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Barton O, Healey JR, Cordes LS, Davies AJ, Shannon G. Predicting the spatial expansion of an animal population with presence-only data. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10778. [PMID: 38034327 PMCID: PMC10681852 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Predictive models can improve the efficiency of wildlife management by guiding actions at the local, landscape and regional scales. In recent decades, a vast range of modelling techniques have been developed to predict species distributions and patterns of population spread. However, data limitations often constrain the precision and biological realism of models, which make them less useful for supporting decision-making. Complex models can also be challenging to evaluate, and the results are often difficult to interpret for wildlife management practitioners. There is therefore a need to develop techniques that are appropriately robust, but also accessible to a range of end users. We developed a hybrid species distribution model that utilises commonly available presence-only distribution data and minimal demographic information to predict the spread of roe deer (Capreolus caprelous) in Great Britain. We take a novel approach to representing the environment in the model by constraining the size of habitat patches to the home-range area of an individual. Population dynamics are then simplified to a set of generic rules describing patch occupancy. The model is constructed and evaluated using data from a populated region (England and Scotland) and applied to predict regional-scale patterns of spread in a novel region (Wales). It is used to forecast the relative timing of colonisation events and identify important areas for targeted surveillance and management. The study demonstrates the utility of presence-only data for predicting the spread of animal species and describes a method of reducing model complexity while retaining important environmental detail and biological realism. Our modelling approach provides a much-needed opportunity for users without specialist expertise in computer coding to leverage limited data and make robust, easily interpretable predictions of spread to inform proactive population management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owain Barton
- School of Natural SciencesBangor UniversityBangorUK
| | | | | | - Andrew J. Davies
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Rhode IslandKingstonRhode IslandUSA
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2
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Ravaioli G, Domingos T, F M Teixeira R. Data-driven agent-based modelling of incentives for carbon sequestration: The case of sown biodiverse pastures in Portugal. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 338:117834. [PMID: 37011533 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Sown biodiverse permanent pastures rich in legumes (SBP) offset animal farming emissions due to their potential to sequester carbon. From 2009 to 2014 Portugal implemented a programme that provided payments to incentivize the adoption of SBP. However, no proper evaluation of its outcome was conducted. To address this gap, we develop an agent-based model (ABM) at the municipality level to study the adoption of SBP in Portugal and assess the outcome of the programme. We applied the first pure data-driven approach in agricultural land-use ABM, which relies on machine learning algorithms to define the agents' behavioural rules and capture their interaction with biophysical conditions. The ABM confirms that the program effectively expanded the adoption of SBP. However, our estimates indicate that the adoption rate in the absence of payments would have been higher than originally predicted. Furthermore, the existence of the program decreased the adoption rate after its conclusion. These findings underscore the importance of using reliable models and considering residual effects to properly design land use policies. The ABM developed in this study provides a basis for future research aimed at supporting the development of new policies to further promote the adoption of SBP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Ravaioli
- MARETEC - Marine, Environment and Technology Centre, LARSyS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Tiago Domingos
- MARETEC - Marine, Environment and Technology Centre, LARSyS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ricardo F M Teixeira
- MARETEC - Marine, Environment and Technology Centre, LARSyS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal
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3
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Harik G, Alameddine I, Zurayk R, El-Fadel M. An integrated socio-economic agent-based modeling framework towards assessing farmers' decision making under water scarcity and varying utility functions. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 329:117055. [PMID: 36571948 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.117055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
A spatio-temporal Agent Based Modeling (ABM) framework is developed to probabilistically predict farmers' decisions concerning their future farming practices when faced with potential water scarcity induced by future climate change. The proposed framework forecasts farmers' behavior assuming varying utility functions. The functionality of the proposed ABM is illustrated in an agriculturally dominated plain along the Eastern Mediterranean coastline. The model results indicated that modelling farmers as agents, who were solely interested in optimizing their agro-business budget, was only able to reproduce 35% of the answers provided by the farmers through a administered field questionnaire. Model simulations highlighted the importance of representing the farmers' combined socio-economic attributes when assessing their future decisions on land tenure. This approach accounts for social factors, such as the farmers' attitudes, subjective norms, social influence, memories of previous civil unrest and farming traditions, in addition to their economic utility to model farmer decision making. Under this scenario, correspondence between model simulations and farmers' answers reached 95%. Additionally, the model results show that when faced with the negative impacts of climate change, the majority of farmers seek adaptive measures, such as changing their crops and/or seeking new water sources, only when future water shortages were predicted to be low to moderate. Most opt to cease farming and allow their lands to urbanize or go fallow, when future water shortages were predicted to be high. Meanwhile, incorporating and modeling the social influence structures within the ABM diminished farmers' willingness to adapt and doubled their propensity to sell or quit their land. The proposed framework is able to account for a variety of utility functions and to successfully capture the actions and interactions between farmers and their environment; thus, it represents an innovative modeling approach for assessing farmers' behavior and decision-making in the face of future climate change. The nonspecific structure of the framework allows its application at any agriculturally dominated setting facing future water shortages promulgated by a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Harik
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Ibrahim Alameddine
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
| | - R Zurayk
- Department of Landscape Design & Ecosystem Management, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
| | - M El-Fadel
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, American University of Beirut, Lebanon; Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, Khalifa University, United Arab Emirates.
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Reith E, Gosling E, Knoke T, Paul C. Exploring trade-offs in agro-ecological landscapes: using a multi-objective land-use allocation model to support agroforestry research. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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5
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Reeves DC, Haley M, Uyanna A, Rai V. Information Interventions Can Increase Technology Adoption Through Information Network Restructuring. iScience 2022; 25:104794. [PMID: 35968265 PMCID: PMC9372598 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
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Rodríguez A, Cuevas E, Zaldivar D, Morales-Castañeda B, Sarkar R, Houssein EH. An agent-based transmission model of COVID-19 for re-opening policy design. Comput Biol Med 2022; 148:105847. [PMID: 35932728 PMCID: PMC9293792 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.105847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The global pandemic caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease has collapsed the worldwide economy. Elements such as non-obligatory vaccination, new strain variants and lack of discipline to follow social distancing measures suggest the possibility that COVID-19 may continue to exist, exhibiting the behavior of a seasonal disease. As the socio-economic crisis has become unsustainable, all countries are planning strategies to gradually restart their economic and social activities. Initially, several containment measures have been adopted involving social distancing, infection detection tests, and ventilation systems. Despite the implementation of such policies, there exists a lack of evaluation of their performance to reduce the contagion index. This means there are no appropriate indicators to decide which intervention or set of interventions present the most effective result. Under these conditions, the development of models that provide useful information in the design and evaluation of containment measures and re-opening policies is of prime concern. In this paper, a novel approach to model the transmission process of COVID-19 in closed environments is proposed. The proposed model can simulate the effects that result from the complex interaction among individuals when they follow a particular containment measure or re-opening policy. With the proposed model, different hypothetical re-opening policies, that are otherwise impossible to analyze in real conditions, can be tested. Computer experiments demonstrate that the proposed model provides suitable information and realistic predictions, which are appropriate for designing strategies that allow a safe return to economic activities.
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7
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An Agent-Based Model-Driven Decision Support System for Assessment of Agricultural Vulnerability of Sugarcane Facing Climatic Change. MATHEMATICS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/math9233061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, there have been significant changes in weather patterns, mainly caused by sharp increases in temperature, increases in carbon dioxide, and fluctuations in precipitation levels, negatively impacting agricultural production. Agricultural systems are characterized by being vulnerable to the variation of biophysical and socioeconomic factors involved in the development of agricultural activities. Agent-based models (ABMs) enable the study, analysis, and management of ecosystems through their ability to represent networks and their spatial nature. In this research, an ABM is developed to evaluate the behavior and determine the vulnerability in the sugarcane agricultural system; allowing the capitalization of knowledge through characteristics such as social ability and autonomy of the modeled agents through fuzzy logic and system dynamics. The methodology used includes information networks for a dynamic assessment of agricultural risk modeled by time series, system dynamics, uncertain parameters, and experience; which are developed in three stages: vulnerability indicators, crop vulnerability, and total system vulnerability. The development of ABM, a greater impact on the environmental contingency is noted due to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions and the exponential increase in extreme meteorological phenomena threatening the cultivation of sugarcane, making the agricultural sector more vulnerable and reducing the yield of the harvest.
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Turner BL, Lambin EF, Verburg PH. From land-use/land-cover to land system science : This article belongs to Ambio's 50th Anniversary Collection. Theme: Agricultural land use. AMBIO 2021; 50:1291-1294. [PMID: 33713293 PMCID: PMC8116429 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01510-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- B L Turner
- School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning & School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 875302, Tempe, AZ, 85287-5302, USA.
| | - Eric F Lambin
- School of Earth, Energy & Environment Sciences and Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Georges Lemaître Earth and Climate Research Centre, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, 3 place Pasteur, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Peter H Verburg
- Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1111, 1081HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Heppenstall A, Crooks A, Malleson N, Manley E, Ge J, Batty M. Future Developments in Geographical Agent-Based Models: Challenges and Opportunities. GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS 2021; 53:76-91. [PMID: 33678813 PMCID: PMC7898830 DOI: 10.1111/gean.12267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite reaching a point of acceptance as a research tool across the geographical and social sciences, there remain significant methodological challenges for agent-based models. These include recognizing and simulating emergent phenomena, agent representation, construction of behavioral rules, and calibration and validation. While advances in individual-level data and computing power have opened up new research avenues, they have also brought with them a new set of challenges. This article reviews some of the challenges that the field has faced, the opportunities available to advance the state-of-the-art, and the outlook for the field over the next decade. We argue that although agent-based models continue to have enormous promise as a means of developing dynamic spatial simulations, the field needs to fully embrace the potential offered by approaches from machine learning to allow us to fully broaden and deepen our understanding of geographical systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Heppenstall
- School of GeographyUniversity of LeedsLeedsU.K.
- Alan Turing InstituteThe British LibraryLondonU.K.
| | - Andrew Crooks
- Department of Computational and Data Sciences and Department of Geography and Geoinformation ScienceGeorge Mason UniversityFairfaxVAUSA
| | - Nick Malleson
- School of GeographyUniversity of LeedsLeedsU.K.
- Alan Turing InstituteThe British LibraryLondonU.K.
| | - Ed Manley
- School of GeographyUniversity of LeedsLeedsU.K.
- Alan Turing InstituteThe British LibraryLondonU.K.
| | - Jiaqi Ge
- School of GeographyUniversity of LeedsLeedsU.K.
| | - Michael Batty
- Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA)University College LondonLondonU.K.
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Granco G, Heier Stamm JL, Bergtold JS, Daniels MD, Sanderson MR, Sheshukov AY, Mather ME, Caldas MM, Ramsey SM, Lehrter Ii RJ, Haukos DA, Gao J, Chatterjee S, Nifong JC, Aistrup JA. Evaluating environmental change and behavioral decision-making for sustainability policy using an agent-based model: A case study for the Smoky Hill River Watershed, Kansas. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 695:133769. [PMID: 31422326 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Sustainability has been at the forefront of the environmental research agenda of the integrated anthroposphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere since the last century and will continue to be critically important for future environmental science. However, linking humans and the environment through effective policy remains a major challenge for sustainability research and practice. Here we address this gap using an agent-based model (ABM) for a coupled natural and human systems in the Smoky Hill River Watershed (SHRW), Kansas, USA. For this freshwater-dependent agricultural watershed with a highly variable flow regime influenced by human-induced land-use and climate change, we tested the support for an environmental policy designed to conserve and protect fish biodiversity in the SHRW. We develop a proof of concept interdisciplinary ABM that integrates field data on hydrology, ecology (fish richness), social-psychology (value-belief-norm) and economics, to simulate human agents' decisions to support environmental policy. The mechanism to link human behaviors to environmental changes is the social-psychological sequence identified by the value-belief-norm framework and is informed by hydrological and fish ecology models. Our results indicate that (1) cultural factors influence the decision to support the policy; (2) a mechanism modifying social-psychological factors can influence the decision-making process; (3) there is resistance to environmental policy in the SHRW, even under potentially extreme climate conditions; and (4) the best opportunities for policy acceptance were found immediately after extreme environmental events. The modeling approach presented herein explicitly links biophysical and social science has broad generality for sustainability problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Granco
- Department of Geography, Kansas State University, Manhattan, 1002c Seaton Hall, 920 N 17th Street, KS 66506, United States of America.
| | - Jessica L Heier Stamm
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States of America
| | - Jason S Bergtold
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States of America
| | - Melinda D Daniels
- Stroud Water Research Center, Avondale, PA 19311, United States of America
| | - Matthew R Sanderson
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States of America
| | - Aleksey Y Sheshukov
- Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States of America
| | - Martha E Mather
- U.S. Geological Survey, Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States of America
| | - Marcellus M Caldas
- Department of Geography, Kansas State University, Manhattan, 1002c Seaton Hall, 920 N 17th Street, KS 66506, United States of America
| | - Steven M Ramsey
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States of America
| | - Richard J Lehrter Ii
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States of America
| | - David A Haukos
- U.S. Geological Survey, Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States of America
| | - Jungang Gao
- Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States of America
| | - Sarmistha Chatterjee
- Department of Geography, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, United States of America
| | - James C Nifong
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States of America
| | - Joseph A Aistrup
- Department of Political Science, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, United States of America
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11
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Van Schmidt ND, Kovach T, Kilpatrick AM, Oviedo JL, Huntsinger L, Hruska T, Miller NL, Beissinger SR. Integrating social and ecological data to model metapopulation dynamics in coupled human and natural systems. Ecology 2019; 100:e02711. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan D. Van Schmidt
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California–Berkeley 130 Mulford Hall No. 3114 Berkeley California 94720 USA
| | - Tony Kovach
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California–Santa Cruz 130 McAllister Way Santa Cruz California 95060 USA
| | - A. Marm Kilpatrick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California–Santa Cruz 130 McAllister Way Santa Cruz California 95060 USA
| | - Jose L. Oviedo
- Instituto de Políticas y Bienes Públicos Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Calle de Albasanz 26‐28 28037 Madrid Spain
| | - Lynn Huntsinger
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California–Berkeley 130 Mulford Hall No. 3114 Berkeley California 94720 USA
| | - Tracy Hruska
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California–Berkeley 130 Mulford Hall No. 3114 Berkeley California 94720 USA
| | - Norman L. Miller
- Department of Geography University of California–Berkeley 505 McCone Hall No. 4740 Berkeley California 94720 USA
| | - Steven R. Beissinger
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California–Berkeley 130 Mulford Hall No. 3114 Berkeley California 94720 USA
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Lorscheid I, Berger U, Grimm V, Meyer M. From cases to general principles: A call for theory development through agent-based modeling. Ecol Modell 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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13
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Gonzalez-Redin J, Gordon IJ, Hill R, Polhill JG, Dawson TP. Exploring sustainable land use in forested tropical social-ecological systems: A case-study in the Wet Tropics. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 231:940-952. [PMID: 30602255 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.10.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Tropical countries lie at the nexus of three pressing issues for global sustainability: agricultural production, climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. The forces that drive forest protection do not necessarily oppose those that drive forest clearance for development. This decoupling, enhanced by the stronger economic forces compared to conservation, is detrimental for the social-ecological sustainability of forested tropical landscapes. This paper presents an integrated, and spatially-explicit, Agent-Based Model that examines the future impacts of land-use change scenarios on the sustainability of the Wet Tropics region of tropical Queensland, Australia. In particular, the model integrates Bayesian Belief Networks, Geographical Information Systems, empirical data and expert knowledge, under a land-sharing/land-sparing analysis, to study the impact of different landscape configurations on trade-offs and synergies among biodiversity and two ecosystem services (sugarcane production and carbon sequestration). Contrary to most tropical regions, model simulations show that Business As Usual is helping to reconcile these contrasting goals in the forested landscape of the Wet Tropics. The paper analyses which combination of governance and socio-economic factors is causing these positive results. This is an outstanding achievement for a tropical region, considering that most tropical areas are characterized for having stronger economic-land clearing forces compared to conservation forces, which reduce important ecosystem services for human wellbeing and the health of ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julen Gonzalez-Redin
- Information and Computation Sciences, James Hutton Institute (JHI), Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.
| | - Iain J Gordon
- Division of Tropical Environments and Societies, James Cook University (JCU), Cairns and Townsville, QLD, Australia; Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University (ANU), Canberra, ACT, Australia.
| | - Rosemary Hill
- Division of Tropical Environments and Societies, James Cook University (JCU), Cairns and Townsville, QLD, Australia; Land and Water, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Cairns, QLD, Australia.
| | - J Gary Polhill
- Information and Computation Sciences, James Hutton Institute (JHI), Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.
| | - Terence P Dawson
- Department of Geography, King's College London (KCL), Strand, London, England, UK.
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Badham J, Chattoe-Brown E, Gilbert N, Chalabi Z, Kee F, Hunter RF. Developing agent-based models of complex health behaviour. Health Place 2018; 54:170-177. [PMID: 30290315 PMCID: PMC6284360 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Managing non-communicable diseases requires policy makers to adopt a whole systems perspective that adequately represents the complex causal architecture of human behaviour. Agent-based modelling is a computational method to understand the behaviour of complex systems by simulating the actions of entities within the system, including the way these individuals influence and are influenced by their physical and social environment. The potential benefits of this method have led to several calls for greater use in public health research. We discuss three challenges facing potential modellers: model specification, obtaining required data, and developing good practices. We also present steps to assist researchers to meet these challenges and implement their agent-based model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Badham
- UKCRC Centre of Excellence for Public Health Research Northern Ireland, Queen's University Belfast, Institute of Clinical Sciences Block B, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast BT12 6BA, United Kingdom.
| | - Edmund Chattoe-Brown
- School of Media, Communication and Sociology, University of Leicester, Bankfield House, 132 New Walk, Leicester LE1 7JA, United Kingdom
| | - Nigel Gilbert
- Centre for Research in Social Simulation, Department of Sociology, University of Surrey, Guildford GU 2 7XH, United Kingdom
| | - Zaid Chalabi
- Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom
| | - Frank Kee
- UKCRC Centre of Excellence for Public Health Research Northern Ireland, Queen's University Belfast, Institute of Clinical Sciences Block B, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast BT12 6BA, United Kingdom
| | - Ruth F Hunter
- UKCRC Centre of Excellence for Public Health Research Northern Ireland, Queen's University Belfast, Institute of Clinical Sciences Block B, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast BT12 6BA, United Kingdom
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Kum SS, Northridge ME, Metcalf SS. Using focus groups to design systems science models that promote oral health equity. BMC Oral Health 2018; 18:99. [PMID: 29866084 PMCID: PMC5987593 DOI: 10.1186/s12903-018-0560-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the US population overall has experienced improvements in oral health over the past 60 years, oral diseases remain among the most common chronic conditions across the life course. Further, lack of access to oral health care contributes to profound and enduring oral health inequities worldwide. Vulnerable and underserved populations who commonly lack access to oral health care include racial/ethnic minority older adults living in urban environments. The aim of this study was to use a systematic approach to explicate cause and effect relationships in creating a causal map, a type of concept map in which the links between nodes represent causality or influence. METHODS To improve our mental models of the real world and devise strategies to promote oral health equity, methods including system dynamics, agent-based modeling, geographic information science, and social network simulation have been leveraged by the research team. The practice of systems science modeling is situated amidst an ongoing modeling process of observing the real world, formulating mental models of how it works, setting decision rules to guide behavior, and from these heuristics, making decisions that in turn affect the state of the real world. Qualitative data were obtained from focus groups conducted with community-dwelling older adults who self-identify as African American, Dominican, or Puerto Rican to elicit their lived experiences in accessing oral health care in their northern Manhattan neighborhoods. RESULTS The findings of this study support the multi-dimensional and multi-level perspective of access to oral health care and affirm a theorized discrepancy in fit between available dental providers and patients. The lack of information about oral health at the community level may be compromising the use and quality of oral health care among racial/ethnic minority older adults. CONCLUSIONS Well-informed community members may fill critical roles in oral health promotion, as they are viewed as highly credible sources of information and recommendations for dental providers. The next phase of this research will involve incorporating the knowledge gained from this study into simulation models that will be used to explore alternative paths toward improving oral health and health care for racial/ethnic minority older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan S. Kum
- Department of Geography, The State University of New York at Buffalo, 115 Wilkeson Quad, Ellicott Complex, Buffalo, NY 14261-0055 USA
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, 227 East 30th Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10016 USA
| | - Mary E. Northridge
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, New York University College of Dentistry, 433 First Avenue, Room 726, New York, NY 10010 USA
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032 USA
| | - Sara S. Metcalf
- Department of Geography, The State University of New York at Buffalo, 115 Wilkeson Quad, Ellicott Complex, Buffalo, NY 14261-0055 USA
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16
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Integrating Modelling Approaches for Understanding Telecoupling: Global Food Trade and Local Land Use. LAND 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/land6030056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Perry GLW, Wainwright J, Etherington TR, Wilmshurst JM. Experimental Simulation: Using Generative Modeling and Palaeoecological Data to Understand Human-Environment Interactions. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Comparative Approaches for Innovation in Agent-Based Modelling of Landscape Change. LAND 2016. [DOI: 10.3390/land5020013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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