Standardized ecological indicators to assess aquatic food webs: the ECOIND software plug-in for Ecopath with Ecosim models
Coll, M.; Steenbeek, J. (2017). Standardized ecological indicators to assess aquatic food webs: the ECOIND software plug-in for Ecopath with Ecosim models. Environ. Model. Softw. 89: 120-130. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2016.12.004
In: Environmental Modelling & Software. Elsevier: Oxford. ISSN 1364-8152; e-ISSN 1873-6726, meer
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| Author keywords |
Software plug-in; Ecological standardized indicators; Environmental status; Food web models; Ecopath with Ecosim; Ecospace |
| Abstract |
Ecological indicators are useful tools to analyse and communicate historical changes in ecosystems and plausible future scenarios while evaluating environmental status. Here we introduce a new plug-in to the Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) food web modelling approach, which is widely used to quantitatively describe aquatic ecosystems. The plug-in (ECOIND) calculates standardized ecological indicators. We describe the primary functionality of ECOIND and provide an example of its application in both static and temporal-spatial dynamic modelling, while we highlight several related features including a new taxonomy input database (species traits) and the ability to analyse input uncertainty on output results. ECOIND adds new capabilities to the widely used EwE food web modelling approach and enables broadening its applications into biodiversity and conservation-based frameworks to contribute to integrated ecosystem analyses. |
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