Individual-based models are an exciting and widely used new tool for
ecology. These computational models allow scientists to explore the
mechanisms through which population and ecosystem ecology arises from
how individuals interact with each other and their environment. This
book provides the first in-depth treatment of individual-based modeling
and its use to develop theoretical understanding of how ecological
systems work, an approach the authors call "individual-based ecology.?
Grimm and Railsback start with a general primer on modeling: how to
design models that are as simple as possible while still allowing
specific problems to be solved, and how to move efficiently through a
cycle of pattern-oriented model design, implementation, and analysis.
Next, they address the problems of theory and conceptual framework for
individual-based ecology: What is "theory"? That is, how do we develop
reusable models of how system dynamics arise from characteristics of
individuals? What conceptual framework do we use when the classical
differential equation framework no longer applies? An extensive review
illustrates the ecological problems that have been addressed with
individual-based models. The authors then identify how the mechanics of
building and using individual-based models differ from those of
traditional science, and provide guidance on formulating, programming,
and analyzing models. This book will be helpful to ecologists interested
in modeling, and to other scientists interested in agent-based modeling.