Systems Science and Modeling for Ecological Economics Review

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(More customer reviews)If you did not do modeling before and have no idea where to start from - this book is for you. It is well written and it is fun!
I had to do some modeling for a project that I have been working on. At that moment I did not have much experience in modeling, especially in modeling coupled economic and natural systems. I was looking for a good guide in ecological economic modeling but could not find anything user-friendly and interdisciplinary. I came across the web-course by Dr. Voinov and started it. The book is a great addition to the course. The web-course as well as this textbook lead you through the essential steps of model design and implementation, introduce you to main challenges and ways to resolve them, and give you some great illustrations from practical applications of ecological economics. I especially like that it provides not only the theory of modeling for ecological economics but also discusses software tools and gives you hands on experience with the exercises. I was very excited to see that the textbook is out there now. Enjoy!


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Modeling is a key component to sciences from mathematics to life science, including environmental and ecological studies. By looking at the underlying concepts of the software, we can make sure that we build mathematically feasible models and that we get the most out of the data and information that we have. This book shows how models can be analyzed using simple math and software to generate meaningful qualitative descriptions of system dynamics. This book shows that even without a full analytical, mathematically rigorous analysis of the equations, there may be ways to derive some qualitative understanding of general behavior of a system. By relating some of the modeling approaches and systems theory to real world examples the book illustrates how these approaches can help understand concepts such as sustainability, peak oil, adaptive management, optimal harvest and other practical applications. * Relates modeling approaches and systems theory to real world examples * Teaches students to build mathematically feasible models and get the most of our the data and information available* Wide range of applications in hydrology, population dynamics, market cycles, sustainability theory, management, and more

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Modeling the Environment, Second Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)A highly readable introduction to environmental modeling. What distinguishes the book from other environmental science and environmental modeling works is its interdisciplinary treatment. In particular, the models integrate the physical world and the world of human behavior. Far too many environmental models fail to close the feedbacks between human behavior and the state of the environment, instead taking waste inputs or resource use as exogenous. This book helps students learn to model human behavior (social and economic) as an integral part of the ecological system. The models and software mean the book encourages active learning, and enable students to explore important issues on their own if they choose.

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Modeling the Environment was the first textbook in an emerging field-the modeling techniques that allow managers and researchers to see in advance the consequences of actions and policies in environmental management. This new edition brings the book thoroughly up to date and reaffirms its status as the leading introductory text on the subject. System dynamics is one of the most widely known and widely used methods of modeling. The fundamental principles of this approach are demonstrated here with a wide range of examples, including geo-hydrology, population biology, epidemiology and economics. The applications demonstrate the transferability of the systems approach across disciplines, across spatial scales, and across time scales. All of the models are implemented with stock and flow software programs such as Stella and Vensim. These programs are easy and fun to learn, and they allow students to develop realistic models within the first few weeks of a college course. System dynamics has emerged as the most common approach in collaborative projects to address environmental problems. The stock and flow structures and the emphasis on feedback control provide a common language that is understood by scientists from many disciplines. Although the interdisciplinary approach described here is widely used in practice, there are few books to aid instruction. Modeling the Environment meets the urgent need for instructional materials in interdisciplinary modeling of environmental systems.

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