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SUMMARY:How can we model complex ecosystems with stochastic interactions b
 etween individuals at different spatial and temporal scales? Some case stu
 dies - Tim Benton\, University of Leeds
DTSTART:20101109T130000Z
DTEND:20101109T140000Z
UID:TALK27784@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Microsoft Research Cambridge Talks Admins
DESCRIPTION:How can we model complex ecosystems with stochastic interactio
 ns between individuals at different spatial and temporal scales? Some case
  studies\n\nEcological systems are hugely complex\; and therefore predicit
 ing how they behave raises many issues for modelling.  In ecology\, models
  can be either general\, precise but inaccurate\, or specific\, accurate b
 ut imprecise\, as the more detail they include to make them accurate ties 
 them more closely to specific empirical systems. Further\, the more proces
 ses they contain\, the more imprecise they are likely to become (by creati
 ng variation).  I will illustrate the issues with two empirical examples o
 f ecological systems.  First\, a well-understood soil mite - where (a) the
  environment-phenotype map is very complex due to lagged effects on indivi
 dual development\, leading to considerable "noise" in the dynamics\, and (
 b) the system evolves rapidly\, such that parameters are not stationary.  
 A natural approach to modelling this system is via individual-based models
 \, or trait-based integral-projection models.  The second case study is bi
 odiversity dynamics in agricultural land.  Here different taxa respond to 
 the environment in context-dependent and scale-dependent ways.  We need to
 ols to understand how best to design landscapes for optimal delivery of ec
 osystem services. So the question arises as to how best to model complex e
 cosystems with stochastic interactions between individuals at different sp
 atial and temporal scales.  This is a classic question in systems biology:
  how do you take the necessary information across scales in an efficient w
 ay.
LOCATION:Small lecture theatre\, Microsoft Research Ltd\, 7 J J Thomson Av
 enue (Off Madingley Road)\, Cambridge
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