A case study in the use of an expert system as a multiobjective decision support system (MODSS) - Boobera Lagoon environmental management plan

Boobera Lagoon in northwestern New South Wales (NSW) is of environmental and cultural significance to the Australian community. Overuse of the area by the agricultural sector is causing significant degradation of the ecosystem. This degradation is also destroying the lagoon's native cultural value. An environmental management plan based on land resource assessments was devised to control this degradation. An expert system, LANDCAP, was used as decision support for the assessment of land degradation potential, agricultural production potential, and the general sustainable management practices. LANDCAP formalized and made more consistent the expert judgments of the land resource assessors. The natural language format and the transparency of the system processes and outputs aided the resolution of disputes over the land assessments and facilitated the community acceptance of the expert judgments. LANDCAP provided a significant advancement in the public relations and extension effect of the development and acceptance of the environmental management plan for the Boobera Lagoon.