Moritz Nelle

Virtual Ecosystem Simulation

More explanation about this Webapp, its working, mathematical backend, and an explanation what models in general are, can be found here.

Manuals:

Level 1: Basic Simulation (Getting Started)

This level is about observing the core dynamics of the ecosystem without changing any rules.


Goal: Watch the classic predator-prey population cycle emerge.


  1. Open the App: Navigate to the Virtual Ecosystem Simulator. You will see the main simulation window and the population graph.
  2. Adjust Initial Populations (Optional): Before starting, feel free to change the starting numbers for Initial Plants, Initial Herbivores, and Initial Predators in the main control panel. What happens if you start with very few plants, or many predators? For your very first run, using the defaults is a great way to start.
  3. Start the Simulation: Click the Start Sim button.
  4. Observe: Watch the dots move in the main window and see how the population lines on the graph begin to oscillate. This demonstrates the "boom-and-bust" Population Cycle we discussed in the article.
  5. Stop and Reset: Click Stop Sim. to pause and Reset Sim. to clear the board for a new run and applies changes variables.

Congratulations, you've just witnessed emergence in action! The simple, default rules created a complex, system-wide pattern.

This is where you move from an observer to a true modeler. Instead of following a single goal, your aim here is to experiment with the fundamental rules of the ecosystem. Form your own hypotheses and use the "Advanced Parameters" section to test them.


Exploring the Possibilities:


Click on "Show Advanced Settings" to reveal the sliders and dropdowns that control the core mechanics of the model. Here’s how you can use them to ask interesting questions:

  • Energy Flow: Adjust Plant Growth Rate to simulate different climates. Use Herbivore Energy/Plant and Predator Energy/Herbivore to control how nutritious the food is. Question to test: Can a low-energy ecosystem support predators if the plant growth rate is extremely high?
  • Survival Strategy: Use the Herbivore Speed and Predator Speed sliders to create different chase dynamics. Tweak the Herb. Repro. Energy and Pred. Repro. Energy to set the energy threshold required for reproduction. Question to test: Is it better for a species to reproduce early with low energy, or wait until it has stored a lot of energy?
  • Ecosystem Stability: Use the Interactive Sim End Condition dropdown to change when the simulation automatically stops. This is useful for running specific scenarios, like seeing how long it takes for one group to go extinct.

The Batch Simulation tool is your personal research assistant. It allows you to run a series of simulations automatically while randomly changing the imputs in a user-defined range. This is essential for understanding how sensitive the ecosystem is to a particular parameter and for finding settings that lead to specific outcomes, like maximum stability.


How to Design an Experiment:

  1. Scroll to the Batch Simulation Panel bottom of this page: "Batch Simulation Configuration"
  2. Choose the Parameter to Vary
  3. Set the Experimental Range: Define the Min. and Max. values for each varibale (or keep the defaults).
  4. Define Your Success Metric: The Batch Sim End Condition dropdown is your dependent variable - what you measure to determine the outcom i.e., when does your simulation stop.
  5. Run and Analyze: Click Start Batch. The app will run all the simulations in sequence. The final table shows you the direct relationship between the parameter you changed and the result you measured, allowing you to draw conclusions and discover optimal strategies for survival.

Important Note: All simulations, including batch processing, run entirely within YOUR browser. This is great for security—your data never leaves your machine! However, this also means your computer's performance will directly impact the simulation speed. Depending on your PC's specs, this process might take a while. You have the option to abort early and view the results that have been processed up to that point.

Virtual Ecosystem Simulation

Plants

0

Herbivores

0

Predators

0

Sim Step

0

Status messages will appear here.
Plant Herbivore Predator

Interactive Simulation Settings

120 Steps/Sec
Show Advanced Settings

Advanced Parameters

Population Dynamics Over Time

Batch Simulation Configuration

Parameter Ranges for Batch Runs:

Batch Simulation Results (Top 10)

Results will appear here...