Synchronous Parallel Composition in a Process Calculus for Ecological Models

In this paper we extend PALPS, a process calculus proposed for the spatially-explicit, individual-based modeling of ecological systems, with a synchronous parallel operator. The semantics of the resulting calculus, S-PALPS, is defined at the level of populations as opposed to the level of individuals as was the case with PALPS, thus, allowing a considerable reduction in a system’s state space. Furthermore, we provide a translation of the calculus into the model checker PRISM for simulation and analysis. We apply our framework to model and study the population dynamics of the Eleonora’s falcon in the Mediterranean sea.