A Spatial Decision Support System for Livestock Production Planning and Environmental Management
Dilip Kumar Jain, U. Sunday Tim, Robert W. Jolly · Applied Engineering in Agriculture · 1995
Spatial decision support systems are used to plan production systems and direct the implementation management strategies that are compatible with environmental protection goals. They enable resource managers to select appropriate production technologies that minimize environmental damage, and evaluate alternative management practices. This article describes a spatial decision support system (SDSS) developed to facilitate planning and management of environmentally sound livestock production. The SDSS integrates a geographic information system, spatial and biophysical modeling, and a knowledge-based system into an interactive tool to select suitable watershed land areas for siting livestock production, to select fields for manure application, and to determine the potential impacts of livestock production practices on groundwater quality.