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Modeling wildlife populations with HexSim
Citation:
BROOKES, A. F. AND N. H. SCHUMAKER. Modeling wildlife populations with HexSim. Presented at Wildlife Society 18th Annual Conference, Waikoloa, HI, November 05 - 10, 2011.
Impact/Purpose:
HexSim is a framework for constructing spatially-explicit, individual-based computer models designed for simulating terrestrial wildlife population dynamics and interactions. HexSim is useful for a broad set of modeling applications including population viability analysis for one or more wildlife species, studying the consequences for wildlife of multiple interacting disturbances, assessing which habitat components are most critical for population maintenance, quantifying the consequences of species invasions or competition, designing restoration, mitigation, or reintroduction strategies, determining the impacts that roads and other barriers may be having on viability, measuring the consequences for wildlife of changes to landscape connectivity, exploring mechanisms linking human activities to patterns of disease spread, adding realism to the study of landscape genetics, and more.
Description:
HexSim is a framework for constructing spatially-explicit, individual-based computer models designed for simulating terrestrial wildlife population dynamics and interactions. HexSim is useful for a broad set of modeling applications including population viability analysis for one or more wildlife species, studying the consequences for wildlife of multiple interacting disturbances, assessing which habitat components are most critical for population maintenance, quantifying the consequences of species invasions or competition, designing restoration, mitigation, or reintroduction strategies, determining the impacts that roads and other barriers may be having on viability, measuring the consequences for wildlife of changes to landscape connectivity, exploring mechanisms linking human activities to patterns of disease spread, adding realism to the study of landscape genetics, and more. One of HexSim's most salient features is the use of traits in describing individual characteristics. HexSim traits are defined at the population level, but implemented on an individual basis. HexSim’s traits can be used to control most life cycle events using trait combinations to stratify outcomes. In addition, trait values can be influenced by multiple other traits, making it possible to set up stressor interactions and complex feedback loops. Traits can also be used to capture species’ interactions such as parasitism, competition, mutualism, breeding, and so on. HexSim provides many data analysis tools including reports, output maps that illustrate model dynamics, and an animated simulation viewer. In addition, the HexSim Census events can be used to track population size, stratified by any combination of traits. Other usability-related features include a batch processing tool, a sensitivity analysis module, and more.