[PDF] Introduction To Ecological Modelling eBook

Author : Mike Gillman
Publisher : Wiley-Blackwell
Page : 216 pages
File Size : 28,51 MB
Release : 1997-04-21
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780632036349

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At present, most books on ecological modelling rely on very complex mathematics, resulting in students and researchers shying away from investigating the potential uses of ecological models and their methods of construction. This new book aims to open up this exciting area to a much wider audience. Assuming only basic mathematical knowledge, the text uses case studies to show how a relatively small set of techniques of model construction can be used in a wide range of important applications. Researchers will find it an invaluable guide to using ecological models in their work. Uses case studies to clearly demonstrate the applications of ecological models. Avoids complex mathematics. A practical how-to guide for ecological researchers. Sample ecological models available via this web site.

Author : Karline Soetaert
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 376 pages
File Size : 13,43 MB
Release : 2008-10-14
Category : Science
ISBN : 1402086245

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Mathematical modelling is an essential tool in present-day ecological research. Yet for many ecologists it is still problematic to apply modelling in their research. In our experience, the major problem is at the conceptual level: proper understanding of what a model is, how ecological relations can be translated consistently into mathematical equations, how models are solved, steady states calculated and interpreted. Many textbooks jump over these conceptual hurdles to dive into detailed formulations or the mathematics of solution. This book attempts to fill that gap. It introduces essential concepts for mathematical modelling, explains the mathematics behind the methods, and helps readers to implement models and obtain hands-on experience. Throughout the book, emphasis is laid on how to translate ecological questions into interpretable models in a practical way. The book aims to be an introductory textbook at the undergraduate-graduate level, but will also be useful to seduce experienced ecologists into the world of modelling. The range of ecological models treated is wide, from Lotka-Volterra type of principle-seeking models to environmental or ecosystem models, and including matrix models, lattice models and sequential decision models. All chapters contain a concise introduction into the theory, worked-out examples and exercises. All examples are implemented in the open-source package R, thus taking away problems of software availability for use of the book. All code used in the book is available on a dedicated website.

Author : Fred Jopp
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 400 pages
File Size : 20,21 MB
Release : 2011-02-11
Category : Science
ISBN : 3642050298

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Model development is of vital importance for understanding and management of ecological processes. Identifying the complex relationships between ecological patterns and processes is a crucial task. Ecological modelling—both qualitatively and quantitatively—plays a vital role in analysing ecological phenomena and for ecological theory. This textbook provides a unique overview of modelling approaches. Representing the state-of-the-art in modern ecology, it shows how to construct and work with various different model types. It introduces the background of each approach and its application in ecology. Differential equations, matrix approaches, individual-based models and many other relevant modelling techniques are explained and demonstrated with their use. The authors provide links to software tools and course materials. With chapters written by leading specialists, “Modelling Complex Ecological Dynamics” is an essential contribution to expand the qualification of students, teachers and scientists alike.

Author : William E. Grant
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 178 pages
File Size : 19,62 MB
Release : 2011-08-26
Category : Science
ISBN : 1444359932

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Ecological Modeling:A Commonsense Approach to Theory and Practice explores how simulation modeling and its new ecological applications can offer solutions to complex natural resource management problems. This is a practical guide for students, teachers, and professional ecologists. Examines four phases of the modeling process: conceptual model formulation, quantitative model specification, model evaluation, and model use Provides useful building blocks for constructing systems simulation models Includes a format for reporting the development and use of simulation models Offers an integrated systems perspective for students, faculty, and professionals Features helpful insights from the author, gained over 30 years of university teaching "I can strongly recommend the book as textbook for all courses in population dynamic modeling particularly when the course is planned for the second or third year of a bachelor study in ecology, environmental science or ecological engineering. It uncovers very clearly for the readers the scientific idea and thinking behind modeling and all the necessary steps in the development of models." Ecological Modeling Journal, 2009

Author : Benjamin M. Bolker
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 408 pages
File Size : 29,57 MB
Release : 2008-07-21
Category : Computers
ISBN : 0691125228

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Introduction and background; Exploratory data analysis and graphics; Deterministic functions for ecological modeling; Probability and stochastic distributions for ecological modeling; Stochatsic simulation and power analysis; Likelihood and all that; Optimization and all that; Likelihood examples; Standar statistics revisited; Modeling variance; Dynamic models.

Author : Hugo Fort
Publisher :
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 34,26 MB
Release : 2024-04-22
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780750361606

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This book focuses on use-inspired basic science by connecting theoretical methods and mathematical developments in ecology with practical real-world problems, either in production or conservation.

Author : Sven Erik Jørgensen
Publisher : WIT Press
Page : 209 pages
File Size : 36,32 MB
Release : 2009-09-10
Category : Science
ISBN : 1845644085

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Addressing the basic concepts of ecological modelling, Jorgensen provides the user with a tool which can assist in the understanding of what various model types/network calculations can do, as well as outlining when to use which type as a tool to solve a specific problem.

Author : S.E. Jorgensen
Publisher : Elsevier
Page : 414 pages
File Size : 42,49 MB
Release : 2011-01-10
Category : Science
ISBN : 0444535683

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Fundamentals of Ecological Modelling: Applications in Environmental Management and Research, Fourth Edition, provides a comprehensive discussion of the fundamental principles of ecological modeling. The first two editions of this book (published in 1986 and 1994) focused on the roots of the discipline the four main model types that dominated the field 30-40 years ago: (1) dynamic biogeochemical models; (2) population dynamic models; (3) ecotoxicological models; and (4) steady-state biogeochemical and energy models. The third edition focused on the mathematical formulations of ecological processes that are included in ecological models. This fourth edition uses the four model types previously listed as the foundation and expands the latest model developments in spatial models, structural dynamic models, and individual-based models. As these seven types of models are very different and require different considerations in the model development phase, a separate chapter is devoted to the development of each of the model types. Throughout the text, the examples given from the literature emphasize the application of models for environmental management and research. Presents the most commonly used model types with a step-by-step outline of the modeling procedure used for each Shows readers through an illustrated example of how to use each model in research and management settings New edition is revised to include only essential theory with a focus on applications Includes case studies, illustrations, and exercises (case study of an ecological problem with full illustration on how to solve the problem)

Author : Mike J. Barnsley
Publisher : CRC Press
Page : 433 pages
File Size : 49,28 MB
Release : 2007-02-13
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 142002146X

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Increasingly used to represent climatic, biogeochemical, and ecological systems, computer modeling has become an important tool that should be in every environmental professional’s toolbox. Environmental Modeling: A Practical Introduction is just what it purports to be, a practical introduction to the various methods, techniques, and skills required for computerized environmental modeling. Exploring the broad arena of environmental modeling, the book demonstrates how to represent an environmental problem in conceptual terms, formalize the conceptual model using mathematical expressions, convert the mathematical model into a program that can be run on a desktop or laptop computer, and examine the results produced by the computational model. Equally important, the book imparts skills that allow you to develop, implement, and experiment with a range of computerized environmental models. The emphasis is on active engagement in the modeling process rather than on passive learning about a suite of well-established models. The author takes a practical approach throughout, one that does not get bogged down in the details of the underlying mathematics and that encourages learning through “hands on” experimentation. He provides a set of software tools and data sets that you can use to work through the various examples and exercises presented in each chapter, as well as presentational material and handouts for course tutors. Comprehensive and up-to-date, the book discusses how computational models can be used to represent environmental systems and illustrates how such models improve understanding of the ways in which environmental systems function.

Author : Sven E. Jorgensen
Publisher : CRC Press
Page : 384 pages
File Size : 42,49 MB
Release : 2018-10-03
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 1482278618

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Thermodynamics is used increasingly in ecology to understand the system properties of ecosystems because it is a basic science that describes energy transformation from a holistic view. In the last decade, many contributions to ecosystem theory based on thermodynamics have been published, therefore an important step toward integrating these theories and encouraging a more wide spread use of them is to present them in one volume. An ecosystem consists of interdependent living organisms that are also interdependent with their environment, all of which are involved in a constant transfer of energy and mass within a general state of equilibrium or dis-equilibrium. Thermodynamics can quantify exactly how "organized" or "disorganized" a system is - an extremely useful to know when trying to understand how a dynamic ecosystem is behaving. A part of the Environmental and Ecological (Math) Modeling series, Thermodynamics and Ecology is a book-length study - the first of its kind - of the current thinking on how an ecosystem can be explained and predicted in terms of its thermodynamical behavior. After the introductory chapters on the fundamentals of thermodynamics, the book explains how thermodynamic theory can be specifically applied to the "measurement" of an ecosystem, including the assessment of its state of entropy and enthalpy. Additionally, it will show economists how to put these theories to use when trying to quantify the movement of goods and services through another type of complex living system - a human society.