ecode: An R package to investigate community dynamics in ordinary differential equation systems

Abstract

Population dynamical modelling plays a crucial role in understanding ecological populations and making informed decisions for environmental management. However, existing software packages for dynamical system modelling often lack comprehensive integration of techniques and guidelines, limiting their practical usability. This paper introduces ecode, a novel package for modelling ecological populations and communities using ordinary differential equation systems, designed with a user-friendly framework. By following a three-cycle procedure, users can easily construct ecological models and explore their behaviours through a wide range of graphical, analytical, and numerical techniques. The package incorporates advanced techniques such as grid search methods and simulated annealing algorithms, enabling users to iteratively refine their models and achieve accurate predictions. Notably, ecode minimises external dependencies, ensuring robustness and reducing the risk of package failure caused by updates in dependencies. Overall, ecode serves as a valuable tool for ecological modelling, facilitating the exploration of complex ecological systems and the generation of informed predictions and management recommendations.