RSim: A model that integrates air quality, noise, habitat, and water quality

Now in development, the Regional Simulation Model (RSim) is being designed by a team of ecologists, biologists, computer scientists, and atmospheric scientists as a tool for assessing how changes in land use, cover, and intensity affect the long-term integrity of the environment through air and water quality, noise, and species habitat. In building the model, the team has encountered and endeavored to solve numerous issues associated with conflicts in ecosystem management goals, temporal and spatial scales, and complicated feedback loops. The team has also struggled simply to coordinate the interfaces between the various environmental modules that comprise the model system. Herein, we provide a report on the challenges faced by the team and provide specific examples related to developing the air quality module within the context of the RSim as a whole.