beaverApp - a beaver population simulation app
Authors: Zelda van der Waal
Abstract: This Shiny App is designed to simulate the growth of beaver populations ( in Scotland, England and Wales). The app integrates academic research outputs into an interactive interface that allows the user to simulate beaver population growth. Users specify a range of parameters to create scenarios representative of a conservation management action, landscape and objectives. The generated simulation runs provide an array of potential outcomes aiming to provide useful insights to support decision-making.
Full Description: Each simulation is set-up in a few steps depending on the user's objectives:
- design an operation by selecting between observation or translocation depending on the beaver population to be simulated
- consider the landscape and add custom spatial features on the map to reflect changes in habitat suitability due to management scenarios or add expert knowledge such as known barriers to dispersal
- let the population grow for a number of repetitions in similar starting conditions
- assess potential outcomes and gain insight on the potential outcomes for beaver population given the selected conditions
Refer to documentation within the app for guidance with the set-up and interpretation:
- model documentation (in Assumptions and Parameters)
- guidance on interpretation (in Simulation Outputs)
- demonstrations (in Tutorial Videos)
- description of mapped processes (in Map Legend)
- further reading (in References)
In order to simulate beaver populations, the app runs a spatially-explicit process-based model that includes
a Geographical Information System storing habitat suitability values, and an individual-based population dynamics module which simulates life histories and individual dispersal within the GIS-held landscape (important nodes, processes and parameter values included in the model are described in the app documentation).
- Computation can therefore take a few minutes for each set of simulation repetitions. *
Note that while the app is originally designed to simulate the growth of beaver populations in Scotland, England and Wales, the demo version is restricted to a small geographic area without placenames in order to satisfy data sharing agreements.
Shiny app: https://naturalandenvironmentalscience.shinyapps.io/beaverApp_v1_demo/
Repo: GitHub - zeldavanderwaal/beaverPops_simulationApp_2024: a beaver population simulation app
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