Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Part III
Application Fields, Case Studies
and Examples
Model Applications to Understand Complex Ecological Dynamics
In the previous section of this topic, the most common and important modelling
approaches for ecological purposes were introduced. The following section will
focus on application examples from ecological systems in different regions of the
world, which demonstrate how models contribute to a large variety of issues in
basic and applied research in ecology. With the given examples we intend to give a
motivating insight into the wide field of model applications, from small scale
population processes to landscape representations involving a combination of
different approaches and techniques. Thus, the examples contain both detailed
research results and for specific systems, an overview of model applications.
Although the examples refer to a wide set of different ecological systems, they all
require an approach to deal with complex dynamic behaviour.
Hypothesis Testing on the Landscape Level
Spatial patterns in landscapes can be assessed from two different perspectives: first,
as a result of interactions of the underlying biotic and abiotic processes, and second,
as influenced by the constraints that direct and modify the underlying interactions.
This mutual dependence is further complicated by the permanent change in land use
conditions, which often leads to habitat loss and fragmentation. Here, models can
be of great help to answer hypotheses on causes, effects and potential future
developments. For this purpose, a neutral perspective is often adopted, meaning
that the model generates characteristic spatial patterns without considering specifi-
cally targeted mechanisms referring to underlying ecological processes. In this
sense, these kinds of models are used as a null hypothesis to test deviations in the
empirical data from theoretical expectations.
In Chap. 15, Gardner outlines the historical development of this approach for
Landscape Ecology. He explains the working principles and presents a case study
from the North-American Piedmont Forests in Maryland.
