Integrating Data-Driven Machine Learning and Knowledge-Driven Analyses for Quantifying Ecosystem Services
Presented by Dr. Joel Harley, Associate Professor - Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida
Ecosystem services provide the foundation for human well-being and economic development by supporting food production, clean water availability, climate regulation, and other vital functions. Quantifying ecosystem services helps us understand complex relationships between nature and human well-being. This presentation by Joel Harley demonstrates two avenues for creating hybrid machine learning systems. One approach utilizes the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) to improve our ability to predict nitrogen levels in soil. The second utilizes ecological relationships between land use and other ecosystem services to improve broader ecosystem service quantification with remote sensing. We discuss how these frameworks can be best utilized as well as the challenges and opportunities associated with them.