Details zur Publikation

Kategorie Textpublikation
Referenztyp Zeitschriften
DOI 10.1016/S0304-3800(98)00198-7
Titel (primär) From pattern to practice: a scaling-down strategy for spatially explicit modelling illustrated by the spread and control of rabies
Autor Thulke, H.-H. ORCID logo ; Grimm, V.; Müller, M.S.; Staubach, C.; Tischendorf, L.; Wissel, C.; Jeltsch, F.
Quelle Ecological Modelling
Erscheinungsjahr 1999
Department OESA
Band/Volume 117
Seite von 179
Seite bis 202
Sprache englisch
Keywords ecological modelling; spatially explicit; scales; pattern; fox; rabies; vaccination
Abstract A major problem in ecological modelling is finding the appropriate level of resolution when describing the processes and structures of ecological systems. When modelling basic ecological questions, as a rule the best approach is to ignore as much detail as possible in order to obtain general insights. However, for applied problems focusing in particular on ecological systems, there are no clear guidelines for identifying the most appropriate resolution in space, time and the detail of description. Spatially explicit modelling thus has to mainly rely on trial and error in scaling-up from modelling at the local scale to exploration of the model at the global scale. We demonstrate here a modelling strategy that takes the opposite approach: starting at the global scale, with a strategic model of minimum resolution, we proceed step by step to a model addressing applied questions. The strategic model is designed to reproduce a certain pattern observed in nature. As an example, we use the wave-like spreading pattern of rabies. The applied model addresses the question of whether rabies might persist in areas with a high proportion of foxes immunized by oral vaccination. As a consequence of our scaling-down strategy, the resolution of the applied model is not chosen a priori, but emerges from the step by step modelling strategy. During each step of model refinement, one module of the preceding model is described with a slightly increased resolution. This stepwise approach allows both a backward reference to the pattern reproduced by the strategic model and a cross-reference between the coarser and finer version of the module refined. The main potential of the scaling-down strategy is that it leads to efficient models in an efficient way, but since scaling-down is a complement to scaling-up approaches, it might also help to bridge the gap between theoretical and applied ecological modelling.
dauerhafte UFZ-Verlinkung https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=8446
Thulke, H.-H., Grimm, V., Müller, M.S., Staubach, C., Tischendorf, L., Wissel, C., Jeltsch, F. (1999):
From pattern to practice: a scaling-down strategy for spatially explicit modelling illustrated by the spread and control of rabies
Ecol. Model. 117 , 179 - 202 10.1016/S0304-3800(98)00198-7