Towards a standard for the individual-based modeling of plant populations: self-thinning and the field-of-neighborhood approach
Uta Berger
Hanno Hildenbrandt
Volker Grimm
Abstract
In classical theoretical ecology there are numerous standard models which are simple, generally applicable, and have well-known properties. These standard models are widely used as building blocks for all kinds of theoretical and applied models. In contrast, there is a total lack of standard individual-based models (IBM's), even though they are badly needed if the advantages of the individual-based approach are to be exploited more efficiently. We discuss the recently developed ‘field-of-neighborhood’ approach as a possible standard for modeling plant populations. In this approach, a plant is characterized by a circular zone of influence that grows with the plant, and a field of neighborhood that for each point within the zone of influence describes the strength of competition, i.e., growth reduction, on neighboring plants. Local competition is thus described phenomenologically. We show that a model of mangrove forest dynamics, KiWi, which is based on the FON approach, is capable of reproducing self-thinning trajectories in an almost textbook-like manner. In addition, we show that the entire biomass-density trajectory (bdt) can be divided into four sections which are related to the skewness of the stem diameter distributions of the cohort. The skewness shows two zero crossings during the complete development of the population. These zero crossings indicate the beginning and the end of the self-thinning process. A characteristic decay of the positive skewness accompanies the occurrence of a linear bdt section, the well-known self-thinning line. Although the slope of this line is not fixed, it is confined in two directions, with morphological constraints determining the lower limit and the strength of neighborhood competition exerted by the individuals marking the upper limit.
Berger U., Hildenbrandt H. and Grimm V. (2002) Towards a standard for the individual-based modeling of plant populations: self-thinning and the field-of-neighborhood approach. Natural Resource Modeling 15(1): 39-54. 10.1111/j.1939-7445.2002.tb00079.x
@article{Berger2002,
Title = {Towards a standard for the individual-based modeling of plant populations: self-thinning and the field-of-neighborhood approach},
Author = {Berger, Uta and Hildenbrandt, Hanno and Grimm, Volker},
Editor = {},
Journal = {Natural Resource Modeling},
Year = {2002},
Pages = {39-54},
Volume = {15},
Doi = {10.1111/j.1939-7445.2002.tb00079.x},
Abstract = {In classical theoretical ecology there are numerous standard models which are simple, generally applicable, and have well-known properties. These standard models are widely used as building blocks for all kinds of theoretical and applied models. In contrast, there is a total lack of standard individual-based models (IBM's), even though they are badly needed if the advantages of the individual-based approach are to be exploited more efficiently. We discuss the recently developed ‘field-of-neighborhood’ approach as a possible standard for modeling plant populations. In this approach, a plant is characterized by a circular zone of influence that grows with the plant, and a field of neighborhood that for each point within the zone of influence describes the strength of competition, i.e., growth reduction, on neighboring plants. Local competition is thus described phenomenologically. We show that a model of mangrove forest dynamics, KiWi, which is based on the FON approach, is capable of reproducing self-thinning trajectories in an almost textbook-like manner. In addition, we show that the entire biomass-density trajectory (bdt) can be divided into four sections which are related to the skewness of the stem diameter distributions of the cohort. The skewness shows two zero crossings during the complete development of the population. These zero crossings indicate the beginning and the end of the self-thinning process. A characteristic decay of the positive skewness accompanies the occurrence of a linear bdt section, the well-known self-thinning line. Although the slope of this line is not fixed, it is confined in two directions, with morphological constraints determining the lower limit and the strength of neighborhood competition exerted by the individuals marking the upper limit.},
}
TY - JOUR
AU - Berger, Uta
AU - Hildenbrandt, Hanno
AU - Grimm, Volker
TI - Towards a standard for the individual-based modeling of plant populations: self-thinning and the field-of-neighborhood approach
T2 - Natural Resource Modeling
PY - 2002
SP - 39-54
VL - 15
DO - 10.1111/j.1939-7445.2002.tb00079.x
AB - In classical theoretical ecology there are numerous standard models which are simple, generally applicable, and have well-known properties. These standard models are widely used as building blocks for all kinds of theoretical and applied models. In contrast, there is a total lack of standard individual-based models (IBM's), even though they are badly needed if the advantages of the individual-based approach are to be exploited more efficiently. We discuss the recently developed ‘field-of-neighborhood’ approach as a possible standard for modeling plant populations. In this approach, a plant is characterized by a circular zone of influence that grows with the plant, and a field of neighborhood that for each point within the zone of influence describes the strength of competition, i.e., growth reduction, on neighboring plants. Local competition is thus described phenomenologically. We show that a model of mangrove forest dynamics, KiWi, which is based on the FON approach, is capable of reproducing self-thinning trajectories in an almost textbook-like manner. In addition, we show that the entire biomass-density trajectory (bdt) can be divided into four sections which are related to the skewness of the stem diameter distributions of the cohort. The skewness shows two zero crossings during the complete development of the population. These zero crossings indicate the beginning and the end of the self-thinning process. A characteristic decay of the positive skewness accompanies the occurrence of a linear bdt section, the well-known self-thinning line. Although the slope of this line is not fixed, it is confined in two directions, with morphological constraints determining the lower limit and the strength of neighborhood competition exerted by the individuals marking the upper limit.
ER -
