BIOTA - AN OBJECT-ORIENTED TOOL FOR MODELING COMPLEX ECOLOGICAL-SYSTEMS

Biota is an object-oriented software application for modeling, simulating, and learning about multispecies population dynamics. Biota uses a variety of mathematical models including versions of the Lotka-Volterra models and the Nicholson-Bailey model, but goes far beyond the capacity of any one model. We begin by describing the class and object hierarchies of Biota and its general functionality. Species, regions, and relations among species are all modeled as objects. This object-oriented decomposition provides Biota with the capacity to model and simulate complex natural interactions among biological populations. Moreover, Biota allows a mixing of models and the representation of causal interactions not found in standard population models. The mixing of models, however, creates problems for estimating the parameters used in complex simulations, detecting and correcting errors, and in understanding the system being simulated. These difficulties are addressed using a novel approach to creating simulations, which we call the behavior partitioning approach. We also discuss classroom experience with Biota, techniques for managing complexity, and its application to resource management.