Ecospace: Spatial dynamcis

Introduction to spatial ecosystem Modelling: Ecospace

This session introduces the spatial dimension of ecosystem modeling through Ecospace, the spatially-explicit module of EwE. Ecospace transforms the time-dynamic capabilities of Ecosim into spatially-resolved simulations, enabling you to explore how ecosystem dynamics vary across space and respond to spatially-heterogeneous drivers such as habitat quality, fishing effort distribution, marine protected areas, and environmental gradients. You will learn how spatial processes like dispersal, habitat preferences, and spatial fishing patterns influence ecosystem structure and function, providing essential tools for spatial planning and ecosystem-based management.

Key topics and concepts

Spatial ecosystem dynamics: How ecological processes and trophic interactions vary across space and influence overall ecosystem behavior.

Habitat capacity and suitability: Understanding how different habitats support varying biomass densities and how species-specific habitat preferences shape spatial distributions.

Dispersal and movement: How organisms move between spatial cells based on life stage, foraging behavior, and environmental gradients, affecting population connectivity and spatial structure.

Spatial fishing patterns: Modeling the spatial distribution of fishing effort and evaluating how different fishing strategies affect ecosystem structure across space.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): Simulating spatial closures and evaluating their effectiveness for ecosystem conservation and fisheries management.

Learning outcomes

This session, combined with follow-up  will provide an introduction to and experience with:

1. Constructing spatially-explicit models by defining spatial grids, habitat maps, and dispersal parameters to represent realistic spatial ecosystem structure.

2. Understanding spatial model architecture and the relationship between Ecospace's spatial capabilities and the underlying Ecosim temporal dynamics.

3. Analyzing habitat-species relationships by parameterizing habitat capacity maps and species-specific habitat preferences that determine spatial biomass distributions.

4. Simulating dispersal processes using age/size-structured movement patterns and understanding how connectivity affects population dynamics and spatial resilience.

5. Evaluating spatial management scenarios including the design and assessment of marine protected areas, spatial fishing restrictions, and habitat restoration efforts.

6. Interpreting spatial model outputs through maps, spatial indicators, and comparative analyses to support spatial planning and ecosystem-based management decisions.

7. Recognizing spatial model limitations including data requirements, computational constraints, and the challenges of validating spatial predictions.

Resources and preparation

To prepare for the session, please read through the following chapters in the EwE textbook:

• Spatial modelling primer. When to "go spatial", Euler-Lagrange, domain, time. 

• Introduction to Ecospace. Technical introduction to the Ecospace module.

• Habitat capacity.  About the niche model used to distribute groups spatially.

• Spatial fishery dynamics.  A brief intro

• Spatial applications. 

• Case studies in spatial modeling. This part of the EwE textbook (numerous chapters)  describe examples of Ecospace applications in different ecosystems and management contexts to illustrate practical applications and outcomes.. It's fine to go quickly through these chapters with the aim of getting an overview.

Presentations 

Please look through lectures before class.

04:  Ecospace introduction. 

Tutorials

• Ecospace model, 

• Optional:  Bathymetry map, 

• Optional:  Ecospace map (output)