Northern Michigan Universtiy1, Warrenton, OR 97146 Northern Michigan University Alumni2, Marquette, 49855
The goal of the “Island” experiment is the prgrammed simulation of a bounded, isolated, multi-tiered foodweb of animals in the wild. In our experiments the island is initialized with two predator species, two prey species, and a base nutrient for the prey. Initial results show success in stabilizing the population for a minimum of one hundred years of simulated time in at least 80% of trial runs. The starting population distribution on the island is based on actual biological models of predator/prey ratios. Death rates, birth rates, and other simulation parameters are also based on current biological models. After observing and analyzing oscillations in population sizes, we experiment with different initial population distributions to find the predator/prey ratios that will allow all species to survive for at least one hundred years. We hope that eventually computer simulations like this will aid efforts to introduce, or reintroduce, species into habitats by predicting whether the current populations will support the introduced species.
[Abstract (DOC)]