InVEST User Guide

Suggested citation: Natural Capital Project, 2022. InVEST 3.12.1.post6+ug.g3c8454b User’s Guide. Stanford University, University of Minnesota, Chinese Academy of Sciences, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, and Stockholm Resilience Centre.

Contributors*:

Angarita, Héctor Arkema, Katie Bhagabati, Nirmal Bailey, Allison Bernhardt, Joanna Bierbower, Will Brauman, Kate Bryant, Benjamin Cameron, David Chan, Kai Chaplin-Kramer, Rebecca Chaumont, Nicolas Conte, Marc Daily, Gretchen Davies, Jeremy Delevaux, Jade Denu, Douglas Douglass, James Eichelberger, Bradley Ennaanay, Driss Faries, Joe Fisher, David Glowinski, Kathryn Goldstein, Jesse Goldstein, Joshua Griffin, Robert

Guannel, Gregory Guerry, Anne Guswa, Andrew Janke, Ben Johnson, Justin Hamel, Perrine Han, Baolong Kareiva, Peter Kennedy, Christina Kim, Choong-Ki Lacayo-Emery, Martin Leon, Jorge Lin, Chia-Yi (Joanna) Liu, Hongxiao Lonsdorf, Eric Lozano, Juan Sebastian Mandle, Lisa Mendoza, Guillermo Moritsch, Monica Mueller, Nathan Nelson, Erik Nootenboom, Chris Olwero, Nasser Ouyang, Zhiyun Papenfus, Michael Pennington, Derric

Perelman, Adam Polasky, Stephen Reguero, Borja Remme, Roy Ricketts, Taylor Rogers, Lauren Ruckelshaus, Mary Silver, Jessica Schmitt, Rafael Sharp, Richard Shaw, Rebecca Soth, Emily Tallis, Heather Tam, Christine Toft, Jodie Underwood, Emma Verutes, Gregory Vogl, Adrian Wolny, Stacie Wood, Spencer Wright, Michael Wyatt, Katherine Qi, Yi Zheng, Hua Ziv, Guy

In addition, we acknowledge the help of hundreds of collaborators co-creating solutions in engagements around the world.

*We do our best to keep this list comprehensive and up to date but recognize we may have inadvertently missed someone. If you do not see your name listed above and think it should be, please contact naturalcapitalproject@stanford.edu.

Introduction and Getting Started

• Why We Need Tools to Map and Value Ecosystem Services
  • Introduction
  • Who Should Use InVEST?
  • Introduction to InVEST
  • Using InVEST to Inform Decisions
  • A Work in Progress
  • This Guide
• Getting Started
  • Installing InVEST and sample data on your Windows computer
  • Installing InVEST on your Mac
  • Quick Start InVEST Tutorial
  • GIS Skills
  • Standalone InVEST Tools
  • Older InVEST Versions
  • Using sample data
  • Formatting your data
  • Running the models
  • Support and Error Reporting
  • Working with the DEM
• Input Types
  • number
  • ratio
  • percent
  • integer
  • text
  • option
  • true/false
  • CSV
  • raster
  • vector
  • directory
  • file

• Using InVEST
• Data Sources

InVEST Models

Supporting & Final Ecosystem Services

• Annual Water Yield
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The Model
  • Data Needs
  • Interpreting Results
  • Appendix 1: Data Sources
  • Appendix 2: Calibration of Water Yield Model
  • References
• Carbon Storage and Sequestration
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The Model
  • Data Needs
  • Appendix: Data Sources
  • References
• Coastal Blue Carbon
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The Model
  • Limitations and Simplifications
  • Data Needs and Running the Model
  • Example Use-Case
  • Appendix: Global Database of Carbon Values
  • References
• Coastal Vulnerability Model
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The Model
  • Limitations and Simplifications
  • Data Needs
  • Interpreting results
  • Appendix A
  • Appendix B
  • References
• Crop Production
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The Model
  • Data Needs
  • Interpreting Results
  • References
• Forest Carbon Edge Effect
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The model
  • Data needs
  • Interpreting Results
  • Appendix: Data Sources
  • References
• InVEST GLOBIO Model
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The model
  • Data needs
  • Interpreting Results
  • References
• Habitat Quality
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The Model
  • Data Needs
  • References
• Habitat Risk Assessment
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The Model
  • Data Needs
  • Interpreting Results
  • Appendix
  • References
• NDR: Nutrient Delivery Ratio
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The Model
  • Data Needs
  • Appendix: Data sources
  • References
• Offshore Wind Energy Production
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The Model
  • Data Needs
  • Interpreting Results
  • Data Sources
  • References
• Crop Pollination (Pollinator Abundance)
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The Model
  • Data Needs
  • Interpreting Results
  • Appendix: Table of Variables
  • Appendix: Data Sources
  • References
• SDR: Sediment Delivery Ratio
  • Summary
  • Recent changes to the SDR model
  • Introduction
  • The Model
  • Evaluating Sediment Retention Services
  • Data Needs
  • Appendix 1: Data Sources
  • Appendix 2: Representation of Additional Sources and Sinks of Sediment
  • References
• Seasonal Water Yield
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The Model
  • Data needs
  • Appendix 1: Data sources and guidance for parameter selection
  • Appendix 2: \({\mathbf{\alpha},\mathbf{\beta}}_{\mathbf{i}},\)and \(gamma\) parameters definition and alternative values
  • References
• Scenic Quality
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The Model
  • Limitations and Simplifications
  • Data Needs
  • References
• Urban Cooling Model
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The Model
  • Limitations and Simplifications
  • Data Needs
  • Interpreting Results
  • Appendix: Data Sources and Guidance for Parameter Selection
  • FAQs
  • References
• Urban Flood Risk Mitigation model
  • Introduction
  • The model
  • Data Needs
  • Interpreting Outputs
  • Appendix: Data sources and Guidance for Parameter Selection
  • References
• Urban Nature Access Model
• Urban Stormwater Retention Model
  • Overview
  • The Model
  • Data Needs
  • Interpreting Results
  • Input Guidance
  • Appendix 1: Assessing the Retention Coefficient Adjustment
  • Appendix 2: Differences between InVEST and other models
  • References
• Visitation: Recreation and Tourism
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The Model
  • Data Needs
  • Running the Model
  • Interpreting Results
  • References
• Wave Energy Production
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The Model
  • Data Needs
  • Interpreting Results
  • Case Example Illustrating Results
  • Appendix: Data Sources
  • References

Additional Tools

• DelineateIt
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • Model Steps
  • Tool Inputs
  • Tool Outputs
  • References
• RouteDEM
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • Tool Inputs
  • References
• Scenario Generator: Proximity Based
  • Summary
  • Introduction
  • The model
  • Data needs
  • Interpreting Results
  • Sample Script

Python API

• InVEST Scripting Guide and API
  • Introduction