the ecology centreuniversity of queensland

australiawww.uq.edu.au/spatialecology

h.possingham@uq.edu.au

Zonae Cogito - A decision support system

for the real world

FOSS 4G Conference 2009

Matthew Watts m.watts@uq.edu.au

Romola Stewart

Daniel Segan

Hugh Possingham

Software environment

• Developing countries have limited budgets for Commercial GIS,

• MapWinGIS Active X control with Delphi and C++,

• Map Window Open Source GIS www.mapwindow.org

Software evaluation

• Large data capacity for complex problems

• Fast and efficient code, O (n log n) (slows down almost linearly as n

increases)

• Systematic validation assures algorithm correctness

View Marxan spatial output

Edit parameters

Simulated annealing dashboard

Assisted parameter calibration

Scenario Editor and Reporter

Simple multiple use zoning

C-Plan interface

• C-Plan Conservation Planning System

www.ecology.uq.edu.au

Related R&D Topics

• Marxan reserve selection software,

• Alternative objective functions (multiple use zoning, probabilistic threats and occurrences, asymmetric connectivity),

• Optimisation through Quantum tunneling.

What is Marxan?

• Ball and Possingham 2000,

• The most widely used reserve selection software in the world,

• “Give me a little of everything at the least cost”,

• limited by binary decision classification.

Where in the world is Marxan?

How simulated annealing works

• Optimization algorithm; finds configurations with low objective function scores

• Objective function score has 3 components 1) monetary cost of actions 2) connectivity penalty 3) target penalty

A “whole of network” approach to planning

Marxan objective function

• Minimize

subject to

Cost + Connectivity + Target Achievement

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Asymmetric connectivity

• The connectivity matrix can be symmetrical for non-directed connections, or asymmetrical for directed connections,

• Representation of connectivity graph.

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Probabilistic treatment

• Minimize

• Maximise the probability that a zonation system meets objectives.

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Multiple use zoning

• Minimize

subject to

and subject to

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What is Marxan with Zones?

• Enhanced functionality for multiple use zoning,

• Zones have objectives and constraints,

• Flexibility to address many planning problems.

Marxan with Zones output

Binary configuration 3 zone configuration

Marxan with Zones approach

• Explicit and systematic multiple objectives

• Simulated annealing algorithm

• Economic, social, cultural and biological objectives and constraints

Simulated Quantum Annealing

• Simulate Quantum algorithm on a Turing machine – Quantum Adiabatic Evolution

• 1,000,000 times faster than simulated thermal annealing?

Quantum tunneling

• Is a problem amenable to QT?

• What is the topology of a decision space?

www.aeda.edu.au/news

Related Decision Point Articles

• Decision Point # 28 page 3, “Zonae Cogito - A decision support system for the real world”,

• Decision Point # 27 page 10, “Marxan with Zones - The world’s most popular conservation planning software just got more relevant”.

Marxan with Zones paper

http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199547777.do

Availability and acknowledgements

Free software - www.uq.edu.au/marxan