A MULTIMODELING BASIS FOR ACROSS-TROPHIC-LEVEL ECOSYSTEM MODELING - THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES EXAMPLE

We present a new modeling method for use in large-scale physical syste ms, such as the Everglades ecosystem. The current work that has been d one in the ATLSS (Across-Trophic-Level System Simulation) project-whic h focuses on simulating key Everglades system components-relies on cod e integration. While this represents a necessary first step in analyzi ng the dynamics of species within the Everglades, it falls short of tr ue model integration. We have constructed a methodology called object- oriented physical modeling (OOPM), which allows a comprehensive knowle dge representation to be constructed for large-scale systems. OOPM enf orces the idea that an implementation of compute code can be accomplis hed in an incremental fashion by starting with a conceptual model and progressing to more detailed models. During this evolutionary procedur e, a minimal amount of code is written, since the emphasis is on devel oping the conceptual model so that it not only represents the intuitiv e aspects of the model, but is also executable. OOPM provides a kind o f ''blueprint'' for ecologists, biologists and hydrologists to communi cate and integrate models effectively.