NDR Model suitability in coastal ecosystems

Greetings Sir/Madam, am Niruban Chakkaravarthy from India, I just want to know some details regarding the Ndr model 3.6.0. Sir, Can we run in this model for the coastal ecosystem such as mangrove and other ecosystems. I just wait for your valuable reply as soon as possible.

Hello Niruban -

The NDR model is designed for use in terrestrial ecosystems, since it works by using a digital elevation model to move nutrient downslope until it reaches a stream. Theoretically, mangroves could be included in your land cover map, which is used to define how much nutrient is produced by different land cover types, and how much nutrient is retained by those land cover types. However, the hydrology of where mangroves are located make it challenging to model accurately with NDR. Generally they are in very flat areas, that are difficult to account for in a simple model (which NDR is.) Also, if they are in an area where the sea floods and recedes, that dynamic is not accounted for in the model.

As for other coastal ecosystem types, I’m not sure what you have in mind, but if they are offshore, NDR definitely does not work for those. The closest you could come is to use NDR to model what’s happening on land, then take the nutrient export result from the model and use it as input to another analysis that is designed to disperse nutrient into a coastal zone.

~ Stacie

Thank for your valuable information, Sir/Madam, I just want to run this model for mangrove and salt marsh ecosystem which mean the pollutant sources like agriculture , aquaculture and other sources are produces the N and P which is flowed to a mangrove ecosystem, with in this view how i run this model, can you have any idea to provide a better solution.

Hi @Niruagri -

I wouldn’t recommend using the InVEST NDR model if you are focusing on nutrient sources like aquaculture, salt marshes, etc, since it really isn’t designed for that. Since I don’t have much experience with coastal nutrient modeling, I don’t have recommendations for other methods or models to try, but perhaps someone else can suggest a model that is created for that kind of environment.

~ Stacie

Thank you for your kind information. But we are try to run in this model for coastal ecosystem but same time I also know very few paper are there in the model related to coastal areas.