Re: Publication

[Lawrence A. Janowitch]

Is this on the Web?

----- Original Message -----
From: M Lang / S Railsback <address@hidden>
To: swarm modelling <address@hidden>
Sent: Monday, May 07, 2001 9:50 AM
Subject: Publication


> May I humbly point out the recent publication of the following article,
> which evolved from a talk I gave at SwarmFest 1999.
>
> Railsback, S. F. (2001). Concepts from Complex Adaptive Systems as a
> framework for individual-based modelling. Ecological Modelling 139:
> 47-62.
>
> Abstract:
> Individual-based models (IBMs) have long been proposed as a key tool for
> understanding and predicting ecosystem complexities, yet this approach
> has so far contributed relatively little to basic or applied ecology.
> Fundamental reasons for the disappointing contribution of IBMs have been
> the failure to address critical computer implementation issues and, in
> the continuing absence of a theoretical foundation for IBMs, conceptual
> flaws in model formulation. At the same time, researchers in the new
> field of Complex Adaptive Systems have been studying how complex
> behaviors emerge in systems of relatively simple interacting
> individuals. Research on Complex Adaptive Systems, while still new and
> informal, has identified key concepts for making individual-based
> systems realistic and lifelike. I propose that explicit consideration of
> the following concepts should make the design of IBMs less ad hoc and
> more likely to produce models of value for basic and applied ecology.
> (1) Emergence: what behaviors should emerge from the model's mechanistic
> representation of key processes vs. being imposed on the model as
> empirical relations? (2) Adaptation: given the model's temporal and
> spatial scales, what adaptive processes of individuals should be
> modeled? What mechanisms do individuals use to adapt in response to what
> environmental forces? (3) Fitness: what measures of fitness are
> appropriate to use as the basis for modeling decision making? Should
> fitness measures change with life history stage? (4) Prediction:
> representing fitness-based decision-making realistically can require
> modeling how animals consider future consequences of decisions; what are
> realistic assumptions about how animals predict decision outcomes? (5)
> Computer implementation: what user interfaces are necessary to make the
> model, and especially individual behaviors, observable and testable? How
> will the model's full design and computer implementation be documented
> and tested so results are reproducible and valid?
> --
> address@hidden
> Lang, Railsback & Assoc.
> 250 California Ave., Arcata CA 95521
> 707-822-0453; Fax 822-1868
>
> Until July 1, 2001:
> Los Alamos, NM
> 505-661-4258
>
>
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                  ==================================
   Swarm-Modelling is for discussion of Simulation and Modelling techniques
   esp. using Swarm.  For list administration needs (esp. [un]subscribing),
   please send a message to <address@hidden> with "help" in the
   body of the message.
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