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Hill 1996) and its import into ecological modelling (Hogeweg and Hesper 1983;
Huston and DeAngelis 1988; DeAngelis and Gross 1992; Wolff 1994). It is reason-
able to state that there now exists an adequate spectrum of approaches to deal
with the broad spectrum of problems in ecology, and these approaches can be
applied individually or in combination with other approaches, whatever is required
by the problem.
This successful development of a highly flexible repertoire of quantitative
approaches is why we consider ecological modelling to be a mature discipline. It
consists of a large body of methodologies appropriate for the full spectrum of
ecological research, from the assessment of small-scale and short-term individual
behavioural pattern (autecology) through various scales and levels of organization
(population, ecosystems, landscapes and biomes) up to processes on the biosphere
level. Because of the wide range of approaches available, both the student who is
interested getting his or her bearings in this field, and the researcher already
working in ecology, need some help and orientation to identify the most reasonable
approaches for a given problem.
24.2 Model Categorization Provides an Orientation
but Hybridization and Mixing of Approaches
Remain Constitutive
The model categorization we have developed in this text for such orientation is not
an ontological one and the structure we used is not mandatory, as it does not
constitute the only reasonable approach. Our design is somewhat subjective and
only one of a number of possible ways of presenting an overview. All models have
the common property that they can represent an existing or an imaginary ecologi-
cal situation in a formal setting that uses particular forms of abstraction. The
process of abstraction entails selecting and conceptually isolating particular rela-
tions from their natural interaction context, while leaving other relations out of
consideration. Since ecology deals with such a wide variety of different situations,
the modeller is required to have not only a profound expertise in ecology but also
needs special creativity in how to handle abstractions. A given modelling applica-
tion does not necessarily need to fall fully into one of the prototypical categories
of model types outlined above. “Model hybridization” is a frequent feature
employed in modelling practice. Thus, modelling applied to ecological problems
is not a cookbook discipline of routine applications and standard procedures. It
does require a background of knowledge of what the scientific standards for
models are and how to apply them in a specific ecological situation, but major
contributions to science usually involve innovative modelling. Thus, model cate-
gorization has a largely didactical and educational purpose. In the actual practice
of science, such categorizations play more a role for orientation rather than for
imposing strict rules.
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