The interest in spatial relations and patterns has become more prevalent, and today most ecological models are spatially explicit. A major driving factor behind this trend has been a strive towards more realistic models, together with a rapidly growing availability and accessibility of spatial data and the necessary computer power to process these data. In my talk, I will use ongoing projects in my research group on Spatial Simulation at the Department of Geoinformatics – Z_GIS to highlight the added value that spatially-explicit modelling can hold for advancing the understanding of complex ecological systems: What is special about spatial? How can the concept of individual-based ecology and associated geocomputational methods help to unveil how a system functions? Can the spatial perspective help ecological models to learn from ‘big data’ and turn it into ‘big understanding’? Last but not least, I will discuss what are the challenges ahead, where are the limitations and what are the most promising lines of further research.

Dr. Jana PetermannundUniv.-Prof. Dr. Ulrike-G. Berninger FB-Leiterin
Gäste sind wie immer herzlich willkommen!