We investigate the use of partial functions, fitness sharing and committee learning in genetic programming. The primary intended application of the work is in learning spatial relationships for ecological modelling. The approaches are evaluated using a well-studied ecological modelling problem, the greater glider population density problem. Combinations of the three treatments (partial function...

This paper investigates the use of partial functions, fitness sharing and committee learning in genetic programming. The primary intended application of the work is in learning spatial relationships for ecological modelling. The approaches are evaluated using a well-studied ecological modelling problem, the greater glider population density problem. Combinations of the three treatments (partial...

Ecology studies the interactions between individuals, species and the environment. The ability to predict the dynamics of ecological systems would support the design and monitoring of control strategies and would help to address pressing global environmental issues. It is also important to plan for efficient use of natural resources and maintenance of critical ecosystem services. The mathematic...

It has long been recognized that numerical modelling and computer simulations can be used as a powerful research tool to understand, and sometimes to predict, the tendencies and peculiarities in the dynamics of populations and ecosystems. It has been, however, much less appreciated that the context of modelling and simulations in ecology is essentially different from those that normally exist i...

Neglect of ecological knowledge is a limiting factor in the use of statistical modelling to predict species distribution. Three components are needed for statistical modelling, an ecological model concerning the ecological theory to be used or tested, a data model concerning the collection and measurement of the data, and a statistical model concerning the statistical theory and methods used. T...

The potential use of functional evolutionary models and mechanistic ecological models as predictive tools in fisheries ecology is discussed. Evolution by natural selection is a force that leads to ecological adaptations of the individuals in the populations. By mechanistic modelling of the sense organs, we may model how individuals perceive their environment, and by life history theory we may p...