Predicting Population Dynamics from the Properties of Individuals: A Cross-Level Test of Dynamic Energy Budget Theory
Authored by Volker Grimm, Thomas G Preuss, Roger M Nisbet, Tjalling Jager, Benjamin T Martin
Date Published: 2013
DOI: 10.1086/669904
Sponsors:
European Union
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
United States National Science Foundation (NSF)
Platforms:
NetLogo
Model Documentation:
ODD
Flow charts
Model Code URLs:
http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/suppl/10.1086/669904/suppl_file/deb_daph_v1.nlogo
Abstract
Individual-based models (IBMs) are increasingly used to link the
dynamics of individuals to higher levels of biological organization.
Still, many IBMs are data hungry, species specific, and time-consuming
to develop and analyze. Many of these issues would be resolved by using
general theories of individual dynamics as the basis for IBMs. While
such theories have frequently been examined at the individual level, few
cross-level tests exist that also try to predict population dynamics.
Here we performed a cross-level test of dynamic energy budget (DEB)
theory by parameterizing an individual-based model using
individual-level data of the water flea, Daphnia magna, and comparing
the emerging population dynamics to independent data from population
experiments. We found that DEB theory successfully predicted population
growth rates and peak densities but failed to capture the decline phase.
Further assumptions on food-dependent mortality of juveniles were needed
to capture the population dynamics after the initial population peak.
The resulting model then predicted, without further calibration, characteristic switches between small-and large-amplitude cycles, which
have been observed for Daphnia. We conclude that cross-level tests help
detect gaps in current individual-level theories and ultimately will
lead to theory development and the establishment of a generic basis for
individual-based models and ecology.
Tags
models
growth
allocation
Daphnia-magna
Life-history
Reproduction
Ecological theory
Amplitude cycles
Mytilus-edulis-l
Deb theory