Computer Simulation of the Sonoran Desert Community
Computer simulation of the Sonoran Desert community.Copyright 2006 Wendy Holmgren, Vanderbilt University
Use of the computer program's simulation of a Sonoran Desert community ultimately strengthens students' comprehension of what is required for a natural ecosystem to sustain itself (remain in balance). This computer simulation program has great flexibility. Students can manipulate the population numbers of five Sonoran Desert species. A species natural history attachment provides vital information for students to familiarize themselves with each species' behaviors, niche and food resource needs. The program includes two producers, Saguaro cactus and Ironwood Tree. It also includes three consumers, but their interactions both toward the producers and each other differ. The community's ability to remain in balance and sustain all five species so that none die out rests on students' assessment skills enabling them to correctly identify these dependencies. Students learn by trial and error as they continue to fine tune the ecosystem for which they maintain stewardship.
This activity provides direct application in utilizing a computer simulation to allow the biologist (student) an opportunity to assess and measure the responses of a community to measurable changes within individual populations. At its simplest level of use, it permits the student a means by which to understand the interconnectedness of all species to one another. As this Legacy Cycle module continues to explore natural systems, it adds dimension to the student's ability to fully appreciate that a disturbance does not have a single outcome. As one computer program variable is altered, the student assesses the impact to the entire community. Similar programs can be a valuable tool to assist in understanding perturbations within the natural world while evaluating proposed human disturbances. This technology extends students the opportunity to manipulate and measure the effect of these changes.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Understand how computer simulations enable biologists to study biological models.
- Understand that a species' population is dynamic and not static.
- Develop a deeper understanding for how a community's health is dependent upon the species and type of species that live there. Each species has a vital role in the overall functioning of the ecosystem.
- Explain why producers must outnumber consumers, and consumers must outnumber predators.
- Explain why pollination is a vital role carried out by pollinators.
- Explain why competition is an important parameter within communities.
- Assess and measure the responses of a community to measurable changes within individual populations, providing the students a way to understand the interconnectedness of all species to one another.
- See the connection between ecological relationships of organisms to the fundamentals of engineering design.