EcoSim: A Proposal for Null Models Software (SGER)

该提案将资助生态模拟软件（EcoSim）的初步开发、测试和分发。在生态学和进化研究中，模拟是一种重要的分析工具。它们允许研究者提出“假设”的问题，并根据随机模型测试模式。“零模型”是故意排除感兴趣的机制的模拟，并为自然界中的模式提供基准测试。尽管它们很受欢迎，但零模型需要大量的计算机专业知识来构建。许多没有编程技能的生物学家无法在他们的工作中使用零模型。对于同时也是计算机程序员的生物学家来说，构建、测试和调试null模型仍然是非常耗时的。EcoSim是一套独立的软件模块，将满足生物学家对零模型的需求。EcoSim将专门为个人电脑开发，最初将为Windows 95操作系统编写。数据将很容易导入和导出，提供与其他图形和统计软件的完全兼容性。下拉菜单、复选框和功能强大的数据编辑器将允许用户选择各种模拟选项，包括电源测试。输出将以屏幕图形完整记录。模块和界面将在Delphi（一种功能强大的新型编程语言）中编写。EcoSim的主要受众将是社区生态学家和生物地理学家。然而，这些模块将被许多种类的生物学家广泛使用。大学实验室讲师，人口统计学家，评论作者，古生物学家，保护生物学家，环境顾问，渔业生物学家和许多其他人将在EcoSim中找到有用的测试。这些模块将提供适用于基础生态学和应用生态学的分析工具。在向科学界发布之前，EcoSim将进行彻底的文档记录和测试。EcoSim将通过互联网和万维网网站免费分发。EcoSim将是一个独立的程序，包括在线帮助、用户手册、样本数据集和使用零模型的建议。SGER的资助将使我们能够建立用户界面和两个模块：(1)物种多样性和(2)生态位重叠。这些模型可能被大多数生态学家和教育工作者所使用。EcoSim的未来实现将包括以下模块：(3)体型比例，(4)共现，(5)关联函数，(6)物种-区域关系，(7)范围重叠，(8)共享物种，以及(9)集群形成。第十个模块将允许用户用最少的编程构建定制的空模型测试。这第十个用户模块将极大地扩展EcoSim在群体遗传学、人口统计学和行为问题上的应用。EcoSim通过为生态学家提供分析工具，有可能影响大量生态学家。在进化分析的历史中，一个类似的问题指出了软件可用性对科学发展和基础设施的重要性。

This proposal will fund the initial development, testing, and distribution of ecological simulation software (EcoSim). In the study of ecology and evolution, simulations are an important analytical tool. They allow an investigator to ask "what if" questions, and to test patterns against stochastic models. "Null models" are simulations that deliberately exclude a mechanism of interest, and provide benchmark tests for patterns in nature. In spite of their popularity, null models require a good deal of computer expertise to construct. Many biologists without programming skills have been unable to use null models in their work.. For biologists who are also computer programmers, it is still very time-consuming to build, test, and de-bug null models. EcoSim is a set of stand-alone software modules that will satisfy the needs of biologists for null models. EcoSim will be developed specifically for personal computers, and will initially be written for the Windows 95 operating system. Data will be easily imported and exported, providing full compatibility with other graphics and statistics software. Pull-down menus, checkboxes, and a powerful data editor will allow the user to select a variety of simulation options, including power tests. Output will be fully documented with on-screen graphics. The modules and the interface will be programmed in Delphi, a powerful new programming language. The primary audience for EcoSim will be community ecologists and biogeographers. However, the modules will be widely used by many kinds of biologists. College laboratory instructors, demographers, review authors, paleontologists, conservation biologists, environmental consultants, fisheries biologists and many others will find useful tests in EcoSim. The modules will provide analytical tools applicable to both basic and applied ecology. EcoSim will be thoroughly doc umented and tested before its release to the scientific community. EcoSim will be distributed free-of-charge through Internet and a World Wide Web site. EcoSim will be a standalone program that includes on-line help, a user's manual, sample data sets and advice on using null models. Funding from a SGER will allow us to build the user interface and two modules: (1) species diversity and (2) niche overlap. These models are likely to used by the greatest number of ecologists and educators. Future implementations of EcoSim will include modules for (3) body size ratios, (4) co-occurrence, (5) incidence functions, (6) species-area relationships, (7) range overlap, (8) shared species, and (9) cluster formation. A tenth module will allow the user to construct customized null model tests with a minimum of programming. This tenth user-module will greatly expand the utility of EcoSim for problems in population genetics, demography, and behavior. EcoSim has the potential to affect a large number of ecologists by providing them with analytic tools. A similar problem in the history of cladistic analysis points to the importance of software availability on the development and infrastructure of science.