Books

Books : reviews

Volker Grimm, Steven F. Railsback.
Individual-based Modeling and Ecology.
Princeton University Press. 2005

Individual-based models are an exciting new tool for ecologists, allowing them to explore how population and ecosystem ecology arises from the ways in which individuals interact with each other and their environment. This is the first in-depth treatment of individual-based modeling and how it can be used to understand how ecological systems work, an approach the authors call “individual-based ecology.”

Grimm and Railsback start with a primer on modeling: how to design models that are as simple as possible while still solving specific problems. Next, they address the problems of theory and conceptual framework for individual-based ecology: What is “theory”? How do we develop reusable models of how system dynamics arise from individuals? What conceptual framework do we use when differential equations no longer apply? An extensive review illustrates the variety of ecological problems already addressed with individual-based models. The authors then address how the mechanics of individual-based modeling differ from those of traditional science and provide extensive guidance on formulating, programming, and analyzing models. This book will be helpful to any ecologist interested in modeling, and to any scientist interested in agent-based modeling.