Spreadsheet Exercises in Ecology and Evolution

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Summary: Program a model from scratch
Review: Originally conceived as a single book, these two volumes have been tailored to suit ecology/evolution or conservation biology/landscape ecology curricula. They help students develop expertise in building models using spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft® Excel. Why should students build their own spreadsheet models from scratch, when so many specific, prewritten models are widely available? Because when you program a model from scratch, you learn all aspects of modeling: what parameters are important, how the parameters relate to each other, and how changes in the model affect outcomes. In other words, you not only learn about models, you also learn about modeling. The mystery of modeling dissolves when students actively create and develop their own programs in a spreadsheet environment.

Each spreadsheet exercise provides a list of objectives, background material, and annotated step-by-step instructions (Windows and Macintosh) for creating a model on a given topic. Students then examine how various parameters affect model outcomes and, through a set of guided questions, are challenged to develop their model further. In the process, they become proficient with many of the functions available on most spreadsheet programs and learn to write and develop their own macros.

Spreadsheet Exercises in Ecology and Evolution and Spreadsheet Exercises in Conservation Biology and Landscape Ecology can be used independently as the basis of a laboratory course, or can supplement a variety of texts. The target audience is undergraduate and beginning graduate students.