Version 4 of the Path Landscape Model is now available for free download at www.apexrms.com/path. This latest version marks another major milestone in the development of our landscape modeling software. Some of the key features added in this version:
- Path version 4 allows for probabilistic and deterministic transitions between ecological strata, which can be used to represent shifts in vegetation communities over time (e.g. due to climate change)
- VDDT is no longer required as the simulation engine, removing several model limitations and providing significantly faster runtimes – for example, models can now run with any number of simulation cells and transition types/groups
- Users can now specify the number of simulation cells directly for each model run (rather than indirectly, as done previously using a cell resolution)
- Modelling units (e.g. acres vs. hectares) and labels for state class categories (e.g. the terms “Cover Type” and “Structural Stage”) are now fully configurable as part of a project’s definitions
- The display of scenario properties has been streamlined, such that those model inputs used most frequently are most easily accessible from the Scenario Editor window
- The online documentation at www.pathmodel.com has been fully updated to match the version 4 software
Support for this latest release has come from the The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Forest Service’s Planning and Analysis Group, and the LANDFIRE project.