Spatially explicit models

Abstract

Spatially explicit models. Over the last decade it has been increasingly recognized that, in addition to factors traditionally considered in ecology  -resources,  conditions,  biotic  and  abiotic  interactions-,  spatial  processes  play  a  critical  role  in  explaining  observed  ecological patterns. The incorporation of space in ecological models brings new perspectives to explain these patterns, offering a meeting point for the understanding  of  many  ecological  processes.  In  this  paper  we  clarify  the  concept  of  spatial  dependence  in  dynamic  ecological  models, which is often a matter of confusion, and we illustrate this with specific examples from Mediterranean-type ecosystems. We also introduce spatial ecological models that have been critical for the development of current ecology.