“…Potential impacts from climate change and rising sea level warrant closer attention to these coastal forest ecosystems (Scavia et al, 2002). However, due to limited resources for long-term monitoring (Amatya and Skaggs, 2011), researchers are increasingly inclined toward the development and application of models to better quantify the complex interrelationships between topography, soil, vegetation, and land use (Wu and Xu, 2006;Tian et al, 2012;Vazquez-Amabile and Engel, 2005). Furthermore, these validated models, as decision making tools (Hashemi and O'Connell, 2010;Rao et al, 2007;Choi et al, 2005), are useful in providing insights on alternative best management practices designed to avoid, reduce, or mitigate the negative impact of anthropogenic activities on water quantity and quality (Amatya et al, 2004;Dai et al, 2010;Bosch et al, 2004;Fernandez et al, 2007;Francos et al, 2001).…”