A method for integrating multiple components in a decision support system

Donald Nute; Walter D. Potter; Zhiyuan Cheng; Mayukh Dass; Astrid Glende; Frederick Maierv; Cy Routh; Hajime Uchiyama; Jin Wang; Sarah Witzig; Mark Twery; Peter Knopp; Scott Thomasma; H. Michael Rauscher

doi:10.1016/j.compag.2005.02.007

Treesearch

A method for integrating multiple components in a decision support system

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Donald Nute, Walter D. Potter, Zhiyuan Cheng, Mayukh Dass, Astrid Glende, Frederick Maierv, Cy Routh, Hajime Uchiyama, Jin Wang, Sarah Witzig, Mark Twery, Peter Knopp, Scott Thomasma, H. Michael Rauscher

Year:

2005

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Southern Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2005.02.007

Source:

Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 49 (2005) 44-59

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Abstract

We present a flexible, extensible method for integrating multiple tools into a single large decision support system (DSS) using a forest ecosystem management DSS (NED-2) as an example. In our approach, a rich ontology for the target domain is developed and implemented in the internal data model for the DSS. Semi-autonomous agents control external components and communicate using a blackboard. We illustrate how this multi-agent approach with its blackboard architecture supports the expansion of a DSS (in this case, NED-2) to incorporate new models and decision support tools as the ybecome available. The exemplar NED-2 DSS developed using this method is a goal-driven DSS that integrates a sophisticated inventory system, treatment plan development, growth-and-yield models, wildlife models, fire risk models, knowledge based systems for goal satisfaction analysis, and a powerful report generation system.

Keywords

Agents, Blackboard architecture, Ecosystem management, Decision support system, Knowledge based system, Regeneration, Fire risk analysis

Citation

Nute, Donald; Potter, Walter D.; Cheng, Zhiyuan; Dass, Mayukh; Glende, Astrid; Maierv, Frederick; Routh, Cy; Uchiyama, Hajime; Wang, Jin; Witzig, Sarah; Twery, Mark; Knopp, Peter; Thomasma, Scott; Rauscher, H. Michael. 2005. A method for integrating multiple components in a decision support system. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 49 (2005) 44-59