Ecological Analysis

Ecological Analysis

It is imperative that we clearly understand our ecological interrelationships and the consequences of our actions on the world. If we are to appreciate the diversity and interdependencies of our ecological systems and plan for a sustainable future, we need robust tools that allow us to inquire deeply into our environment.

Clark Labs' technologies include a unique modeling environment for evaluating land use change and predicting ecological sustainability. The Land Change Modeler for Ecological Sustainability (LCM) is available in the IDRISI software system and as an extension for ArcGIS. Using this innovative tool, you can quickly assess land use and land cover changes in terms of gains and losses and trends over time. You can further model the land type transition potential to predict future scenarios and assess the impacts of these scenarios on biodiversity.

Application areas include:
- Habitat suitability analysis
- Corridor modeling
- Species distribution modeling
- Biodiversity modeling
- Habitat assessment
- Gap analysis

Analytical Examples: [click images to enlarge]


LCM’s habitat assessment tool uses any land cover map (existing or predicted) and an optional habitat suitability map to divide the landscape into primary habitat (habitat that meets all life-stage requirements, second habitat (habitat elements that may be too small or may be missing one or more life-stage components), primary and secondary potential corridor areas, and unsuitable lands.


LCM provides a biological corridor planning tool that accommodates habitat suitability, suitability for development, conservation value and protection status. Parameters include the ability to specify the target width and the number of connective branches.


LCM’s change analysis tab provides a set of tools for the rapid assessment and mapping of change.