Conducting reproducible ecosystem modeling using the open source mass balance model Rpath

Sean M. Lucey, Sarah K. Gaichas and Kerim Y. Aydin

Ecological Modelling, 2020, vol. 427, issue C

Abstract: Ecosystem models are important tools for conducting ecosystem-based management. A particularly useful method of characterizing the flow of energy through an ecosystem and the subsequent direct and indirect implications of management actions is mass balance modeling. Here we outline the equations as utilized in Rpath, an R implementation of the mass balance algorithms popularized by Ecopath with Ecosim that are designed to work with fisheries data sources. We believe that common practices in R will aid in the reproducibility of conducting analysis using a mass balance model as all of the code is contained within a single script file. This includes the built-in statistical and graphical functions of R. In addition to added reproducibility, R is a coding language with which ecologists are familiar. This familiarity offers greater flexibility for practitioners to tailor the model to their needs. We have made the code available on an open software development platform which should aid in continuous community development of the tool.

Keywords: Ecopath; Ecosim; Mass balance; Reproducibility; R; Rpath (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304380020301290
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:427:y:2020:i:c:s0304380020301290

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109057

Access Statistics for this article

Ecological Modelling is currently edited by Brian D. Fath

More articles in Ecological Modelling from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().