Ecosystem Modelling

Syllabus for & Welcome to the Ecosystem Modelling Graduate Course, Fish 501.

OCF elective categories

The course is included in two elective categories for OCF students:

1. "Ecological, Biological, Economic & Social Studies” 

2. "Ocean and Fisheries Assessment and Scientific Methods”   

Course description

• This graduate-level course provides an introduction to ecosystem modelling with a focus on the Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) modelling framework, the world's most widely used ecological modelling software system. 

• The development of EwE has been centred at UBC since the mid 1990s, with the instructor as the lead developer

• Students will learn to develop and apply ecosystem models to address scientific questions related to food web dynamics and ecosystem-based management.  

• The course combines lectures, hands-on tutorials, and individual project work.

Topics covered

1. Modelling strategy and data requirements

2. Mass-balance modelling and parameter estimation

3. Time-dynamic modeling and fitting to time series

4. Climate and other environmental impacts,  mediation

5. Uncertainty analysis, including Monte Carlo and MSE approaches

6. Spatial modeling and optimization

7. Economic and social aspects and ecological trade-offs

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand the principles and applications of ecosystem modelling

• Develop and analyze models using the EwE software

• Apply ecosystem models to address research questions as part of the blue economy

• Critically evaluate ecosystem modelling approaches and results

• Evaluate ecological, economic and social trade-offs in management

Prerequisites

There are no specific prerequisites, but students should have a basic understanding of ecology and an interest in quantitative methods. "Common ecological sense" is essential. 

Schedule

• Winter session, term 2: January 7 – April 8, 2025

• Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00 – 10:50 am.  

• The intention is that around half of the time will be spent on presentations and discussions, and the other half on hands-on tutorials and working on your own model.  There will be more lectures in the first half of the semester and more hands-on in the second half.

• Location: AERL 320

• Contact Villy Christensen for information or to discuss.

Required Materials: All open source

• Open textbook:  Christensen and Walters. 2024. "Ecosystem Modelling with EwE". Freely available at  https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/ewemodel/   

• Software: Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) version 6.7 or later (free download, open source), please download it  from www.ecopath.org. 

• A notebook with Windows operating system. For Mac/Linux users,  a virtualization software is required: Parallels is recommended. It can be purchased with education discount at https://www.parallels.com/plans/education. Please try to sort this out before the course, or discuss with Villy.  

• Fish 501 in  2021  had numerous guest lectures that were recorded, and made available at the Ecopath YouTube channel. We will use some of the recordings in a "flipped class room" setting. 

Rationale

• This is a graduate course, and it is expected of participants that they prepare for classes – students and instructor alike.  

• There are no graded tests, mid-term or final, but instead a mini-paper on a modelling topic chosen by each student.

• See Expectations and Grading for further.

Participation

• This course is open to graduate students at UBC and other Western Canadian universities through the Western Canadian Dean's Agreement.

• Students may audit the course with instructor permission. See G+PS guidelines are at this link.

• Upper-level undergraduate students may be permitted to enroll with instructor approval.

If you are ill

• Please don’t come to class if you have an illness that could be transmitted to those around you, (e.g., a respiratory infection). In this class, the marking scheme is intended to provide flexibility so that you can prioritize your health and still succeed. Please inform your instructor if you are ill; you will not lose participation marks if you miss a small number of classes due to illness. If you are ill for a longer period of time, please contact your instructor to discuss, and apply for an academic concession. More information about UBC’s framework for preventing communicable disease is here.

 Academic concession

• Students requiring accommodations should consult the UBC guidelines , and contact UBC Centre for Accessiblity before or as early as possible in the term.

Academic integrity, Generative Artificial Intelligence, and Copyright

• See separate page.

Instructor: 

• Villy Christensen;  IOF-website link.  

Teaching assistant:

• NA

Guest lecturers (some via Zoom):

• Deng Palomares 

• Santiago de la Puente

• Carl Walters