Building Artificial Ecosystems with Safariya

By Karel P. Bergmann

CPSC 502 Final Presentation

Agave Perryi in bloom

Outline

• Project Goals• System Description

– Architecture– Safariya Core– Safariya Interface– World Files– Species Files

• All Together• Recurring Configurations• Summary Kolob Canyon (Utah)

Project Goals

• Simulator for ecosystem-level interactions

• Interactions between organisms and environment

• Interactions between organisms

• Two dimensional• Discrete time• Discrete space

What is Safariya?

Safariya Screenshot

Project Goals

• Modeling artificial ecosystems efficiently

• Emergent behaviour• Modular• Expandable

What is Safariya For?

Where Are We?

• Project Goals• System Description

– Architecture– Safariya Core– Safariya Interface– World Files– Species Files

• All Together• Recurring Configurations• Summary

Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)

System DescriptionArchitecture

Safariya-Core• Back end• Standalone capability• Written in C• Responsible for all

mission-critical operations.

Safariya-Interface• Front end• Plugs into Safariya-

Core• Written in Java Swing• Responsible for

dynamic visualization tasks

System DescriptionSafariya-Core

• Loads world file*• Loads species files*• Runs simulation

– Multipass handling

• Simple text monitor• Generates log files

Safariya Screenshot

System DescriptionSafariya-Interface

• Connects to Safariya-Core

• Transmits simulation parameters

• Displays current state

Safariya Screenshot

System DescriptionSafariya-Interface

• 5 Separate visualization overlays– Oxygen– Carbon dioxide– Water– Solar radiation– Standard

Safariya Screenshot

System DescriptionSafariya-Interface

• Genotypic activity plots– Displays population densities of all taxa

Safariya Screenshot

System DescriptionSafariya-Interface

• Explorer window– Displays environmental

attributes– Displays organism

information– Site by site basis

Safariya Screenshot

System DescriptionWorld Files

• Fully specifies environmental attributes

• Specified by LL(1) Grammar• Safariya-Core equipped with

parser

Safariya Screenshot

System DescriptionWorld Files

• Fully specifies environmental attributes– Elevation– Oxygen– Carbon Dioxide– Water– Solar Radiation– Diffusion– Production Kananaskis Country from Mt. Rae

System DescriptionSpecies Files

• Fully specifies species attributes

• Seeds world with specimens• Specified by LL(1) Grammar• Safariya-Core equipped with

parser

Safariya Screenshot

System DescriptionSpecies Files

• Fully specifies species attributes– Initial mass, energy– Reproductive mode– Trophic level– Clutch size– Metabolic rate– Movement function– Conspecific recognition Tomato Frog (Dyscophus antongilli)

Where Are We?

• Project Goals• System Description

– Architecture– Safariya Core– Safariya Interface– World Files– Species Files

• All Together• Recurring Configurations• Summary

Heliconid Butterfly (Heliconius charitonius)

All Together

World File Species File

Stats (log) File

Where Are We?

• Project Goals• System Description

– Architecture– Safariya Core– Safariya Interface– World Files– Species Files

• All Together• Recurring Configurations• Summary

Regal Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma solarae)

Recurring ConfigurationsImmobile Autotrophs

• Absence of predators• Growth dictated by

– Carbon Dioxide– Water– Solar Radiation

Bryce Canyon (Utah)

Recurring ConfigurationsImmobile Autotrophs

Recurring ConfigurationsSignaling Autotrophs

• Regions inhabited by predators

• Requires coevolution of– Danger signaling– Signal based locomotion– Autotrophy

Grand Canyon (Arizona)

Recurring ConfigurationsSignaling Autotrophs

Recurring ConfigurationsSignaling Heterotrophs

• Regions inhabited by mobile organisms

• Requires coevolution of– Mobility– Food signaling– Signal based locomotion– Heterotrophy

Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)

Recurring ConfigurationsSignaling Heterotrophs

Where Are We?

• Project Goals• System Description

– Architecture– Safariya Core– Safariya Interface– World Files– Species Files

• All Together• Recurring Configurations• Summary

Desert Iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis)

Summary

• Artificial ecosystem simulator• Modular design• Integrated visualization tools• Interactions between organisms• Interactions between organism and environment• Recurring evolutionary trends

Saguaro Sunset (Organ Pipe Cactus National Park)