# Introduction to Modeling Biological and Ecological Systems
John Bolte, Biological & Ecological Engineering Department, Oregon State University
In this chapter, a variety of approaches to representing, in mathematical form, the relationships we encounter in biological and ecological systems, is presented. The development and use of these mathematical relationships is termed **modeling**. Modeling is, very simply, a way of describing, in precise mathematical terms, the processes we see in nature and interactions that govern these processes. Models can be extremely powerful tools to inform engineering design and analyses, and hence, understanding the basics of modeling is important for toolset for ecological engineering.
This chapter is organized to provide a high-level view of modeling, and introduction to a variety of commonly-used modeling approaches, and a set of tools for implementing and assessing models, as follows:
| Section | Modules | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Models and Modeling | ||
| Empirical Models and Linear Regression | ||
| Nonlinear Regression | ||
| Systems and Mechaniscic Models | ||
| Generalize Quantitative Processes | ||
| Multidimensional Models | ||
| Stochastics Models | ||
| Model Validation, Testing, and Sensitivity Analysis |