Invasive Species Simulation allows for observing the effects of an Invasive Producer, Invasive Herbivore, or Invasive Carnivore on a native Ecosystem’s Producers, Herbivores, and Carnivores.
When using the simulation, the window needs to be re-sized once to show all features below. (This is a tech glitch to Starlogo Nova that will eventually be fixed.)
Variables (Changes to the Environment) include:
Amount of Sunshine
Inv Producer Reproduction Rate
Inv Producer Growth Rate
Inv Producer Harm to Native Producers Rate
Inv Herbivore Reproduction Rate
Inv Herbivore Growth Rate
Inv Herbivore Harm to Naive Herbivore Rate
Inv Carnivore Reproduction Rate
Invasive Carnivore Growth Rate
Invasive Carnivore Harm to Native Carnivore Rate
To Run the Simulation
Choose your Variables for amount of Sunshine (0-100).
Click Setup-This will create the map with the native ecosystem populations.
Choose Invasive rates for the Invasive Producers, Invasive Herbivores, and Invasive Carnivores to be studied.
Click Setup to place rates in simulation program.
Choose which Invader to simulate by clicking once on Invading Producer, Invading Herbivores, or Invading Carnivores. (Only choose one invader per simulation to observe. Do not choose two and run the simulation. The program does not take into account interactions between Invasive Species and will give incorrect results)
Click Run Simulation to start, Click Run Simulation again to pause. (If Setup is clicked a new simulation will begin.)
Use the Graphing Buttons to view the Show Total Consumers and Show Total Producers graphs and observe the output in the Population Readers for Native and Invasive populations.
Reload the webpage if the program becomes frozen or not functioning properly.