is calculated for each hectare as nitrogen supply minus nitrogen deposited.

This is a GIS layer representing whether an area is a net source or sink for phosphorus. It is calculated for each hectare as phosphorus supply minus phosphorus deposited.

This is a GIS layer representing whether an area is a net source or sink for total suspended solids. It is calculated for each hectare as total suspended solids supply minus total suspended solids deposited.

This is a GIS layer representing whether an area is a net source or sink for sediment. It is calculated for each hectare as sediment supply minus sediment deposited.

This shows no output variables. Click on the Biodiversity Index to show the results of your model simulation.

This is a GIS layer representing an overall biodiversity score, ranging from 0-100%. A value of 100% indicates a cell with no human footprint present. As the abundance of each individual species either declines or becomes more abundant in response to increasing human footprint, the Biodiversity Index value decreases. This index is a measure of how more or less abundant a species is relative to what would be expected if there were no human footprint in the area.

This shows no output variables. Click on one of the output layers to show the results of your model simulation.

This is a GIS layer representing the economic contribution of wild bees to canola production. It is calculated by multiplying the user-defined canola price (per kg) by the fraction of the canola yield that can be attributed to pollinators. This represents the total value (in $) to canola production of pollinators that are currently on the landscape (i.e. this is what would be lost if those pollinators disappeared), and does not represent the potential gains in value that could be achieved with pollinator-friendly management activities.

The summary stat is the sum of the timber production value (in $/ha) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the potential timber production value (in $/ha) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the carbon storage value ($/ha) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the carbon sequestration value (in $/ha) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the nitrogen load (in kg/ha/yr) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the nitrogen supply (in kg/ha/yr) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the nitrogen deposited (in kg/ha/yr) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the phosphorus load (in kg/ha/yr) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the phosphorus supply (in kg/ha/yr) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the phosphorus deposited (in kg/ha/yr) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the total suspended solids load (in kg/yr) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the total suspended solids supply (in kg/yr) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the total suspended solids deposited (in kg/ha/yr) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the sediment generated (in tonnes/ha/yr) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the sediment supply (in tonnes/ha/yr) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the sediment deposited (in tonnes/ha/yr) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the net nitrogen (in kg/ha/yr) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the net phosphorus (in kg/ha/yr) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the net total suspended solids (in kg/ha/yr) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the net sediment (in tonnes/ha/yr) across the entire region selected.

The summary stat for the Biodiversity Index is the average biodiversity intactness across the entire region selected.

The summary stat is the sum of the pollination value (in $/ha) across the entire region selected.