Mathematical models have a long history of use for understanding ecological systems. In a recent book, A New Kind of Science, Steve Wolfram calls into question traditional modeling approaches and calls for the increased application of cellular automata (CA) models in all areas of scientific inquiry. With reference to Wolfram's book, we review the past uses of CA models in ecology and discuss the relative utility of using traditional models versus CA models to understand ecological communities.
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1 May 2004
A New Kind of Ecology?
JANE MOLOFSKY,
JAMES D. BEVER
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BioScience
Vol. 54 • No. 5
May 2004
Vol. 54 • No. 5
May 2004
cellular automata models
complexity
frequency dependence
spatial models
theoretical ecology