Describing space-time patterns in aquatic ecology using IBMs and scaling and multi-scaling approaches

Authored by V Ginot, S Souissi, L Seuront, FG Schmitt

Date Published: 2005

DOI: 10.1016/j.nonrwa.2004.12.013

Sponsors: No sponsors listed

Platforms: Smalltalk Mobidyc

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Flow charts Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: http://w3.avignon.inra.fr/mobidyc/index.php/English_summary

Abstract

In this paper a new simulation platform, ``Mobidyc{''}, dedicated to non-computer expert end-users, is used to illustrate the advantages of such platforms for simulating population dynamics in space and time. Using dedicated and open-source platforms probably represents a necessary step to guarantee the readability and comparison between models and/or scenarios. The ``Mobidye{''} platform is specifically dedicated to population dynamics with 2D-discrete spatial representation. We show first how to build easily stage-structured population dynamics models, on the basis of an experimental parameterization of the population dynamic of the copepod Eurytemora affinis, the most dominant species in estuaries of the Northern hemisphere. We subsequently focus on the role of spatial representation and the possible sources of heterogeneities in copepod populations. The sources generating patterns in our examples are strictly endogenous to the population and individual characteristics. They are generated by the random walk of individual at local scale and the demographic processes (birth, metamorphosis and mortality) at the population scale in the absence of any externally imposed pattern. The large spatio-temporal data sets of abundances of total population are analysed statistically. Spatial and temporal patterns are investigated using models and data analysis techniques initially developed in the fields of turbulence and nonlinear physics (e.g. scaling and multi-scaling approaches for data analysis and stochastic simulation). Finally, the role of simulation tools for theoretical studies is discussed in this paper. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tags

individual-based models systems Spatiotemporal patterns Phytoplankton Variability Population-dynamics Plankton patchiness Copepod eurytemora-affinis Estuarine copepod Multifractal analysis