How Reefonomics works
Reefonomics reduces the starting constituent load (fine sediment and dissolved inorganic nitrogen) by applying water quality improvement actions.
The basic approach is to consider each action in turn.
The action has an amount that is to be applied. Reefonomics applies the action then reduces the constituent loads from the base load and adjusts the available land to perform actions on.
Temporal response
Each action in Reefonomics has a response curve covering a 15 year period that represents how rapidly the water quality improvement is likely to occur.
When an action is modelled, the load reduction for each future year, due to that action, is predicted for a 15 year period. Reefonomics models over a forward looking 30 year period. Actions are applied according to the adoption rate for the first 15 years.
The model runs for a further 15 years so that all water quality improvement actions will have reached their full water quality improvement potential by the end of the modelling period.
The temporal response accounts for both rates of adoption through time and water quality improvement through time.
Adoption potential
The peak level of adoption and the time to reach that adoption level for each action is determined from a survey during the action creation (using the ADOPT approach).
The level of adoption through time is assumed to be linear.
The amount of an action applied in each year is determined by multiplying the adoption level for that year (proportion) by the overall target level for the action (default is 100%). If the target level is 100%, and the adoption potential is 50% to be achieved over 5 years, then Reefonomics will apply the action to 10% of the area for each of five years.
Basic computational steps
For each of 15 years:
- For each action in the scenario action list:
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- Determine the amount of action to apply based on the adoption level and adoption rate
- Determine the load reduction for each future year of the run (up to 30)
- Determine the confidence score in the load reduction for each future year of the run (up to 30)
- Determine the co-benefits for each future year of the run (up to 30)
- Manage the areas (e.g. transition areas between management practices if required)
- Check for target conditions (water quality targets, budget target)
