Modelling adaptive, spatially aware, and mobile agents: Elk migration in Yellowstone

Abstract

The potential utility of agent‐based models of adaptive, spatially aware, and mobile entities in geographic and ecological research is considerable. Developing this potential, however, presents significant challenges to geographic information science. Modelling the spatio‐temporal behaviour of individuals requires new representational forms that capture how organisms store and use spatial information. New procedures must be developed that simulate how individuals produce bounded knowledge of geographical space through experiential learning, adapt this knowledge to continually changing environments, and apply it to spatial decision‐making processes. In this paper, we present a framework for the representation of adaptive, spatially aware, and mobile agents. To provide context to this research, a multiagent model is constructed to simulate the migratory behaviour of elk (Cervus elaphus) on Yellowstone's northern range. In this simulated environment, intelligent agents learn in ways that enable them to mimic real‐world behaviours and adapt to changing landscapes.