Ecosystem Modelling

Fish 501

Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries

The University of British Columbia

Term 2, Winter Semester, January to April, 2027

Syllabus & Welcome

OCF elective categories

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

"Ecological, Biological, Economic & Social Studies”
"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

Modelling strategy and data requirements
Mass-balance modelling
Time-dynamic modeling, including climate and other environmental impacts, mediation
Spatial-dynamic modeling
Economic and social aspects and ecological trade-offs
Addressing research and policy questions

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 interest in quantitative methods. "Common ecological sense" is essential. A flair for numbers is an advantage as well.

Schedule

Winter session, term 2: January 5 to April 6, 2027

Time: Mondays from 9:00 to 11:50

The intention is that approximately one third of the time will be spent on presentations and discussions, one third on hands-on tutorials focused on research/policy questions, and one third working on your own research/policy questions.

It is ideal if you have or will develop a research/policy question that can support your own research. If so, we can construct or adopt a model for this purpose—or, if you already have one, use and maybe improve on that model.

Location: AERL 218

Contact Villy Christensen for information or to discuss.

Preparation, assignments and final

There will be a fair amount of reading and other preparations before classes, and you should expect to spend several hours outside class preparing for the next day.

There will not be formal assignments during the course, only a final submission after the last class.

Throughout the course, you will be working on a model either developed during the course or adopted from an existing model. You should expect to spend additional time outside of class to work on your model, and prepare a mini-paper describing the model and underlying research question and findings.

There is no final exam, only a mini-paper due a couple of weeks after the last class.

Required Materials: Open source

Open textbook

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

We're using the BCCampus Pressbooks system for the textbook. Should it ever be down (or if you would like to), you can download a copy of the entire textbook from this link.

Software

Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) version 6.7 or later (free download, open source). Please download it from: https://www.ecopath.org

Computer requirements

A notebook with a Windows operating system. For Mac/Linux users, virtualization software is required; Parallels is recommended. It can be purchased with an education discount at https://www.parallels.com/plans/education (a 14-day free trial can get you started). There are also free versions where VMWare Fusion Pro is recommended. UTM is also an option, freely avaialble from the UTM website. Please see the Virtualization tab on this site for details about installin Fusion, and please try to sort this out before the course. Discuss with Villy as needed.

Background material

Fish 501 in 2021 had numerous guest lectures that were recorded and made available on the Ecopath YouTube channel. You are encouraged to check those out before the course.

Rationale

This is a graduate course, and all participants are expected to prepare for classes—students and instructor alike.

There are no graded tests, mid-term, or final exam. Instead, assessment is based on participation and a mini-paper on a modelling topic chosen by each student.

See Expectations and Grading for further details.

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 at this link.

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

If you are ill

Please do not come to class if you have an illness that could be transmitted to those around you, (e.g., a respiratory infection). We may be able to use Zoom if you are up for it.

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, please contact your instructor to discuss and apply for an academic concession.

More information about UBC’s framework for preventing communicable disease is available here.

Academic concession and accommodations

Students requiring accommodations should consult the UBC guidelines and contact the UBC Centre for Accessibility 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:

Guest lecturers (via Zoom):

Carl Walters

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