Individual-based models and approaches in ecology - Populations, communities, and ecosystems (Paperback)

Until fairly recently, populations were handled as homogenized averages, which made modelling feasible but which ignored the essential fact that in any population there is a great variety of individuals of different ages, sizes and degrees of fitness. Recently, because of the increased availability of affordable computer power, approaches have been developed which are able to recognize individual differences. Individual-based models are of great use in the areas of aquatic ecology, terrestrial ecology, landscape or physiological ecology, and agriculture.