Adaptation in natural and artificial systems
Adaptation in natural and artificial systems
Hidden order: how adaptation builds complexity
Hidden order: how adaptation builds complexity
Cooperation and community structure in artificial ecosystems
Artificial Life
Emergent Organisation in Colonies of Simple Automata
ECAL '01 Proceedings of the 6th European Conference on Advances in Artificial Life
Non-homogeneous Classifier Systems in a Macro-evolution Process
Learning Classifier Systems, From Foundations to Applications
Integration of Simulation Tools in On-Line Virtual Worlds
VW '00 Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Virtual Worlds
ECAL'07 Proceedings of the 9th European conference on Advances in artificial life
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An individual-based simulation system, named Gecko, is presented for modeling multiple species at multiple trophic levels, on a spatially explicit, continuous two-dimensional landscape. Biologically motivated rules are specified at an individual level, and resulting behaviors are observed at an ecosystem level. Individuals are represented by circles with free range on a resource-producing plane. These circles grow allometrically with biomass of fixed resources. Resource acquisition behaviors include competition by area overlap for producers, and movement based on perception and intent. Individual-level energetics are explicitly modeled with inefficient assimilation, resource transformation, and allometrically specified metabolic costs. Individual growth and reproduction requires a history of successful resource acquisition. Terrestrial producer, herbivore, and carnivore species classes are included, extensible to further classes. A grassland food chain model of "plants," "grasshoppers," and "spiders" is used to demonstrate ecosystem-level results of given individual-level behaviors. Ecosystem-level behaviors include a trophic cascade of indirect carnivore-producer interaction effects; stable persistence of all populations; a near-realistic biomass pyramid; and spatial competition and coexistence of multiple producer species. Initial Gecko results show promise for application in both theoretical and natural ecosystem modeling.