Which Will Survive? An Investigation into the Modeling of Complex Ecosystems

Abstract

When modeling the population of a species, the logistic equation is the first that is invoked; however, this model has some shortcomings when predicting actual population change. This has led to the search of a model that will be able to help predict population change using the current technology, which means that more population-affecting parameters, such as space, density, altitude and interaction, could be included into the model. When adding additional parameters, the complexity of the model is increased dramatically; thus we encounter another problem: not having technology that is able to solve the model. Therefore, one needs to be able to find a model that considers additional parameters while maintaining the integrity of the computer system. This paper will summarize the results that were obtained and possible future directions that could be explored.