Dense and sparse aggregations in complex motion: Video coupled with simulation modeling
Authored by Paula Federico, Dobromir T Dimitrov, Gary F McCracken, Thomas G Hallam, Aruna Raghavan, Haritha Kolli, Hairong Qi, Margrit Betke, John K Westbrook, Kimberly Kennard, Thomas H Kunz
Date Published: 2010
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2009.05.012
Sponsors:
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
United States National Science Foundation (NSF)
Cooperative Agreement
Platforms:
C#
Model Documentation:
Other Narrative
Pseudocode
Model Code URLs:
Model code not found
Abstract
Investigations into the complex behaviors of aggregations of highly
mobile animals have not used the link between image processing
technology and simulation modeling fruitfully to address many
fundamental ecological issues. Examples include population censusing, which remains difficult despite the demonstrated ecological importance
of assessing abundance and density of organisms. We introduce a
theoretical framework that connects thermal infrared video imaging with
an individual-based simulation model an approach that appears to be
applicable to a diverse set of aggregated, highly mobile, nocturnal
animals. To demonstrate the framework two applications are presented.
The first is a dense aggregation of Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida
brasiliensis) that exhibits an emergence pattern that has complex
dynamics and the second is a sparse local aggregation of agricultural
pest moths whose dynamics are insipid. The first application uses
individual-based modeling to mimic the behavior in the video of bats
during a nightly emergence from a cave and to provide reliable estimates
of the numbers, and associated error bounds. The second application uses
video recordings of sparse aggregations to provide consistent estimates
of the numbers of flying noctuid moths recorded over a corn and
cotton-dominated agroecosystem in south-central Texas. This does not use
a mathematical model because error estimates tend to be small. (C) 2009
Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Tags
Free-tailed bats
Dietary variation