IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecomod/v207y2007i2p137-144.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Reducing model complexity via output sensitivity

Author

Listed:
  • Lawrie, Jock
  • Hearne, John

Abstract

Ecosystem models help us understand the mechanisms that influence ecosystem health indicators. However, if they are too complex, these mechanisms can be difficult to identify. On the other hand, if they are too simple the mechanisms may be distorted or even absent. Determining an appropriate level of model complexity is therefore desirable. This paper introduces two model simplification methods that are based on the sensitivity of performance measures to model rates and components. The first method identifies rates that have little influence on the performance measures and subsequently eliminates them. The second identifies, for a given performance measure, state variables that can be made constant. The methods can be implemented automatically, so that familiarity with the model is not required a priori. Demonstrating with a biogeochemical model of Port Phillip Bay, Australia, we find that significant reduction in model complexity is possible, including reductions in model order. Also, the process of implementing the methods reveals insights into the system that were not obvious beforehand.

Suggested Citation

  • Lawrie, Jock & Hearne, John, 2007. "Reducing model complexity via output sensitivity," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 207(2), pages 137-144.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:207:y:2007:i:2:p:137-144
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2007.04.013
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304380007002372
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2007.04.013?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gibbons, J.M. & Wood, A.T.A. & Craigon, J. & Ramsden, S.J. & Crout, N.M.J., 2010. "Semi-automatic reduction and upscaling of large models: A farm management example," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 221(4), pages 590-598.
    2. Muzy, A. & Nutaro, J.J. & Zeigler, B.P. & Coquillard, P., 2008. "Modeling and simulation of fire spreading through the activity tracking paradigm," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 219(1), pages 212-225.
    3. Bar Massada, Avi & Carmel, Yohay, 2008. "Incorporating output variance in local sensitivity analysis for stochastic models," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 213(3), pages 463-467.
    4. Piqueira, J.R.C. & de Mattos, S.H.V.L. & Vasconcelos-Neto, J., 2009. "Measuring complexity in three-trophic level systems," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 220(3), pages 266-271.
    5. Bartsev, Sergey I. & Degermendzhi, Andrey G. & Erokhin, Dmitry V., 2008. "Principle of the worst scenario in the modelling past and future of biosphere dynamics," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 216(2), pages 160-171.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:207:y:2007:i:2:p:137-144. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/ecological-modelling .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.