Ecology

These simulators explore the core mathematical models of Ecology. Several received top ratings from JARS and MERLOT. They may look dated now, but at the time, this was ground-breaking work.

One of our first semesters teaching with CourseWare, back in the late '90's, was a cross-listed undergrad-graduate course. The undergrads were taught modeling with CourseWare. The grad students went deeper, programming the models themselves. It was soon clear to the grad students that the undergrads had it easier. And worse, the undergrads learned the material much better - they blew the grad students away on tests. After that, the students all used the CourseWare.

Predator/Prey with Functional Response

launch Predator/Prey with Functional Response

Predator/Prey with Functional Response is Predator/Prey plus a first scenario to explore Types I, II, and III functional response, the function that relates predator consumption rate to prey abundance. This is the variant of Predator/Prey assigned in class at Yale.

Original: 
December, 1998
Revised: 
October, 2007

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Diversity Metrics

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Diversity Metrics explores species diversity measures. There are 625 possible worlds to explore (four preset). The user samples the species landscape by positioning sample plots or transects one by one, or by using an autosample button. Diversity metrics include the species-area curve, the Shannon-Weaver index, the Simpson index, and beta diversity. Used in teaching Conservation Biology at Yale.

Original: 
September, 2000
Revised: 
May, 2005

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Metapopulation Models

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Metapopulation Models are stochastic models of populations of populations (islands and mainland, with and without a rescue effect). Used to teach Landscape Ecology and Conservation Biology at Yale.

Original: 
November, 2000
Revised: 
April, 2005

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Population Growth Models

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Population Growth Models provides 2 plots to help compare the different basic population growth models of ecology. Multiple functions and parameterizations of those functions can be added to either plot.

Original: 
September, 1998
Revised: 
March, 2005

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Density Dependence

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Density Dependence explores exponential population growth with and without density dependence.

Original: 
August, 1998
Revised: 
March, 2005

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Predator/Prey

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Predator/Prey explores predator/prey coupled population equations. Starting from simple linear codependence, successive scenarios add saturation to the predator, then logistic growth to the prey, then predator interference. At Yale, we assign the functional response variant of this.

Original: 
December, 1998
Revised: 
April, 2005

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Lotka-Volterra Competition

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Explores Lotka-Volterra Competition models on a time series. Same interface as Predator/Prey, but for a different two-species interaction.

Original: 
November, 1998
Revised: 
April, 2005

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Exploitation Ecosystems

launch Exploitation Ecosystems

Exploitation Ecosystems is an introduction to classical theory on 3-trophic level food chains, across a gradient of plant carrying capacities, with choice of two models to control carnivore deathrate.

Original: 
March, 1999
Revised: 
April, 2005

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Density-Dependent Growth and Ricker Diagrams

launch Ricker

Density-Dependent Growth and Ricker Diagrams explores how chaos emerges in population ecology. No longer used - see FracDyn for a more mathematical treatment.

Original: 
January, 2001

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Migrations and Sampling

launch Migrations and Sampling

Migrations and Sampling is an exploration of how sample sites scale up into an overall population, with and without population migration between the sites. Uses Predator/Prey populations at each sample site.

Original: 
June, 2000

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