1. General Model Information

Name: Spacial Modeling of the Environment (SME) version 1.

Acronym: SME

Contact:

Author(s):

Abstract:

Our first attempt to address the conceptual and computational complexity barriers to spatial ecosystem model development resulted in an early prototype spatial modeling environment (SME, version 1, or SME.1) (Costanza & Maxwell, 1991; Maxwell, 1994; Maxwell & Costanza, 1994), which links an icon-based graphical modeling environment with automatic parallel code generators, allowing researchers to utilize advanced parallel computer architectures without having to invest unnecessary time in computer programming or learning new systems. The SME.1 is implemented as a set of commercially available tools that are linked through our prototype spatial modeling environment (SME). The SME.1 is shown diagrammatically in the figure below. In this version the unit model development and testing is done using STELLA* (Costanza, 1987), a commercially available dynamic simulation model development packages that is very easy to learn and use. The STELLA models represent local ecosystem site models. The site models can be linked through horizontal flows of nutrients, sediments, etc. (via the SME) to form spatial ecosystem models. STELLA generates an output file containing a set of finite difference equations that describe the model, which serves as input to the SME, which translates these equations into parallel C code customized for the targeted platform.

For original document and figure click here

Author of the abstract:
Robert Costanza

Maryland International Institute for Ecological Economics

II. Technical Information

II.1 Executables:

II.2 Source-code:

II.3 Manuals:

II.4 Data:

III. Mathematical Information

III.1 Mathematics

III.2 Quantities

III.2.1 Input

III.2.2 Output

IV. References

V. Further information in the World-Wide-Web

• Robert Costanza
  

VI. Additional remarks

ELM is contructed in a hierarchy using the ecological models, The General Ecosystem Model (GEM)and The Conservation Area Landscape Model(CALM).All these models may be accessed through ECOBAS.

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