Modelling for Field Biologists and Other Interesting PeopleStudents of evolutionary and behavioural ecology are often unfamiliar with mathematical techniques, though much of biology relies on mathematics. Evolutionary ideas are often complex, meaning that the logic of hypotheses proposed should not only be tested empirically but also mathematically. There are numerous different modelling tools used by ecologists, ranging from population genetic 'bookkeeping', to game theory and individual-based computer simulations. Due to the many different modelling options available, it is often difficult to know where to start. Hanna Kokko has designed this 2007 book to help with these decisions. Each method described is illustrated with one or two biologically interesting examples that have been chosen to help overcome fears of many biologists when faced with mathematical work, whilst also providing the programming code (Matlab) for each problem. Aimed primarily at students of evolutionary and behavioural ecology, this book will be of interest to any biologist interested in mathematical modelling. |
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Page 5
... produce more leverets (baby hares) than few hares can. Likewise, lots of lynx can produce lots of new lynx. How lynx and hare populations respond to each other, however, differs between the species. Lynx populations tend to increase ...
... produce more leverets (baby hares) than few hares can. Likewise, lots of lynx can produce lots of new lynx. How lynx and hare populations respond to each other, however, differs between the species. Lynx populations tend to increase ...
Page 8
... producing a diversity of outcomes – but when asked why the model produces these effects of A and B, we still have no answer that can be expressed in a language that anyone's intuition can understand. Removing some additional detail from ...
... producing a diversity of outcomes – but when asked why the model produces these effects of A and B, we still have no answer that can be expressed in a language that anyone's intuition can understand. Removing some additional detail from ...
Page 9
... produced a totally different answer? The answer is...we don't really know, unless we build the more complicated model too. (Which means that modellers rarely run out of models to study.3) Alternatively, it is often the case that the ...
... produced a totally different answer? The answer is...we don't really know, unless we build the more complicated model too. (Which means that modellers rarely run out of models to study.3) Alternatively, it is often the case that the ...
Page 11
... producing results night after night, and the data can be summarized in a vast number of graphs – but did we really gain an understanding of why this or that curve went up or down when varying one of the umpteen parameters? Rarely. Very ...
... producing results night after night, and the data can be summarized in a vast number of graphs – but did we really gain an understanding of why this or that curve went up or down when varying one of the umpteen parameters? Rarely. Very ...
Page 18
... produced in each of these matings? What alleles will the offspring be carrying? We shall now tackle each of these questions in turn. Regardless if female or male, an adult individual will have the A allele with probability x, and the ...
... produced in each of these matings? What alleles will the offspring be carrying? We shall now tackle each of these questions in turn. Regardless if female or male, an adult individual will have the A allele with probability x, and the ...
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Common terms and phrases
allele argument assume assumptions barnacle behaviour benefit best response biological biomass Bird migration birds body condition breeding butterfly calculate choice consider costs defined definition denote depends derivative different values diploid dispersal distribution dynamic equals equation equilibrium evolution evolutionary rescue exactly example expected fecundity females figure find finding first fitness fixed foraging frequency function game theory gene genetic genotypes growth haploid happens height increase individuals influence Kokko look low-quality male male trait male’s mathematical mathematical beauty mating season mating success Matlab means morph mutant natural selection nonmigrants notation one’s optimal options outcomes pA·A parameter patch pay-off perhaps phenotypic photosynthesis plant plot population population genetic possible predators predict probability produce quantitative genetic reaction norm reason reflect reproductive success resident strategy result selection sexual simply simulations solutions specific sufficient survival switchpoint territories Turku zero
Popular passages
Page 16 - In that Empire, the craft of Cartography attained such Perfection that the Map of a Single province covered the space of an entire City, and the Map of the Empire itself an entire Province. In the course of Time, these Extensive maps were found...
Page 16 - Cartographers evolved a Map of the Empire that was of the same Scale as the Empire and that coincided with it point for point. Less attentive to the Study of Cartography, succeeding Generations came to judge a map of such magnitude cumbersome, and, not without Irreverence, they abandoned it to the Rigours of Sun and Rain. In the western Deserts, tattered Fragments of the Map are still to be found...
Page 8 - A(2:3,1:2) %from 2nd row to 3rd row, from 1st column to 2nd column ans =4 5 7 8 »A(2,:) %2nd row, all columns ans =4 5 6 The colon ( : ) is used for defining an arithmetic (equal difference) sequence without the...