CASAS Global Research Fellows have expertise in the following areas useful in the analysis of agroecosystem problems:
- Mathematical models of population dynamics and trophic web: Deterministic and stochastic models of poikilotherm structured population, physiologically-based demographic models (PBDMs) for the analysis of single-species and multi-trophic system dynamics; derivation and analysis of lumped parameter models; individual-based models and Markov chains models.
- Models for the management of spatially-structured population: Spatially explicit physiologically-based demographic models (lattice models) for potential establishment and spread of invasive alien species; Probabilistic model for the pathway analysis of invasive alien species; Metapopulation models for the design and assessment of management strategies of endangered species and large-scale pest population; Information theory-based approaches are used to rank intervention strategies; Cost-benefit analysis and optimization methods in ecosystem management.
- Parameter estimation for ecological models: Methods for the estimation of development, mortality and fecundity rate functions, and predator-prey functional response based on population dynamics field data; Use of macroscopic and microscopic simulation models, stochastic models, time series and Bayesian methods for parameter estimation.
Development and implementation of simulation models and software packages to support pest management and agricultural production activities.