Parameters

Parameters are input data for LANDIS-II that control the behavior of the model and its extensions. Parameters are grouped into files based on functionality. For example, all the basic species parameters are in one file, while ecoregion parameters are in another. Each extension has at least one parameter file.

Parameter files are one type of input data; the other type is input maps.

How LANDIS-II users create and modify parameter files

The CLI (command-line interface) user creates and modifies parameter files often with a text editor. In rare cases with large files, e.g., the initial communities file, the user may automate the creation of the file using software, e.g., a SAS script to generate the file.

The GUI user uses a specialized data tool in LIME called an input editor or parameter editor. There are multiple input editors, each one designed for a specific parameter file.

LIME has a generic input tool that’s a simple text editor. This text editor is used to edit a parameter file if there is no input editor for a particular parameter file. If the text editor tool exists, then why input editors? The CLI user doesn’t know if a parameter file is valid without actually executing the model. The GUI user receives immediate feedback because the input editor can validate parameter data without running the model.

Design Patterns

These are described on a separate page titled Parameters - Design Patterns.