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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Lauderdale, Florida » Invasive Plant Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #193020
Title: QUALITATIVE ECOLOGICAL MODELING

Author
item Blackwood, Jonathan
item DRESNER, MARION - PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
item LUH, HANG-KWANG - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Teaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/10/2006
Publication Date: 4/13/2006
Citation: Blackwood, J.S., Dresner, M., Luh, H. 2006. Qualitative ecological modeling. Teaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology. 14(26). Available:http://tiee.ecoed.net

Interpretive Summary: The paper provides a template for educators to incorporate qualitative ecological modeling projects into undergraduate through graduate school ecology or environmental science courses.

Technical Abstract: Students construct qualitative models of an ecosystem and use the models to evaluate the direct and indirect effects that may result from perturbations to the ecosystem. Qualitative modeling is described for use in two procedures, each with different educational goals and student backgrounds in mind. The first procedure (part I), designed with the non-major or beginning ecology student in mind, is ideally used in conjunction with a field-based trip or experiment. It is intended both to improve student understanding of the ecosystem of interest and to provide an ability for the instructor to assess student learning. The second procedure (part II) is designed for more advanced students of ecology. It involves the use of modeling software to analyze ecosystem stability, to make predictions about the outcomes of perturbations to the system and to validate predictions with computer simulations. Approximately two lab periods are required for either activity. In either case, students will generate qualitative ecosystem models, undertake some degree of analysis, and provide responses to essay questions.