AGOG 518/ABIO
518/IINF 508 Fall 2008
Ecological
Modeling
This is a
hands-on class which introduces various theoretical and mathematical approaches
for modeling ecological and environmental data. We start with (animal) population
models and move on to plant-based models before scaling up to landscape,
ecosystem, and global modeling. At the end of the semester, we will explore
models for decision making. The class is accompanied by a computer-based
laboratory for the application of existing models. All models and data will be
provided during class. Basic computer and math knowledge is required.
Instructor: Dr. M. Calef
Phone:
591-8563
Email:
mcalef@albany.edu
Office: AS 208
Office
Hours: Tu/Wed
3 to 4 pm and by appointment
Class
meeting time: Wednesday 4:15-7:05 pm in AS 3 (basement), 3 credit hours
Class
website: http://www.albany.edu/~mc969295/modeling.html
Text book:
‘Building models for
conservation and wildlife management’ by A. M. Starfield and A. L. Bleloch, 1991, 2nd edition. Additional
reading will be provided as needed.
Course
Grade:
The course grade is based on a midterm
(15 pts), 4 modeling/writing assignments (15 pts each), and development of a
model with presentation (25 pts). The assignments will be conducted either as
individual or in small groups (2 to 3 students) and consist of a combination of
modeling exercises and a 5 to 10 page write-up. I strongly recommend purchasing
a 1 GB jump drive (<$20) for easy file transfers.
Attendance:
Attendance is
mandatory and this includes being punctual. It is the student’s responsibility
to attend all classes, take notes, and make sure he/she is assigned to a group
especially if he/she misses a class when groups are assigned. If there are
problems with attendance or being punctual, I will take attendance randomly. If
you miss three attendance checks, I will take 10 points off your final grade (~
full letter grade).
Tentative Schedule
|
Date |
Lecture
Topic |
|
Assignment |
|
|
Aug |
27 |
Introduction, Excel Tips & Tricks |
|
- |
|
|
|
Population Models |
|
|
|
Sep |
3 |
Analytic Population Models; Lotka-Volterra |
- |
|
|
Sep |
10 |
Total Pop. Model, roc; Life Stages Pop. Model,
wildebeest |
|
- |
|
Sep |
17 |
Age Structure Pop. Model, elephants; Individual
Based Pop. Model, lions |
|
Midterm |
|
|
|
Vegetation Models |
|
|
|
Sep |
24 |
Forrester Diagrams, Gap Vegetation Models, Discriminant Function, Linear & Logistic Regression |
Succession - 1 |
|
|
Oct |
1 |
*** Rosh Hashanah *** |
|
“ |
|
Oct |
8 |
*** Yom Kippur *** |
|
“ |
|
Oct |
15 |
Heterogeneous Landscape Models, cellular
automata, Markov models, differential equation models; System models,
Frame-based modeling |
Ch. 5, Shugart |
DUE Super Excel – 2 (indiv.) |
|
|
|
Landscape Models |
|
|
|
Oct |
22 |
Modeling Alaskan Vegetation: ArcVeg,
ALFRESCO |
DUE Boreal – 3 |
|
|
Oct |
29 |
Guest Speaker: Dr. John Davis: conservation model
for Montgomery County, NY; Caribou Model |
“ |
|
|
|
|
Decision Making |
|
|
|
Nov |
5 |
Decision Making, Decision trees, expert systems, pet-o-matic;
Multiple Stake holders, decision making; SMART |
|
DUE |
|
Nov |
12 |
Linear Programming, valley and highland,
optimization; Linear & Binary Integer Programming |
|
|
|
Nov |
19 |
Modeling Global Climate Change |
|
|
|
Nov |
26 |
** Thanksgiving Break *** |
|
|
|
Dec |
3 |
Presentations |
|
PRESENT |
