Title: Group method of data handling (GMDH) in modelling of growth dynamics of trees irrigated with wastewater

Authors: Ioannis Kalavrouziotis, Volodymyr Stepashko, Vladimir Vissikirsky, Panagiotis Drakatos

Addresses: Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Ioannina, Greece. ' Department for Information Technologies of Inductive Modeling, International UNESCO Center of Information Technologies and Systems, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine. ' Department for Information Technologies of Inductive Modeling, International UNESCO Center of Information Technologies and Systems, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine. ' Department of Mechanical and Aeronautics Engineering, Laboratory of Special Mechanical Engineering, University of Patras, Rio, 26500 Patras, Greece

Abstract: This paper describes the formulation and analysis of growth dynamics models for trees irrigated with wastewater. The models can be used to obtain the characteristics of a species, depending on treatment conditions and climate factors, at all stages of growth. The experiments were carried out at the University of Patras to identify the characteristics (height rate and mortality) of the forest tree Pinus brutia cultivated under different treatment conditions. The growth dynamics models are designed on the basis of the group method of data handling. This principle generates sets of estimation models with different complexity and accuracy. By analysing their structures, qualitative features of the models may be assessed, and general linear models for different treatment cases compiled.

Keywords: GMDH growth dynamics; GMDH model analysis; irrigation; lagged model; mathematical modelling; wastewater; water index; tree growth; group method of data handling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2004.005095

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2004 Vol.21 No.4, pp.350 - 364

Published online: 01 Sep 2004 *

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