Virtual pasture ABM

suggested by: Gudrun Wallentin

Background 

This research accompanies the revitalisation of a traditional alpine cattle pasture “Vierkaseralm” on Untersberg near Salzburg City. The study area was abandoned by the last farmer in 1958, since then shrubs (mainly Pinus mugo) have encroached the former grasslands. In summer 2021 the pasture was revived, the cattle got GPS devices and the area was scanned with a UAV. The data that have been collected in the past four years provide a unique opportunity for scientific monitoring of pasture revitalisation.

Short description

This thesis aims to apply an existing agent-based model of cattle-grassland interaction to the Vierkaseralm. The model will be calibrated with the existing GPS data of the cattle and other available datasets in a pattern-oriented modelling approach, using data-driven optimisation paradigms such as genetic algorithms. The 2024 data will be used for model validation and to evaluate the approach.

 

Suggested reading

Wallentin (2024) "Spatial Simulation" eBook

Start

anytime

Prerequsites/qualification
Interest in the topic. On-site involvement in the revitalisation activities is possible and highly welcome.