Modelling an ecosystem: The example of agro-ecosystems

Authored by Geoffrey Caron-Lormier, David A Bohan, Cathy Hawes, Alan Raybould, Roger W Humphry, Richard Dye

Date Published: 2011

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2010.11.028

Sponsors: No sponsors listed

Platforms: No platforms listed

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Flow charts Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

Methods to predict ecosystem responses to changing environmental conditions, including options for mitigation and management, are vital for scientists and policy makers. We propose that modelling ecosystems by grouping species into trophic-functional types has great utility, because it is potentially generic and applicable to any ecosystem. Here we describe in details a trophic-functional ecosystem model of arable agriculture (the TrophicLINK model), constructed using an individual-based model, and present some supporting sensitivity tests of the model performing according to our expectations for the arable ecosystem. We vary parameters for particular plant and invertebrate trophic-functional types and we show that the model is sensitive to the values chosen. Though this trophic-functional method for modelling ecosystems will be subject to further sensitivity tests and empirical validation, we argue that the modelling structure is fit for investigating the impact of changes in agro-ecosystems. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Tags
resilience systems Density Plant Strength Food-web structure Trophic cascades Farm-scale evaluations Herbicide-tolerant crops Predator diversity