ARS | Publication request: SPATIALLY EXPLICIT SIMULATION MODELS: THE RELEVANCE FOR MANAGEMENT OF INVASIVES

Submitted to: The 7th International Conference on the Ecology and Management of Alien Plant Invasions
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 3, 2003
Publication Date: November 3, 2003
Citation: Peters, D.C. 2003. Spatially explicit simulation models: The relevance for management of invasives [abstract]. The 7th International Conference on the Ecology and Management of Alien Plant Invasions. Invasive Plants in Natural and Managed Systems: Linking Science and Management. p. 68.

Technical Abstract: Spatially explicit simulation models are a powerful tool for understanding, predicting, and managing invasive species dynamics. Although spatially explicit models are particularly appealing, they are not always appropriate for a given problem. In this presentation, I first examine three general classes of modeling approaches (nonspatial, spatially implicit, spatially explicit) for simulating invasive species and discuss the errors and consequences associated with selecting each model. I then describe the ecological conditions that require a spatially explicit approach (i.e., nonlinear processes, threshold responses, positive feedbacks, and contagious processes). Examples of the types of problems that require spatially explicit models are then provided for invasive species. The usefulness of spatially explicit models for guiding management decisions for invasive species are also discussed.