This book presents the theory and methods of system analysis and computer modelling as applied to problems in ecology and natural resource management. Developments in computer hardware over the past decade have made it possible for a new generation of resource managers to apply more quantitative techniques to resource management. As the problems and conflicts between conflicting uses become ever more complex, there is an ever increasing need for quantitative predictors of the outcome of various managements strategies. This book teaches the techniques that can be used to estimate the results of various management plans.
Partial table of contents: THE SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE. Basic Concepts of Systems Analysis and Simulation. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: FOUR PHASES OF SYSTEMS ANALYSIS. Conceptual--Model Formulation. Quantitative--Model Specification. PRACTICAL GUIDE TO SIMULATION--MODEL DEVELOPMENT AND USE. Modular Representation of System Structure and Dynamics. Reporting the Development and Use of Simulation Models. APPLICATION OF SIMULATION MODELS IN ECOLOGY. Population Dynamics: Effects of Density--Independent and Density--Dependent Factors. APPLICATION OF SIMULATION MODELS IN NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. Forest Management: Effects of Timber Harvest on the Relative Abundance of Wildlife Species. References. About the CD--ROM. Index.