V685: Integrated Modeling of Humans and the Environment
Fall Semester 2003: Tuesday, 2:30-3:45P and Thursday 2:30-3.45P SPEA 270
Instructor: Marco Janssen
Conceptual and computational models that integrate human activities and ecological dynamics are increasingly used to support environmental policy, such as global climate change, and to study interactions between humans and the environment. The development or use of such models requires familiarity with various topics from different disciplines such as economics, ecology, computer science, political science, anthropology, geography, etc. This course provides an introduction to the building blocks of integrated modeling, such as ecological dynamics, individual and collective decision making. The participants derive an overview of relevant theories from various disciplines, and are illustrated how to integrate them in a common framework. Furthermore, the participants derive a basic introduction to use software to build simulation models.
The software that is used, Vensim and NetLogo, are freeware and downloadable from the internet. This software is user friendly and contains a lot of demo models. During the course various topics will be illustrated with models in Vensim and Netlogo, and the students are expected to perform exercises with these models.
An important part of the course is the research project, which is preferable related to the thesis subject of the students. The resulting research paper can report on actual modeling performed by the student, or a more conceptual discussion on integrated modeling.
Course requirements:
A Paper Proposal is due after 7 weeks. It must include a "Statement of Problem”, procedures and a "Preliminary Annotated Bibliography" (25% of grade). Final paper due on the last class meeting date (counts 50% of grade).
Participation in class is 25% of final grade.
Schedule of the course
September 2: Introduction to the course
September 4: Historical overview of integrated modeling.
September 9: Basic concepts of System Dynamics
September 11: Advanced concepts of System Dynamics
September 16: System Dynamics Programming using Vensim
September 18: - No class – or guest lecture
September 23: Population Biology
September 25: Demographics and Health
September 30: Multiple stable states and resilience
October 2: Resilience theory in practice
October 7: Cellular automata
October 9: Agent-based modeling (ABM)
October 14: Introduction to programming ABM
October 16: Experimental design of agent-based models
October 21: Biogeochemical cycles
October 23: Industrial Ecology
October 28: Progress reports of student projects
October 30: Progress reports of student projects
November 4: Individual decision making
November 6: Models of learning
November 11: Social networks
November 13: Social dilemmas, and evolution of cooperation
November 18: Laboratory experiments and ABM
November 20: Institutional analysis and development framework
November 25-27: Thanksgiving break
December 2: Evolution of rules
December 4: Integrated modeling of ancient societies
December 9: Calibration and validation
December 11: Participatory use of models