ECOBAS — modelling and documentation

Until now modelling and model documentation were two different processes. As a consequence, model documentation was prone to error. It was rarely possible to run larger models from their documentation. Model exchange was limited to simple models due to different languages in which they were created. To facilitate more efficient model creation, documentation and exchange we are introducing ECOBAS system. The system consists of three parts: A standard Model Interchange Format (ECOBAS_MIF), Modelling Assistant (ECOBAS_MA) and a WWW site for exchange of ecological models (ECOBAS_WWW). MIF is an intuitively clear model specification language to create and document models. Apart from specification of mathematical constructs and variables, it contains specification of units, dimensions, environment for which the model was created and validated, methods that were used in measuring variables, addresses of model creators and references. MA ensures that modelling and documentation is done in one step. It guides the user to write a complete and concise syntax, checks units and dimensions, enables handling submodels and exports the source code into different text editors and viewers in the form of ASCII, TEX, PDF, HTML files, languages (FORTRAN) and software packages (SIMPLEX, EXTEND and SciLab, while conversion into other software is planned). WWW site (http://eco.wiz.uni-kassel.de) is used as a market place to exchange model documents. To demonstrate how MA works we reimplement Rostherne model into MIF (Krivtsov, V., Bellinger, E., Sigee, D., Corliss, J., 1998. Application of sem xrma data to lake ecosystem modelling, Ecol. Model. 113: 95–124).