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February 2, 20260 citationsOpen Access

WM-Classroom v1.0: A Didactic Multi-Species Agent-Based Model to Explore Predator–Prey–Harvest Dynamics

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ACAlberto CaccinASAlice Stocco

Key Points

  • To develop a pedagogical multi-species agent-based model for exploring dynamics in predator-prey-harvest ecosystems.
  • Developed a 50x50 grid model with predator, two prey, and human harvesters.
  • Implemented weekly time steps with random movement, consumption, and reproduction rules.
  • Conducted tests under various scenarios like no hunting, single-prey harvest, and predator removal.
  • In no-hunting scenarios, average deer population was 22, boar was 159, and wolves was 45.
  • Deer-only harvest often led to very low populations and extinctions, with counts as low as 1-16.
  • Increasing hunters or season length reduced prey populations, impacting wolves indirectly.

Abstract

We present WM-Classroom v1.0, a pedagogical multi-species agent-based model (ABM) designed for educational purposes in predator–prey–harvest systems. The model embeds a predator, two prey breeds, and human harvesters on a homogeneous 50 × 50 grid with weekly time steps, implementing random movement, abstract energetics, prey consumption, reproduction, legal harvest with species-specific cut-offs and seasons, optional predator control, and a poaching switch. After basic technical checks (energetic calibration, prey composition, herbivore viability), we explore the consistency of the model under illustrative scenarios including no hunting, single-prey harvest, hunter-density and season-length gradients, predator removal, and poaching. In the no-hunting baseline (n = 100), mean end-of-run abundances were 22 deer, 159 boar, and 45 wolves, with limited extinction events. Deer-only harvest often drove deer to very low end-of-run counts (mean 1–16) with extinctions in 2–7/10 replicates across cut-offs, whereas boar-only harvest showed higher persistence (mean 11–74) and boar extinctions occurred only at the lowest cut-off (3/10). Increasing hunter numbers or season length depressed prey and could indirectly reduce wolves via prey depletion. Legal predator control reduced predators as designed, while poaching had little effect under the implemented rules. Because interaction and prey-choice rules are simplified for transparency, outcomes should be interpreted as conditional on model assumptions. WM-Classroom v1.0 provides a didactic sandbox for courses, professional training, and outreach, with extensions (habitat heterogeneity, age/sex structure, probabilistic diet/kill success, and calibration/validation) outlined for future versions.

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Cite This Study

Caccin et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6980ffc6c1c9540dea8127cehttps://doi.org/10.3390/wild3010008
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