A probe mechanism to couple spatially explicit agents and landscape models in an integrated modelling framework

Abstract

Many environmental, ecological, and social problems require investigation using a mixture of landscape models, individual‐based models, and some level of interaction between them. Few simulation‐modelling frameworks are structured to handle both styles of model in an integrated fashion. ECO‐COSM is a framework that is capable of handling complex models with both landscape and agent components. Its Probe‐based architecture allows model components to have controlled access to the state of other components. The ProbeWrapper is a modification of this common design approach which allows alterations to the state retrieved from the model and is a critical component of ECO‐COSM's broad modelling capability. It allows agents to apply perceptual filters or measurement errors to their observations of the landscape, or apply decision‐making strategies in the face of incomplete or uncertain observations. ECO‐COSM is demonstrated with a landscape model of metapopulation dynamics, an agent model of squirrel dispersal, and a coupled landscape‐agent model to evaluate field‐data‐acquisition strategies for identifying nutrient or contaminant hotspots.