Ecosystem Simulation

Articles in this Topic Discussions in this Topic

Aug 24, 2001

One of the hottest topics of debate in the world these days is the environment. There are those who would bring an end to all industry and human consumption in the name of conservation, while others prefer the aroma and heat of an asphalt and steel planet world over lush jungles and blue skies. Each side points to its studies to show who is right, but we're all left wondering where the truth lies. Now, as analytically- slanted people, wouldn't it be nice if we could see some influence from the realm of simulation to help sort this all out? Fear not! Scientific computing is again making its presence known, as it has in so many other fields of scientific endeavor.

Using computational methods to study the environment comes down to looking at the Earth's inhabitants, and how they impact the planet's physical systems. This fits right into the definition of an ecosystem (on a large scale), so we can begin to see simulation's potential in this area by looking at what's being done, computationally, in the study of various smaller ecosystems.

To begin with, let's cover some basics. An ecosystem consists of a region of space, its physical components, its inhabitants, and the interaction of its inhabitants with their surroundings and each other. Some examples of ecosystems are the Earth, a pond, a rain forest, and a mildew-encrusted bathtub.

As you might imagine there are tons of possible ecosystems to examine, but there are some common features to such studies. Some factors to be considered in this type of research include population growth patterns, renewability of resources, external and internal limitations on internal activity, and the productivity and consumptions of inhabitants. These must be accounted for in order to create a realistic ecosystem model for simulation purposes.

In the coming weeks, we'll look at some basic models of the factors listed above, as well as the types of simulations that are being carried out today to model various ecosystems. In the meantime, a good place to learn more about ecosystem modeling is

http://www.unicamp.br/fea/ortega/java/

Go To Page: 1

The copyright of the article Ecosystem Simulation in Scientific Computing is owned by . Permission to republish Ecosystem Simulation in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.